Blueprint in progress
When I started writing ‘The Attention Blueprint’, I knew I wanted a book that explored one of the most important, yet often misunderstood, aspects of learning: attention. We often talk about students being engaged, focused, or intrinsically motivated in a lesson, but beneath it all lies a more fundamental question: how do we help students maintain attention in the classroom? Research on attention, working memory, and cognitive science is fascinating (I have really enjoyed unpicking key studies and research), but what has mattered most throughout this process is keeping the ideas grounded in classroom realities. The learning that takes place every day, in classrooms, with real students and real teachers. As I continue writing ‘The Attention Blueprint’, ahead of its publication in 2027 (which still feels a little surreal to write), I have found myself reflecting on this journey and what it has taught me so far:
Finding the time
Writing a book alongside a full-time role in education has been one of the biggest challenges I have taken on. There is a romantic idea that writing happens when inspiration strikes, but in reality, it is often very different, certainly for me. It happens early in the morning before school begins. It happens in the evenings after long days. It happens during holidays, when my notebook, laptop and growing list of ideas remain open. Whether you are teaching, leading a department, supporting students or working as a senior leader (like me), the days are full. Creating time to step away from the immediate demands of school and think deeply about a subject requires discipline and is a privilege. Nevertheless, there is also something incredibly rewarding about writing alongside working in schools. Every chapter is shaped by what I experience, and so many teachers experience every day. The ideas are constantly tested against classroom reality, which I think makes them even more meaningful.
Attention is more complex than we think
One of the things I have found most interesting through the research is that attention is not simply about students sitting quietly or appearing focused. Attention is the gateway to learning. Before students can understand, remember and apply new knowledge, they first need to attend to the right information. However, our ability to process information is limited, and this is where cognitive science becomes so important.
Some of my starting research points were John Sweller's (1988) work and Cognitive Load Theory. Sweller’s research highlights that our working memory has a very limited capacity when we are learning something new. If students are presented with too much information at once, or if unnecessary demands compete for their attention, learning becomes much more difficult. This has significant implications for the classroom. Of course, I have simplified the above information, but it reminds us that retaining new information is difficult. The way we (teachers) explain new concepts, the examples we choose, the resources we design, and the decisions we make about what to include and what to remove all influence whether students can process new information successfully. Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris' (1999) “Invisible Gorilla” experiment showed how selective our attention can be. Participants were asked to focus on counting basketball passes, and many failed to notice a person in a gorilla suit walking through the scene (more than half). The study highlighted something that has huge implications for classrooms: we do not automatically notice everything around us. Our attention is directed towards what we perceive as important. I have found it really interesting to explore the case studies on attention and how they relate to classrooms. For teachers, this raises important questions:
· How do we make the most important information stand out?
· How do we reduce unnecessary distractions?
· How do we design learning that supports students rather than overloads them?
The more I have explored the research, the more I have realised that we cannot simply demand attention from students. We have to cultivate it carefully through strong explanations, purposeful routines, relationships, and thoughtful curriculum design, which the book explores further. The research gives us a language to understand learning more deeply, but teachers bring that understanding to life every single day. The best evidence comes back to implementing the best bets in a classroom, especially if you are a Senior Leader in school. I believe the most important lesson from writing this book (although I may say differently in a year's time) is that research and classroom experience cannot be separated. I am still a teacher. I am still working with students every day. I am still grappling with the complexity of classrooms, and the challenges teachers face. Working in a challenging school has reinforced this even further. Attention does not exist in isolation from relationships, behaviour, culture and expectations. The research provides valuable insights and proven processes, but teachers bring them to life and adapt them to their context.
One of the most enjoyable parts of writing ‘The Attention Blueprint’ has been speaking with serving teachers and senior leaders across both primary and secondary education. Hearing their experiences, listening to the strategies they use and understanding the challenges they navigate every day has added so much richness to the book. What has stood out most is the expertise within our profession. Across different phases, contexts and roles, teachers are constantly thinking about how to help young people learn better. This book is becoming a collection of research, ideas and experiences, but most importantly, it is becoming a reflection of the incredible work happening in classrooms every day.
There is still a long way to go before The Attention Blueprint is finished ( I am still interviewing teachers and researching, which will go into the Autumn term), but the journey so far has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I am excited to keep learning, listening, and sharing ideas that I hope will help teachers and leaders understand one of the most important foundations of learning: attention.