The document discusses how people have short attention spans and tend to lose interest in topics after 10 minutes. It provides tips for teachers to regain student attention, such as using humor, scenarios, or videos every 10 minutes. While multitasking seems common, research shows it takes 50% longer to complete tasks and results in 50% more errors. Changing settings, voice tones, and finding patterns can help prevent boredom. Boredom serves an important purpose in filtering information.

1. We Don’t Pay Attention To Boring Things
By: Lindsey Madison

2. The Ten Minute Rule
• After ten minutes most people
tend to lose interest in what you
are talking about.
• Every ten minutes its best for
teachers to do something
interesting to regain students
attention.
Medina, J (2009). Brain
rules. Retrieved July 10,
2009, from brainrules.net
Web site:
http://www.brainrules.net/

3. Attention Grabbers
1. Use a scenario
2. Use humor
3. Share experiences
4. Tell a joke
5. Show a video
Linus, Matthew (3-5-2005).
Ideas On Teaching.
Retrieved July 10,
2009, from
cdtl.nus.edu. Web site:
http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.
sg/Ideas/iot96.htm

4. IS IT TRUE???
• Multitasking: is the ability for a person to perform more
than one task at the same time.
• According to Dr. John Medina, it is impossible to multitask.
• What do you think????
Medina, J (2009). Brain rules. Retrieved July 10, 2009,
from brainrules.net Web site: http://www.brainrules.net/

5. MULTITASKING
• It’s a proven fact that it will take you 50% longer to
do a task if you are doing other things at the same
time, than it would if you just do one thing at a time.
• You also make 50% more errors, while trying to
multitask.
Medina, J (2009). Brain rules. Retrieved July
10, 2009, from brainrules.net Web site:
http://www.brainrules.net/

6. Patterns
• Everybody's brain is made to notice patterns.
• For example: Do you notice any patterns in this?
• IRSYMCAIBMKGBFBI
• IRSYMCAIBMKGBFBI
• Use this pattern technique to help prevent boredom.
Medina, J (2009). Brain rules. Retrieved July 10,
2009, from brainrules.net Web site:
http://www.brainrules.net/

7. Settings
• Changing the setting of a class
can help relieve boredom.
• Adding some color.
• Giving 10-15 minute breaks.
• Adding something new to the
environment to change its
appearance.
• Switch classrooms.
(2009). Trusted Online Research.
Retrieved July 10, 2009, from
Questia.com Web site:
http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.
qst;jsessionid=KWTchqKKcvkkJBWj9
QbLpQBhvhDG18mkdcxy6V1Dp3gVry
PQghPR!1178491195!1596248468?
docId=5001677362

8. Monotone Voices
• Adding some facial expressions
while speaking can help you be
more interesting.
• Changing your pitch and the
loudness of you voice will keep
your listeners attentive.
(5-8-2006). Speech and Voice
Enterprises. Retrieved July 10, 2009,
from speechandvoice.com Web
site:http://www.speechandvoice.com/S
peaking%20Styles%20of%20Known
%20Broadcasters%20and
%20Politicians.htm

9. Boredom
• Some self explanatory reasoning why we don’t pay
attention to boring things is because we may not
care about that particular topic.
• We may have already learned about the subject.
• We may not be able to comprehend it at all.
(2009). Hubpages. Retrieved July 10, 2009, from Hubpages.com Web site:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Raising-Kids-Who-Dont-Get-Bored

10. Is Boredom Good For The Brain?
• According to a 2008 New
York Times article, they
say people tune things
out for a good reason.
• Over time, boredom
becomes a tool for sorting
information.
• It acts as our own
personalized spam filter.
• Benedict, C (8-5-08).Your
Bored But Your Brain Is
Tuned In. New York
Times, 5, F5.

11. Focusing
• According to Hockenbury &Hockenbury the 5th
edition, people have a hard time staying focused
and getting bored easily because of the things that
are going on around them and already having
thoughts in their head prior to listening to content
from teachers or peers.
Hockenbury, DH (2008). Psychology. New
York, NY: Worth Publishers.

12. References
• http://www.slideshare.net
• http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.org
• http://www.webster.com
• http://www.brainrules.net
• Hockenbury & Hockenbury
• http://www.nytimes.com
• http://www.hubpages.com
• http://www.speechandvoice.com