I once heard a teacher complain: "So-and-so is incredibly unfocused in class; they are constantly fidgeting." This immediately reminded me of a lecture I attended. The speaker read straight off the slides, the PowerPoint was a dense wall of text, and their tone of voice sounded like a monotonous chant. Ten minutes in, I started scrolling through my phone, replying to emails, and even contemplating using the bathroom as an excuse to escape.

Let me ask you: Was it because I, the audience member, had a "focus problem"? No. It was because the lecture was too boring.

If I were a child in that situation, I would probably lie flat on my desk or start poking the classmate next to me with a pen. The only difference between us is that adults have learned how to put on an act, while children are completely direct.

There are no naturally unfocused children—there are only environments that haven’t been thoughtfully designed.

Sometimes, teachers throw the problem back to the parents: "Your child isn't paying attention; you need to discipline them at home." To be honest, this leaves parents feeling completely helpless. The parents aren't the ones attending the school, nor are they the ones interacting and teaching.

This is like going to a restaurant, finding the food absolutely terrible, and then having the chef storm out to scold your wife: "Your husband is a picky eater. You need to take him home and warn him." Does that logic make any sense?

As an educator, when your students have a high "churn rate" (lack of focus) during your lessons, I suggest you don't rush to label them. Instead, adopt a "product mindset" and ask yourself three questions:

Question 1: Is your product (curriculum) something your users (children) actually want to engage with?

When a child loses focus, do you "command" them to pay attention, or do you "invite" them to participate? If a child refuses, can you offer them a Plan B—something they can actively work on with their hands?

You might be afraid of losing control of the room. But the truth is, a child will only quiet down for something they want to do. This is what we call intrinsic drive.

Question 2: Why are the children "bouncing" (losing focus)?

When a child plays for a brief moment and then walks away, there are usually only three reasons behind their lack of focus:

1. It’s too hard (Anxiety): They don’t know how to do it, and the frustration is too heavy.

2. It’s too easy (Boredom): They already know it and feel like you are wasting their time.

3. No one is with them (Loneliness): They lack a sense of connection and interaction.

This is the core of Flow Theory. If we cannot help children accumulate experiences of "being understood," "I can do this," and "being validated" during an activity, they will naturally log out of your lesson.

Question 3: Have you created an environment rooted in a "sense of safety"?

Imagine working at a company where you could be chewed out by your boss or have your coworkers roll their eyes at you at any given moment. Would you focus on your work, or would you be thinking about how to escape?

When adults are in an environment where they aren't fully accepted, they just want to run away. Children are exactly the same. If a classroom is filled with blame and constant correction, a child's brain will enter survival mode instead of learning mode.

At its core, education is the ultimate form of interaction design. If you truly understand children, prepare the environment beautifully for them, and design meaningful interactions, you will discover something wonderful: that child who was constantly scolded for being "unfocused" is actually capable of shining brilliantly.

Every single life inherently wants to strive for something better. Always.