The hardest thing about teaching right now isn’t that kids are distracted - it’s that so are we. 

Between phones buzzing, tabs multiplying, and brains doing the “just one more scroll” shuffle, everyone in the room is fighting the same invisible battle. 

This week, we’re looking at two small but powerful angles: one that interrupts the doomscroll before it starts, and another that uses humor to pull attention back without pulling teeth.

Guess what? You’re about to become an even better teacher in the next 6 minutes.

🚀 Noteworthy News

👉️ Alarming: LA schools handed out iPads & Chromebooks — and parents are fuming.

👉️ Practical: Want to actually be a better listener? Here’s how the pros do it.

👉️ Controversial: Australia’s under-16 social media ban — what teens really think.

🔉But first, a word from today’s sponsor for teachers interested in keeping up with all things science and tech. 👇️ 

Find out why 100K+ engineers read The Code twice a week.

That engineer who always knows what's next? This is their secret.

Here's how you can get ahead too:

• Sign up for The Code - tech newsletter read by 100K+ engineers

• Get latest tech news, top research papers & resources

• Become 10X more valuable

Join 100k+ engineers

And now back to making you an even better teacher 👇️ 

TECH TOOL

Break the Scroll Cycle

Last week’s distraction-reduction article struck a nerve—in a good way—so we went looking for another tool that helps both students and teachers escape the doomscroll.

The Solution: One-sec

Enter One-Sec: the tiny pause that can stop an entire lesson (or prep period) from being swallowed by TikTok, Reels, or whatever flavor of endless scroll we’re all pretending we don’t use as much as we do.

One Sec interrupts your muscle-memory reflex to open social media by forcing you to pause—literally one second—before the app launches. It sounds too simple to work, but that tiny delay is backed by research on habit loops and impulse control. 

Teachers can use it to protect their prep time, stay focused during grading marathons, or avoid the classic “I’m just checking one thing” trap that eats half your planning block.

For students, especially high schoolers, One-Sec can be a gentle reality check. It doesn’t ban anything. It doesn’t shame them. It simply disrupts the autopilot that leads to compulsive scrolling. 

Always check with admin before recommending apps, but we’re thrilled to share that One Sec is giving PEN Weekly readers a free month when signing up through our link above. 

Is This For YOUR Classroom?

If your students have phones, yes—this can help. If they don’t, or if your school enforces strict “no devices ever” rules, it won’t do much. 

And like any habit-breaking tool, One-Sec only works if students (and teachers) actually want to build better boundaries. Frame it as a self-care support, not a punishment.

Strategies That Work:

1. Prep-Time Shield: Block social apps during prep to reclaim your focus.

2. Habit Lab: Have older students track their One-Sec triggers to build self-awareness.

3. Calm Start Ritual: Begin class with a quick phone pause to reset attention.

One-Sec won’t cure distraction forever, but it makes the invisible visible. And sometimes one small pause is enough to change the whole day.

BRAINY BIT

Does Humor Actually Help Kids Learn?

TLDR: A new qualitative study suggests that teacher humor isn’t magic, but it is a surprisingly reliable way to reduce tension, refocus attention, and rebuild connection — especially when it’s genuine, not forced. For K–12 classrooms battling distraction and low engagement, that matters.

The Study: Does humor support our students?

This wasn’t an experiment with control groups or test scores. The researchers used a grounded theory approach, interviewing K–12 teachers about how they use humor during real lessons. Teachers described moments when jokes landed, moments when they didn’t, and the classroom conditions that shaped both.

The research team then analyzed these stories using iterative coding — comparing transcripts, identifying patterns, and refining categories. Through this constant back-and-forth, they built a theory of why humor works, when it works, and what teachers are actually doing when they use it to manage attention and relationships.

The Results:

Teacher humor isn’t about being a comedian — it’s about classroom climate.

Three consistent patterns emerged:

• Humor re-engages attention. Light, authentic jokes help reset wandering minds without derailing the lesson.

• Humor lowers emotional temperature. It softens tense moments, conflict, or frustration (for students and teachers).

• Humor strengthens connection. When it’s natural, not performative, students read it as care — not as “trying too hard.”

But the study also warns: forced humor backfires. Students sense when it’s unnatural and may disengage more.

The message is not that humor causes achievement — only that it’s a strategic engagement tool.

In YOUR Classroom:

A well-timed, authentic joke can recapture attention and build trust more effectively than another reminder to “focus up.”

Here’s how this study could improve your classroom approach this week:

Strategies That Work:

1. Use “reset humor.” A quick, light comment can transition a restless class back into learning mode.

2. Name the moment. A playful acknowledgement (“This math problem is bullying all of us”) reduces frustration and keeps students in the task.

3. Let humor emerge — don’t chase it. Respond to student energy instead of planning punchlines.

Humor won’t make you a better teacher — but authentic, low-stakes humor can make your classroom easier to learn in. Studies like this show us to use it as a bridge, not a performance.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

We would LOVE to hear from you!

Reply to this email, or send us a message on Instagram! We’re here to walk with you in these crazy times!

Part of what makes The PEN Weekly community so special is the fact that our readers are teachers from around the world! We’re not going to lie, we think that’s pretty darn cool!

We’ll see you again on Monday 🍎

Share this newsletter!

Do you know someone who would appreciate reading the PEN? Share this newsletter with them! Our goal is to reach as many teachers as possible, and to build a community of teachers supporting teachers.