Teaching in the Age of Distraction: Tools to Capture Attention

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We’ve all been there: standing in front of a class, trying to capture attention that seems to be slipping away before the lesson even starts. Engagement has always been a challenge in teaching, but now—with AI tools and endless distractions—it feels even more urgent to rethink how we spark curiosity.

This week’s article takes inspiration from creators outside of education and blends it with AI tools to help us bring fresh energy into the classroom.

Article Spotlight

Beyond the Hook: 3 Creator-Inspired Strategies + AI Tools to Ignite Student Engagement

Teachers have long known the importance of a good hook. But sometimes even the best icebreaker or story falls flat. That’s where looking to creators—people who know how to capture and sustain attention in a noisy world—can give us some ideas.

In this article, I explore three strategies adapted from the creator world, each paired with a practical AI tool to help you apply it in your own classroom. You’ll learn how to:

• Craft irresistible openings that make students want to lean in.
• Use storytelling and pacing to build curiosity throughout a lesson.
• Encourage interaction that turns passive listeners into active participants.

The goal isn’t to perform—it’s to create an environment where students are excited to think, contribute, and connect. AI can make the planning part easier, but the real magic happens when those strategies meet your own teaching style.

👉 Read the full article: Beyond the Hook: 3 Creator-Inspired Strategies + AI Tools to Ignite Student Engagement

Inspiration

"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." — E.E. Cummings *(ad)

Teacher Commuter Playlist - Heart of Gold by Neil Young

Choose Your Own Adventure

• When it comes to working with young people, there is such a thing as too much help.
• App - Seating Chart Maker
• Take a computer break - Angoily Magnetic Double-Sided Dry-Erase Handheld Board *(ad) with Quick-Erase Surface.

Have a great week!

Jeremy