A Teacher's Thoughts on Fidget Spinners by Dr. Michael Flanagan

You’re teaching a class. You hear this little “twip, twip, twip, twip”, but you are not sure where it’s coming from. You look around, and notice the kids are spinning...something...in their hands, on their desks. They are riveted, utterly fixated on this whirling wonder. They’re even blowing on them to keep them twirling. Lesson over.

The Fidget Spinner is the latest fad spreading throughout America’s classrooms. It is a plastic pinwheel constructed with ball bearings that can spin between the thumb and forefinger, or on top of a desk. The difference between this craze and past ones such as Tamagotchis, Silly String, or Pokemon Go is that this one is billed as the panacea for distracted students. Fidget Spinners are touted-- mostly by the producers of the product-- as being able to alleviate anxiety, stress, and ADHD. They keep students focused, alright, but not on what you are trying to teach them.

Think back, over the years. What are some of the most distracting things that can happen in a classroom? Those phenomena that, when they occur, can destroy even the best of lessons. You know the scene: you’re cruising through a lesson. It’s going great. “Wow,” you’re thinking, “I’m a great teacher! I didn’t make a mistake going into this profession after all! I’m making a difference!” In my experience, there are two occurrences above all others that can completely derail a lesson regardless of subject, or grade level.

Bees and farts.

First: All teachers know that when a kid farts in class, the lesson is pretty much done. Kids start laughing; holding their noses; moving their seats; going into the hallway, or running to the windows. Half the time, so do we. Even the kid who actually farted is trying to get away. A teacher might be tempted to turn this disruption into a learning opportunity about manners or etiquette, but he or she would be a goner before even starting. I’ve just learned to keep some air freshener in my desk drawer for such an occasion. Worth its weight in gold. It appeases the kids, and maybe...maybe...you can finish the lesson. Is there a domain on the Danielson Rubric to rate this management technique? I rate it as “Highly Effective”.

Second: There’s a bee in the classroom!! Once again, chaos. The students scatter in all directions, diving on the floor as if a terrorist attack was underway. The room erupts into a high-pitched squeal of young girls. You know the sound-- not even the most talented mezzo soprano singer can hit that pitch. Kids panic. At least one starts crying. And of course, there’s always the one kid that decides he’s the second coming of Mariano Rivera and hurls the biggest textbook in the room at this little, helpless bee.

Now as the teacher, you of course attempt to maintain control of the room, but this is usually futile. It doesn’t help when security, or even the principal, come running to see what all the commotion is about, but when you tell them, “It’s a bee”,  flee from the room themselves.

“Okay students, I’ll wait till you are finished,” we sometimes try. Yeah, as if. I usually try to point out, “Hey. Y’all are so tough. You’re afraid of a little bee?” Sometimes that actually works. Sometimes.

Yes, I know there are kids who are legitimately allergic to bee stings. But really, how many? I’ve met only a handful in my many years in the profession. And I am not a big believer in killing bees so I always try to open up the windows and shoo them back out. But it’s too late. The class is officially over. Because even when the bee is gone, there’s the inevitable debriefing about who did what when they saw it flying in, how far this one or that one dove out of the way, who threw the book the closest, and just what a horrible drama it all was.

We can’t control bees, or farts, or the fact that most students carry the biggest distraction of all in their pockets: the cell phone. But do we need to add Fidget Spinners into the equation? Yes, school kids sit in classrooms six or seven hours a day, and many schools are cutting recess in favor of test prep. Students have restless energy that needs to be channeled, especially after lunch. And yes, Fidget Spinners have the potential to do this. But, of course, it’s distracting to the student, and frustrating to the teacher who is trying to teach. Many schools are trying to remedy this by banning them. Remember, we have standardized exams and pop-in observations to worry about! Where do Fidget Spinners work into the Danielson Rubric??

Here’s an idea: let’s see if we can improve attention and address hyperactivity the old fashioned way. Bring back recess.