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00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 Now here's your host, Adam Bush. Good morning, everybody.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:22 Welcome to Wednesday, day three of our week-long deep dive into the Fitting
00:00:22 --> 00:00:26 Five newsletter that's brought to you by Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:30 Quick thank you to their sponsorship and for bringing us these thought-provoking articles.
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00:00:42 --> 00:00:46 Today, we're discussing an article from Education Week titled Classroom Interruptions
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 Add Up Quickly to Lost Learning Time.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:52 Now, this piece is a stark reminder of just how fragmented the school day can
00:00:52 --> 00:00:56 become and the impact those interruptions have on student learning.
00:00:56 --> 00:01:00 It's something many teachers experience daily, and this article quantifies the
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 problem and highlights the need for solutions.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 The core message is clear. Those seemingly small interruptions,
00:01:07 --> 00:01:12 whether it's an announcement over the PA system, a student needing to leave for a forgotten item,
00:01:12 --> 00:01:16 or a quick administrative check-in, all of these accumulate and significantly
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 eat into valuable instructional time.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:23 One of the most striking points in the article is just the sheer volume of these interruptions.
00:01:23 --> 00:01:27 The article cites research showing that teachers can lose a significant portion
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 of their instructional time due to these disruptions. Think about it.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:34 A few minutes here and there, it might not seem like much, but over the course
00:01:34 --> 00:01:40 of a school day, a week, or a school year, it adds up to a substantial amount of lost learning.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:44 This lost time can be particularly detrimental for students who are already
00:01:44 --> 00:01:50 struggling or for those in underserved communities where every minute of instruction is crucial.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:54 I saw a report last week where Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA,
00:01:54 --> 00:01:58 was floating around the idea of shortening the quarters of NBA games by two
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 minutes to speed the game up and save on wear and tear for the athletes.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:07 Now again, two minutes doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up to 15 games
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 in the end, and 15 games, that's more than one fourth of an NBA season.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:15 It's crazy to think that what starts off at two minutes a quarter has such an impact.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:22 Think what two minutes adds up to throughout a full school year, let alone an NBA season.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:27 That's just crazy to me. Now, this article also touches on the different types of interruptions.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:31 Some are unavoidable, like you're going to have emergency drills or important
00:02:31 --> 00:02:35 announcements, but others, they are more preventable, such as poorly planned
00:02:35 --> 00:02:40 administrative breaks or students frequently leave in the classroom for non-essential reasons.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:44 And this is where schools and administrators can really make a difference by
00:02:44 --> 00:02:49 implementing a few strategies to try to minimize these avoidable disruptions.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:53 We will likely never be able to eliminate them all, but our goal is going to
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 be to try to limit these to something that's a little bit more manageable.
00:02:57 --> 00:03:01 One area that this article doesn't fully explore, but I think it's important
00:03:01 --> 00:03:06 to note, is the impact that these interruptions have on teacher focus and classroom management.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 Every time a teacher is interrupted, it takes a little bit of time for them
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 to regain their train of thought and refocus the class.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:16 It can disrupt the flow of the lesson, make it harder for students to stay engaged.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 So it's not just about the lost instructional time.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:25 It's also about the impact that these interruptions have on the overall learning environment.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:29 This article really underscores that importance of maximizing instructional time.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:34 It's a call to action for schools and districts to take a closer look at their
00:03:34 --> 00:03:39 daily routines. and identify areas where they can reduce unnecessary interruptions.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:43 It's about creating a more focused and productive learning environment where
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 both teachers and students can succeed.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 That wraps up today's discussion. Thanks again for tuning in.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 And again, a special thanks to Grunemeyer Leader Services for their support.
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 Check out The Fitting Five for more valuable insights. And if you haven't subscribed
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00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 monthly dose of leadership wisdom.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 We'll be back again tomorrow with another insightful article.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:07 In the meantime, have a great day. We will talk with you again tomorrow.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:11 You have been listening to your Morning Boost by AWB Education in partnership
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 with Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:18 You can find out more about our services by clicking on the links in the description.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:23 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:27 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community.