Schools obsess over attention spans — but ignore what attention needs to grow.
Jun 26, 2025
We create rules, apps, tricks to “keep them focused” —
while skipping the one question that matters:
Does this learner feel like this task belongs to them?
Because focus isn’t forced.
It’s a byproduct of something deeper.
Real focus happens when a learner feels:
🔹 I choose this. (autonomy)
🔹 I can do this. (competence)
🔹 I’m not doing this alone. (relatedness)
That’s Self-Determination Theory — not a buzzword, but the fuel behind every moment of real learning.
So instead of asking “Why don’t they pay attention?” —
we ask:
💬 Where can they make a meaningful choice?
💬 Who celebrates their effort?
💬 What tiny win keeps them in motion?
In the Reimagine Education Coaching Program, we don’t teach strategies to hold attention.
We redesign the conditions that let it grow.
Because if we want learners to focus —
we have to focus on them first.
