Phones, FOMO and Focus: 10 Ways to Reclaim Student Attention

Student attention and classroom engagement can feel harder to hold when every laptop, phone, and smartwatch comes with an escape hatch. But the answer is not necessarily another device ban. In this episode of The What & Who of EDU, ten educators share practical teaching strategies for helping students focus, participate, and reconnect when attention wanders. Their approaches range from active learning and flexible pacing to device-free spaces, purposeful technology use, curiosity, belonging, and self-regulation. The educators do not always agree, and that is part of the point. Better attention is less about finding one perfect phone policy and more about designing classrooms where students have something meaningful to do, a reason to care, and a way back when their focus drifts. Brought to you by Macmillan Learning. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Phones, FOMO, and Focus [01:14] Silence Your Own Notifications [03:22] Stop Filling Every Minute [05:42] Change the Container, Not the Content [07:51] Make Attention Count [10:57] Put the Phone to Work [13:41] Teach From Everywhere [15:47] Build a Device-Free Island [18:13] Set the Boundary, Teach the Skill [20:44] Lead With the Mystery [23:28] Make Their Presence Matter [27:08] What We Learned Featured Educators Betsy Langness is the Psychology Department Head at Jefferson Community and Technical College, where she has worked for more than 20 years. She teaches general and developmental psychology courses in a virtual, asynchronous environment. Dr. Christin Monroe is an Educational Research Associate at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She previously taught Chemistry at Landmark College with a focus on supporting neurodivergent learners through inclusive and innovative teaching practices. Jennifer Duncan is Associate Professor of English at Georgia State University's Perimeter College. Jennifer has been teaching English literature and composition for twenty-five years and specializing in online teaching for fifteen. Dr. Daniel M. Look is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Mathematics at St. Lawrence University. He's spent over 25 years trying to convince students that math is not only useful, but occasionally fun. He authored Math Cats: Scratching the Surface of Mathematics, an illustrated exploration of mathematical ideas through the lens of cats. Dr. Erika Martinez is a Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida, where she has taught economics for 14 years. She's passionate about making economics accessible and engaging for all students and also teaches at UNC-Kenan Flagler Business School's MBA@UNC online program and Santa Barbara City College. Dr. Jennifer Ripley Stueckle has spent the past 17 years as a Teaching Professor and Non-Majors Biology Program Director at West Virginia University. She has taught introductory biology, immunology and human physiology. She also created biology courses offered through dual enrollment at West Virginia high schools. Dr. Ed Lee, is an Instructional Associate Professor and Director of Service Laboratories at Texas A&M University in the Department of Chemistry. His research is related to synthetic organic chemistry and its application toward biological systems. Dr. Ryan Herzog is an Associate Professor of Economics, Program Coordinator, and Faculty Fellow at Gonzaga University, where he has been teaching for 16 years. His work focuses on macroeconomics, financial markets, and public policy. Dr. Kevin Revell teaches chemistry at Murray State University, with experience that spans high school, community college, and state flagship institutions. He is the author of several leading textbooks, including Macmillan Learning's Introductory Chemistry and General Chemistry. Marissa Dahari, M.Sc., is the Undergraduate Course Coordinator in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph. Her research focuses on genetically altered proteins of the human heart, leading to disease states such as cardiomyopathy.   If this episode gave you a classroom move worth trying, follow The What & Who of EDU, leave a quick rating, or send it to the colleague who has perfected the "I can absolutely see that laptop screen from here" stare. Have your own strategy for student attention? E