James Lang: cultivating attention

Learning does not happen without attention. But in a world so full of distractions, how can we ensure our students are paying attention? For Professor James Lang, the answer lies in deliberating cultivating attention in our students, rather than trying to limit distractions. And how do we do that? Think about what makes you pay attention. How do you help yourself focus? How, then, can you create these conditions for others? The key is to remember that attention is personal: not just in the sense that we all have our own interests, but also in that we need to create space in the subject for the individual. When we can see ourselves, or a connection to ourselves, in what we are learning, it is easier to be drawn into the material. Above all, paying attention brings joy, and as educators there is surely no greater joy than in deliberately creating those moments for others!The resources we mentionedGermano, W. 2016. Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books, (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press.Lamott, A. 1995. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anchor Books.Jim’s personal website: https://www.jamesmlang.com/ Jim’s substack, A General Education: https://jamesmlang.substack.com/ Jim’s podcast, Designed for LearningMiller, M.D. 2024. A Teacher’s Guide to Learning Student Names: Why You Should, Why It’s Hard, How You Can. University of Oklahoma Press.Sword, H. 2012. Stylish academic writing. Harvard University Press.Sword, H. 2017. Air & Light & Time & Space. Harvard University Press.And the publications we talked aboutLang, J. M. (2020) Distracted: Why students can't focus and what you can do about it. Hachette UK.Lang, J. M. (2025) Write Like You Teach: Taking Your Classroom Skills to a Bigger Audience. University of Chicago Press.