3 Ways to Help Students Build Attention Stamina

It’s a common scenario for teachers: You dim the lights and start playing a short video. You glance around the classroom, hoping to see engaged faces, but within a minute, a few students are already tapping their desks or zoning out. In education, we talk a lot about engagement, but focus is really the foundation. In my own high school classroom, I’ve learned that students aren’t being defiant or uncaring when they’re unfocused—they’re struggling to listen with purpose. They need tools that can help them focus better and improve their attention stamina. 

I set out to create some helpful tools and strategies for my students, who have diverse learning profiles, including processing delays, anxiety, attention challenges, and autism. I knew going in that whatever I came up with needed to be flexible. The goal was never perfection; it was access and agency.

What’s resulted are three classroom strategies that don’t feel like extra work for students. Instead, they help students own their attention. I named the strategies “The Listening Gym,” “The Noise Diet,” and “Focus GPS.”

I’ve seen firsthand how useful each of the above has been for my students. A few weeks ago, I even got an email from a former student who told me they still use the Focus GPS method when they’re overwhelmed at work.

Here’s how each strategy took shape and how you can try them too.

The Listening Gym: Turning Attention into a Workout

Listening is an action, not a passive experience. I want students to feel like they’re training their attention. Hence, the term the Listening Gym.

As with any gym routine, there’s a warm-up first. I call this the “echo back challenge,” where students verbally share a one-sentence takeaway immediately after a video, clip, or story. Sometimes, those takeaways are shared by students who raise their hands. Other times, I ask students to share with a partner. It’s a low-stakes exercise that encourages participation.

Then comes two reps for students’ brains—once for the big picture and once more for the details. For the first rep, students watch or listen to the clip again. I give them five to 10 minutes to jot notes or sketch/map out the big-picture idea, then three minutes to discuss further with a partner.

For the second rep, we replay the clip one more time. I ask students to focus on tone, key words, and missed details. Afterward, I ask them for their final takeaway; this time, I want them to be focused and confident. To keep things interesting, I’ll sometimes split my classroom in half and see which side can deliver the sharpest summary, best phrasing, or most creative conclusion. When students are excited to share, you know they’re locked in.

I’ve found that in combination, these “gym routine” activities make a big difference. One student told me the Listening Gym has bolstered their learning experience by making it easier to recognize what they’re listening for. Another student began volunteering to lead our warm-up, saying, “Let’s do our gym first.”

The Noise Diet: Making Room for Mental Clarity

Distraction is part of the high school landscape. Students deal with hallway noise, mental noise, and, of course, the constant hum of technology. Rather than fight distractions, we talk about them.

I ask my students to do an audit of what distracts them the most. An anxious thought? The urge to check their notifications? From there, we create a Noise Diet. The goal isn’t to cut everything out, but to make room for what matters.

One example from my student feedback: Several classmates were tapping their pens and pencils during group discussions, thinking it helped them focus. But the rest of the class said it was too noisy and distracting. We’ve since swapped those tools out for quiet fidgets, like stress balls and fabric strips, which meet the same sensory need without disrupting learning.

Another common classroom distraction comes from students moving around in small ways: They tap their legs, twirl their hair, and shift in their chairs. Sitting still all day isn’t realistic, especially for teens. As a way of adjusting, I’ve made intentional movement part of the Noise Diet. If students can listen, participate, and work with others, then flexible seating is welcomed. So are movement tools that fit within the natural rhythm of the classroom, like pacing zones. These are open areas in the room where students quietly walk while thinking or working. I don’t formally designate a space, but students know where it’s OK to move without interrupting others. We also set boundaries. For example, during direct instruction or testing, movement tools are limited to protect everyone’s ability to focus.

Perhaps the most impactful Noise Diet tool I’ve enacted is playing a steady metronome beat under calming music during independent work and quizzes. I got the idea from my daughter, who was diagnosed with a processing delay in second grade. At the time, we looked for simple ideas that could help her regulate focus. She always loved tap dancing, and because she understood rhythm and meter naturally, I introduced her to the concept of a metronome. It gave her something steady to sync with, just like in dance.

She used it throughout high school: during late-night study sessions, big projects, and even her ACT prep and testing. Now in college, she still turns to that same rhythm when she needs to block out distractions and get into her focus flow.

The metronome is reliable and it supports focus. Its steady rhythm works like a background guide, something for the brain to gently sync with. It’s not flashy, but that’s the point. Even the soft tick of an old classroom clock can serve as a natural focus anchor. Students may not notice it, but their attention often follows its rhythm. One of my students recently raved to me that they finished their test with enough time to check their work, something that doesn’t usually happen. That kind of quiet impact speaks volumes.

Focus GPS: Teaching Students to Reroute in Real Time

Teens are constantly navigating screens, schoolwork, and social media. They don’t call it “navigation,” but they live it. Their phones are always within reach, and for some, that fast-scroll rhythm has replaced real focus.

That’s why my Focus GPS idea clicked so quickly. It provides students with a way to reroute their attention, kind of like resetting a game or getting redirected while driving after missing a turn. Sometimes the brain needs a moment to buffer, and Focus GPS helps.

In essence, Focus GPS is giving students a series of rerouting options: jotting down a “focus word,” doing a 10-second stretch, or taking a deep breath with intent. These are mini-resets that I encourage students to do anytime their attention drifts.

What’s surprised me is how naturally they’ve taken to it. At first, I’d casually point it out: “Hey, that’s you using your Focus GPS.” Eventually, students noticed it themselves. One student in particular started doing a quick stretch before every quiz, no reminder needed. Another student who had frequent shutdowns during longer assignments learned to take a Focus GPS “pause,” where he’d write a quick word like “reset” on a sticky note, then stand and take some deep breaths. His ability to persist through challenging tasks improved, and he began completing writing assignments that used to trigger avoidance.

The best part of this easy-to-employ system is that it doesn’t require directing students to focus. They’re instead improving their attention stamina. Like the Noise Diet and the Listening Gym, Focus GPS isn’t just handing off a tool—it’s helping students understand how and when to utilize important strategies.