Teachers should allow children to tap their pencils in class

Many teachers believe that when children tap their pencils in class they are trying to distract and consider it an insult because the student is not listening to what they are saying. However, most neuroscientists know this to be false, and certain parts of your brain have been shown to light up when you move your fingers. So in some respects it means the kids are thinking, not mindlessly tapping their pencils, even if their pencils are moving up and down, there is much more upstairs.

The other day, I was discussing this with an acquaintance, and we were talking about the challenges that teachers face with 30 to 40 children in the classroom. Apparently this is becoming the new norm due to all the school budget cuts. It is a real problem. And as we started talking, we moved on to what kinds of distractions the kids were engaging in, like chewing gum or tapping on their pencils in class, basic annoyances to the teacher.

Did you know that moving your fingers or tapping a pencil or maybe pressing keys on a laptop keyboard actually helps trigger higher cognition and thinking, helps your mind process information, imprint memory? Whether you’re typing on a keyboard or pencil, just like playing a musical instrument, your mind thinks as your fingers walk. It can help you discover new ideas and it works, this is because it is the way the brain is wired to process information.

My acquaintance then pointed out; “Didn’t know that! I’m going to look into that further, I always tell my son to stop tapping the pen/pencil while he’s at his homework station in his room, NOW I’ll have him all mixed up, telling him to tap !”

Yes, it’s okay to touch the pencil; If the sound bothers you, lay out a napkin or hand towel and touch it. It has something to do with dexterity and nerves in the fingers, and how the brain is wired into limb movements: when they hook people up to EEG or fMRI scans, they see it.

In fact, I hope you’ll consider this if you’re an educator or a teacher, and then act on it. Please don’t take this personally, and after you’ve tried some of my suggestions here, maybe you could drop me an email and tell me what you’ve learned in the real world. Think about it.