As an ex-teacher and ex-substitute teacher, I know about trying to stay awake in boring classes. (In order to get to that status, I had to take a LOT of boring classes!) As a student, I also had trouble staying awake at times. And it isn't easy to stay awake as a teacher, when test time comes, either!

The first thing I would suggest would be to take notes! Notes not only can help you stay awake and focused on what the teacher is saying, but they also help your brain make the connection between what the ears have heard and what you are putting on paper; that way, it is doubly busy learning what the teacher is saying. Notes also help when you start studying for the inevitable test! With good notes, you already have an "up" on the students who spent class time drawing, passing notes, etc.

Next, if there is a diagram to go with the information, or any kind of visual, try to give a depiction of it in your notes. The idea is to get as much useful information from what the teacher is saying and showing to the class as it is possible to get. That way, you can more easily make the connections between the spoken words and the written notes you have been keeping.

Third, be prepared. If the teacher is in the habit of giving reading to do and then talking about it the next day, be sure to read the assignment the night before. If you do that, you may even come up with some questions that you feel need to be addressed, or even an illustration that you could contribute to help your fellow students "get the picture". And the teacher will feel that you are a better student than some of the other students.

Fourth, if there is a time to do work at the end of the class, before the bell rings, be prepared to use that time constructively. Either begin studying for the next class, work on something that came up in that class, or read a good book. All three of my children learned to carry a book with them to every class. Many of their teachers commented to me about the fact that they never had to worry about the children; they knew that all three would remain quiet in class, because they would be reading.

The important thing to remember is that at least one person in any class is truly interested in learning. Let that person be you! It will keep you from being sent to the office, getting notes to take home for your parents, and being barred from playing sports. Take the time, instead, to learn something that can help the teacher become a better teacher: study!

Learn more about this author, Barbara A. Black.
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