I’ve been in hundreds of classrooms and observed a lot of good teachers. I’m always impressed by their determination to reach every student in spite of the challenges which may include the learning space itself.
Most classrooms are far from ideal listening and learning environments. Every room has its own set of noise issues that negatively impact learning.
Noise in classrooms have many sources:
- In-room noise from projectors, computers, printers, fans, lighting ballasts, shuffling desks and chairs, aquarium / animal habitat, pencil sharpener, student movement & interaction, etc.
- Facility noise from heating and air conditioning systems, hallways, adjacent rooms, gyms, cafeterias, music rooms, etc.
- Exterior noise include playgrounds, roadways, lawn mowers and blowers, even aircraft traffic patterns.
Spurious noises become distractions especially among younger children. These distractions often create barriers for students to hear and focus on the instruction.
I’m reminded of Dug the ‘talking’ dog in the animated movie “Up”. How many squirrels did he see? …..all of ‘em! Adults have developed techniques to counter audio distractions. We can refocus on the presenter, move closer to the front, watch for verbal clues or gestures and are able to fill in most of the blanks. Kids are kids and can be distracted by just about anything.
Classrooms may never be ideal listening and learning environments, but teachers can address much of the distracting noise issue by using a REDCAT classroom audio system which helps to keep kids focused and increases on-task times. It’s simple, effective and mitigates a major classroom challenge.