James Talks to Teachers Chapter 11

No matter how scatterbrained the type of a man's successive fields of consciousness may be, if he really care for a subject, be will return to it incessantly from his incessant wanderings, and first and last do more with it, and get more results from it, than another person whose attention may be more continuous during a given interval, but whose passion for the subject is of a more languid and less permanent sort. Some of the most efficient workers I know are of the ultra-scatterbrained type. One friend, who does a prodigious quantity of work, has in fact confessed to me that, if he wants to get ideas on any subject, he sits down to work at something else, his best results coming through his mind-wanderings. This is perhaps an epigrammatic exaggeration on his part; but I seriously think that no one of us need be too much distressed at his own shortcomings in this regard. (p, 57)

James discussion on the brains ability to pay attention is based on interest.  I find it interesting that some people are singularly focused while others possess the ability to multitask.  Unfortunately multitasking by students in the classroom is often seen as off task.  Commanding a student’s attention while presenting content, which they find uninteresting, is definitely challenging.  Ensuring that each student is gaining knowledge from the information that is being taught is often difficult to gauge.  Yes some student which may appear off task may have the intellect to consume all of the information that is presented in that setting.    

James discusses the term scatter brains.  This whole notion of scatter brains being a type of methodology to focus on necessary task is interesting. I think that the term scatter brains is such a negative concept so to assume that some one is a scatter brain implies they do not have the ability to focus and understand complex concepts.  Why are we so tied to labels that define every aspect of humanity? I think that this is more an individual that has unique interests and therefore perceives things differently.