Practical tips for supporting neurodivergent learners in the classroom

In today's digital world, students face constant distractions that can make it difficult to stay focused during lessons. From social media notifications to endless online content, maintaining attention has become one of the biggest challenges in modern education.

This is where mindfulness in the classroom can make a significant difference. By helping students become more aware of the present moment, mindfulness can strengthen concentration, improve learning outcomes, and support overall wellbeing.

What is "Autopilot" thinking?

Have you ever reached the end of a page in a book and realized you can't remember what you just read?

This experience occurs when the brain slips into a semi-conscious state, often referred to as "autopilot" mode. During autopilot, we continue carrying out tasks while our thoughts drift elsewhere, planning future events, worrying about problems or replaying past experiences.

While this automatic mode helps us complete routine tasks efficiently, it can also reduce our awareness of what's happening right now. As a result, students may appear present in class while their attention is elsewhere.

For educators, understanding this tendency is essential because sustained attention is critical for learning, memory formation and academic success.

Why mindfulness matters in education

According to mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness means:

"Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally."

The key phrase is "on purpose".

Mindfulness trains students to deliberately focus their attention rather than allowing their minds to wander automatically. Like any skill, attention becomes stronger with practice. Repeated mindfulness exercises help create neural pathways that support concentration and self-awareness.

For younger children, this is especially important because the brain develops rapidly during the primary school years. Building healthy attention habits early can have lasting benefits throughout education and beyond.

Benefits of mindfulness in the classroom

Implementing mindfulness activities in schools can offer several advantages:

Improved attention span

Regular mindfulness practice helps students sustain focus for longer periods, making it easier to engage with lessons, reading tasks and independent study.

Better learning outcomes

When students pay closer attention, they absorb and retain information more effectively, leading to stronger academic performance.

Reduced stress and anxiety

Mindfulness techniques can help students manage exam pressure, classroom stress and emotional challenges by encouraging calm, focused awareness.

Stronger emotional regulation

Students become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, helping them respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.

Enhanced digital wellbeing

Mindfulness can help counteract the constant distractions created by smartphones, social media and digital devices.

Why attention skills are more important than ever

Many educators are concerned about the impact of technology on student concentration. While researchers continue to debate whether overall attention spans are shrinking, there is broad agreement that attention is shaped by habit.

The brain becomes better at whatever it repeatedly practices.

If students frequently switch between apps, notifications and multiple streams of information, sustained focus can become more difficult. Conversely, practicing mindful attention strengthens the brain's ability to concentrate on a single task.

This is particularly important for teenagers. During adolescence, the brain undergoes significant restructuring, strengthening frequently used neural pathways while reducing those that are rarely activated.

The message is simple: attention is a skill that improves through use.

Three mindfulness activities for students

Teachers can introduce mindfulness through simple exercises that fit naturally into the school day.

1. Mindful technology use

Help students develop awareness around screen time by encouraging intentional device use.

Steps:

1. Pause before using a device.
2. Notice how you feel.
3. Decide on a single task to complete.
4. Visualize the steps required.
5. Complete the task without distractions.
6. Put the device away once finished.
7. Reflect on any urge to continue scrolling.

2. Mindful eating exercise

This activity encourages students to engage all their senses and become fully present.

Ask students to:

• Observe five things they can see about their snack.
• Notice five things they can feel.
• Identify five scents.
• Slowly taste the food and recognize subtle flavors.
• Reflect on the experience.

This exercise develops sensory awareness and helps students practice sustained attention.

3. Breath counting for focus

One of the simplest and most effective mindfulness exercises for students.

Instructions:

1. Sit comfortably.
2. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
3. Focus on your breathing.
4. Count each breath from one to ten.
5. If your mind wanders, gently return attention to the breath.
6. Repeat as needed.

Over time, students often find it easier to maintain concentration and remain present.

How teachers can introduce mindfulness successfully

Teachers do not need extensive training to begin incorporating mindfulness into lessons. Small, consistent practices often produce the greatest benefits.

Consider:

• Starting lessons with a one-minute breathing exercise.
• Using mindfulness before tests or presentations.
• Encouraging reflection at the end of lessons.
• Incorporating mindful listening activities during discussions.
• Promoting conscious technology use in digital learning environments.

Consistency is more important than duration. Even a few minutes each day can help students develop stronger focus and self-awareness.

By helping students move away from autopilot thinking and engage more fully with the present moment, mindfulness supports both academic success and emotional well-being.

Whether through mindful breathing, mindful eating or conscious technology use, small daily practices can have a lasting impact on how students learn, focus and thrive.

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Students all over the globe learn English for many reasons. Some of these motivations may come from the students themselves – perhaps they are learning because they are travelling to an English-speaking area, or they want to be able to converse with English-speaking friends and colleagues. Other reasons for learning could include meeting school requirements, studying abroad, or progressing their careers.

As well as different reasons to learn English, there are also different goals. Many students are still focused on becoming fluent in English, and we are seeing an increase in people who want to learn the language for specific reasons. For example, immersing themselves in a particular culture or simply being able to order from a menu while travelling abroad.

Teachers are focusing on these personal needs to help students achieve their actual goals. It’s likely you’ve already spoken to your students about why they want to learn English. Understanding this is important as different motivations can influence a student’s attitude towards learning the language – and it may be necessary for you to adapt your teaching strategies for different groups of learners.

Teaching English to different groups of learners

Let’s meet some different groups of students, learn a little more about their motivations and explore whether different motivations alter how students learn English. You may recognise some of these learners in your classes.

1. Adult learners

These students are learning English for pleasure or personal reasons. It might be because of travel, social or family reasons or perhaps because a better grasp of English might assist them with their careers. There are also adult learners who could be learning English as an immigration requirement.

For example, 23-year-old Alice decided to learn English so she could meet people and have more meaningful interactions with her English-speaking neighbours. She says: “I was very shy and not very confident in speaking to people, but learning English helped me connect with others and meet new people. I have changed a lot.”

A motivation like Alice’s requires strong teacher support and peer motivation woven into structured learning. Alice can set her goals and with the GSE Learning Objectives map out what she needs to do to achieve them. Teacher encouragement and personal support – and easy access to digital coursework, a social community of others all learning English, and small classes that emphasise conversation – keep people like Alice engaged and motivated to achieve her language goals. “I cannot do it without them”, she says.

2. Professional learners

These learners are typically in a more formal type of English programme and are learning the language to achieve specific career milestones, such as a promotion. Their employer might even be paying for their learning or they might be reimbursed for the cost of their lessons.

Vincenzo is 33 and works as a Product Manager in Milan for an international organization with offices around the world. He says: “I asked to take English classes as part of my professional development. My company chose an English provider and gave me a choice of group or one-to-one classes. I chose one-to-one classes as I’m easily distracted.”

Professional learners like Vincenzo succeed using a blended learning model of learning in class and at home that they can tailor around their lives. They have a strong motivation to succeed – that’s why learning at home works for them – but step-by-step progress provided by the GSE Learning Objectives is also important to keep this motivation alive. “I met with my teacher once a week where we would work on mistakes I would make while speaking English. He would also give me extra practice materials, like interesting games and videos to listen to in my own time, to help me really get a better understanding of the language,” Vincenzo says.

3. Academic learners

Learning English is a requirement for many school programmes and students will continue this at college or university. Many of these students will be learning English with a formal course that offers practice tests for high-stakes exams.

Seventeen-year-old Subra is from Malaysia and learns English at school. Some of her family live in Australia and she is considering studying abroad to attend a University that specializes in health care. When she was young, she learned in a traditional classroom backed with tests that helped her see how she was progressing. Now she uses technology, such as her Android Huawei phone to practise her English but still needs the validation of regular testing to know she is on track.

Subra says: “I am used to studying for tests as I prepared hard for exams to get into middle school and senior school, which was totally determined by test results.”

Academic learners like Subra need to see demonstrable results to help them stay motivated and guide them to the level of English they need to achieve to get the required score on high-stakes tests. With the clear GSE Learning Objectives and a placement test, academic learners can map out where they are right now and where they need to be in order to reach their academic goals. These learners need encouragement and validation of their progress from their teachers to help keep them on track.

Understanding student motivations will help you teach to their specific needs, thus helping them to stay focused and motivated in achieving their goals.