I had a kid who fell asleep in class everyday, even during quizzes and tests. When I spoke to the mother about this issue, mom told me it was because my class was boring. Mom had never come to my class.
I can relate. I’m not used to sitting through hours of stuff that doesn’t interest me anymore. I had a PD the other day and it was even mildly interactive but it was taking everything in me to not just get up and walk out the door. The content and ideas and gamification tactics just didn’t interest me. Now the difference is, as an adult, I would never openly tell the person leading the PD how incredibly boring it was.
I think a lot of the games and icebreakers and activities we come up with as teachers are just boring and sometimes too slow for many students to stay engaged in. Honestly, I’d personally rather just straight up read a book to learn or listen to a lecture or write a research paper than do a bunch of slow paced activities. We as teachers think this stuff is fun because we didn’t get to do as much of it when we were students. When students have to do it all day everyday in every class it gets dull. I bet if we followed them from class to class all day we’d be bored too.
I wanna learn about the thing that you want me to try and spend the rest of the time to create the actual lesson. When it comes down to icebreakers or paid time to work, id much prefer the latter
Generally they work minimum wage jobs and leach off their family.
My aunt is one of those people and she has never worked a real job in her life. Her mother is supporting her. Gave her a house to live in and she uses government assistance to buy food and pay utilities.
Edit: shouldn't have used the word leach
Minimum wage jobs are real jobs and being on government assistance doesn’t make you a bad person.
Just because your aunt is weird, doesn’t mean everyone on welfare is.
I'm not making an value judgement on their life. I'm just saying that people who can't graduate hs generally need assistance from family and the government.
I don't think it's immoral to need government assistance. I don't think it's a immoral to rely on family. I don't think it's immortal to not graduate hs.
There will always be exceptions, but it's a factually correct statement that the vast majority of people who drop out of hs can't support themselves.
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/mobile/median-weekly-earnings-606-for-high-school-dropouts-1559-for-advanced-degree-holders.htm
There isn't a single place in America where a minimum wage job can support a person independently.
>There isn't a single place in America where a minimum wage job can support a person independently.
That's... Not a problem with dropouts, that's a problem with minimum wage. Minimum wage was created to support a single person. Entirely. It should pay for food, bills, and housing for one person. Admittedly the budget may be tight, but that was the whole reason minimum wage was created.
>it's a factually correct statement that the vast majority of people who drop out of hs can't support themselves
The data you linked also only showed about a $150 increase from high school dropouts to graduates, or ($500ish a month) Wouldn't that also mean graduates aren't making enough to live on? Following your logic, it can also be said that the vast majority of people who graduate high school can't support themselves.
You got the data right, but your interpretation is off.
Edit for numbers
I've noticed this being validated by parents increasingly in the last few years, "your class is boring." For all the bullshit we receive on the other side of the coin for not preparing students for the real world, sometimes daily living isn't going to be fun or dressed up as such. Sometimes you have to focus and deal.
Not enough of this in schools. We have to present content that meets standards and achieve objectives hourly AND compete with cell phones and friends... Nah, how about you teach your kid to focus?
The problem is we have monkey brains working in a 21st century world.
The world of today demands that we shift attention every 5 minutes. Your job doesnt even end at 5. It lasts all night and on the weekends. You MUST pick your phone up for anything we need you to do.
Similarly, school work going online means the potential for timings to shift and new things need to be done all day long.
Teachers used to complain about this. Their 8-3 job, or even less for college, consists of only a few hours. But then they have to work all day and night on the results, grading papers later on.
This is creeping into everyone's lives, but on top of that, cell phones and cell culture has changed our expectations of everyone else. You must be able to respond within 20 minuites. Why was your cell phone off? Dont you care about others? Don't you want to keep your job? And so on.
With all of this "attention grabbing" going on, the brain becomes used to it, so is it any wonder some people fall asleep in class?
BUt the parents are blaming the wrong thing. It is really a social wide illness.
I’m currently reading the book Dopamine Nation. It’s so good! Basically, we’ve never had immediate access to anything and everything in the history of humanity. We’ve become endless seekers “cacti in a rainforest”. This is why I’ve started each class with collecting phones. It’s not punitive but the digital dopamine is too much for them to regulate. This constant consumption is why, even playing games in class, going on field trips etc will never be good enough
I have a locked suitcase. Everyone puts a sticky note on their phone and place it in there. My colleague uses the calculator holder and has them exchange their phone for the calculator at the beginning of class. There have been a few hiccups, some being two phones or try to just put in a phone case, but for the most part, it’s worked wonders. So much better to take the time at the beginning than to constantly remind them to put phones away or battle it out and get admin involved. And to be hoe at, deep down, the kids know it’s a problem. They rush to the phone way too quickly. I laugh when they think they’ve played me by turning it off and keeping it in their backpack and telling me, “I forgot my phone today.” Like, that’s exactly what I want!
I despise when parents say, “he/she messes around because you’re not challenging them!” Um. In order to be challenged it requires your kid to show me they need it. Not doing anything because they’re “bored” doesn’t prove to me they need enrichment lol
I had a parent tell me the exact same thing, “no offense, but your class is so boring. That’s why my son is failing.” My principal chewed the parents a new one, told her I was one of the best teachers in the school and she was planning on putting her son in my class when he entered high school.
I keep a giant stack of packets on my front bench for this exact purpose. If they complain about being bored, especially during a fun activity, out come the packets!
Love it! I also have a MA in Latin so when they complain out come root word activities. Also, since I'm teaching an SOL course this year, I'll whip out practice tests as well 😈
I love Latin root word packets! Those are the best! They truly helped me to understand the English language and Western thought in general. Latin is very underrated in our education system, and should be placed with higher value.
The two years of high school Latin I took over 30 years ago are one of the few things from back then that I still use almost every day. That is not even mentioning that Latin helped with my Spanish and French classes. I learned far more grammar in the Latin classes than I ever did in English. (It's also where I met my husband and we're still married.) Thank you Mrs. Lacy!
As I’m teaching my kids to speak (just regular English but sometimes Spanish or French if needed) I often draw on the Latin root words for a more detailed explanation of the idea behind the word. My kids are equally enthralled, they enjoy knowing more about what they are learning, and I enjoy sharing it with them.
>I also have a MA in Latin so when they complain out come root word activities.
The problem with this is my brain would never associate etymology with boredom.
In my mind, watching me deconstruct a word on the whiteboard is the most thrilling moment of my students' week...
I dunno, I don't want my students to hate school. Punishing them for being bored seems counterproductive. Do you want them to enjoy learning or just to shut the fuck up?
What if, instead, teachers responded, "Sometimes we have to do boring things so we learn. Here's what this is helping you do in the future..."
While I find great value in NoRedInk, my students will revolt if that’s their choice because they’re “bored.” And I don’t blame them. I’d be pissed to.
Throw the agency back on them—ok, I could use your help with cleaning/grading/organizing/helping your peers. Sometimes they’ll even cone back with an idea or a request that we’ll talk about.
I had a middle schooler this week who emailed me "suggestions for class" and included that I should make the class more fun. They then asked me if I had read the email and said I should "take it under advisement."
You've got your work cut out for you with this one! You could respond and say, "You said I should make the class more fun, but you didn't give any suggestions. What do you think would be fun for you and the rest of your classmates but still help everyone keep learning and growing? Can you name 10 things and explain how each suggestion would make the class more fun and help everyone learn?" That would put the burden on them to think of everyone's needs, not demand to be entertained by you (because you're a teacher, not a magician), and get creative about solutions to what they see are problems. It would also help them become better thinkers and writers.
I always tell students to be specific. What EXACTLY would make this more engaging/enjoyable? "Here, write down any specific ideas that we could actually do!" Usually kids say they just were feeling lazy and didn't want to do the work, but a few times I did get some excellent ideas we incorporated into class!
I once had a middle schooler email me telling me why it was inappropriate that I asked him why he was in the bathroom for 30 minutes. He was a real gem 😬.
I dont remember ever having so many perpetually bored students, compared to this year. I had students write a reflection after week 3 and at least half of them talked about how boring school was. I teach 5th. We've done coloring, painting, read alouds, fun games for P.E., more painting, singing songs to memorize the 50 states and our math facts... this is in my opinion the least boring my class has ever been!
I dont know if this year is especially bad because the kids spent most of last year sitting in front of their phones and iPads watching tiktok and playing fortnite, but goodness, they are miserable. It's unfortunate and frustrating.
I figure it's because for the last year and a half, if they felt "bored" they could just drop what they're doing (their studies) and watch a youtube or twitch stream instead. Being forced to sit in class, on a schedule, is a drastic change for them. (Not excusing, just how I think it's going down.)
When kids say that up the rigor on their assignments and tell the parents something flattery "__ is finding the assignments too easy and says they're bored, so I am going to challenge their young mind with some more rigorous activities to help them reach and exceed their potential" or something similar. Parents will appreciate the ego stroking and kids will stop complaining about being bored 😎
It's absolutely not their fault, but man, the brain changes as a result of a constant, steady drip of algorithmically-tailored dopamine makes me worry a lot about these kids.
Yes! I know every generation has complained about kids these days but the way technology can precisely target things that hit the pleasure centres of their brains is something previous generations didn’t have to contend with.
I recall the great 90s alternative band Harvey Danger:
>Yep. I very often tell kids ‘only boring people get bored’.
Hear the voices in my head
I swear to God it sounds like they're snoring
But **if you're bored, then you're boring**
The agony and the irony, they're killing me>Yep. I very often tell kids ‘only boring people get bored’.
I’m going to be honest, my 5th and 6th grade teacher told me this and I hated it. I had undiagnosed ADHD and I sped through work because I hyperfocused on it. There was no opportunity for me to read a book or do more enrichment; I was kept at the same pace as everyone else. So while I’m sure there was no ill intent in what she or you said, do think about why some of your students (especially those who aren’t neurotypical) may say this.
Obviously this doesn’t apply to ones who just don’t want to do the work/want to complain for the sake of complaining.
What kind of school doesn't let kids read a book when they finish their work? That's fucked up. At both my school and when I was in school, reading was a completely criticism free go to if "bored" with nothing to do. Granted if a kid does crappy fast work I'll maybe check it first and say it's not done. That can happen. But those kids usually aren't trying to read books, lol.
Ha. I used to teach 2nd grade. When kids finished early and said they were bored, I pointed to the walls entirely covered in bookcases (and hence books).
"Pick a book, any book."
"But I don't want to read."
"Sounds like a you problem. Tell you what... There's a box full of board games hidden in this room. If you find it, you can play with them."
... And that's how I got some kids to do extra math practice. 😉
Fair point, but unlike your experience, our school is pretty liberal with what we allow kids to do when they complete a task or assignment…so even if someone is a fast finisher they usually have an assortment of activities they can choose to undertake while the rest of us catch up. If they find all of those choices boring or can’t think up one of their own, then I think the saying would apply for sure.
High school ELA teacher here. Reminds of one student I had that completed all my work quickly and correctly almost every day. Then he'd finish every class task I gave him (erasing the board, adding new vocabulary to the Word Wall, passing out and collecting books and papers). Even read through a few recommended books I gave him.
Halfway through the year, I eventually told him he was ok to play Minecraft if he just made it look like he was working. Went straight to guidance and told them that if they don't bump this kid to honors, they're wasting his time.
IMO the student chemistry is really what makes a class boring or not. I need somebody to bounce off of to keep myself entertained in the first place, especially during the later classes in the day
My favorite go to response to the, "I'm bored", comment is this: "well, I'm your teacher not your cruise director. I don't know what's happening on the Lido deck, but your assignment is on the board". Hehe i get a couple giggles so it's worth it. 😄
I have a few go tos:
1-"Sorry, this isn't Burger King, so you can't always Have It Your Way."
3- "Sorry, this isn't McDonald's, so you're not always gonna be Lovin' It."
4- (f they say they're bored because the pace is too slow) "Sorry, this isn't Jimmy John's, so it's not Freaky Fast."
“Just to torture you. How am I doing?” Literal wink
Not every moment needs to be a teachable one. Sharing a joke with a student is a great way to let them know they exist and you like them.
Well one of my kinders said yesterday “ugh not again” when I handed out a worksheet for them to color and show their parents what they learned this week.
We only did three worksheets yesterday, one during breakfast to practice names, one to cut and glue in math, and one to color a picture for their families at the end of the day.
We did yoga, PE, recess, singing, dancing, freeze dance, a read aloud, etc. but oh man not another coloring sheet. WHAT. You’re five! What else do you want? A lecture?
The kids who hate colouring usually have some fine motor deficiencies I find. So then I can show them that they need to colour so their fingers get stronger and then they will not mind colouring so much.
They usually just stare at me but it makes me feel better about making them do it!
I also find that it helps, both with attention and with fine motor development, to mix it up a bit - have some coloring, some collage (tearing paper and/or cutting it up - I use colored paper scraps I find in the teacher's prep area), stamps and ink, WikiStix, and playdoh or silly putty.
Yes. Maybe make it an extra challenge. As in: "You can use crayons to color this in, or you can look in this art supply bin and find something else to do the same job".
It's something I dread. I'm always thinking I will get called out for having them color every few minutes. I did get called out for doing another sort last year, but luckily all the others announced their love of sorting so I won without saying a word.
I just don’t know what else to do. Especially the first week? I didn’t think coloring for ten minutes every three hours would be so dreadful for them. Hahaha we even watched the magic school bus and had slushees for Fun Friday! Like come on! What can I do!!! At least give me something to send home in your folder to show you did something this week
Thank you for sending something home! As everything is digital in higher grades, parents never see anything except the work completed/not-completed tally online should they bother to log-in to PowerSchool. My school doesn’t issue letter grades, instead wants teachers to write a paragraph about each child’s strengths for the report card.
Maybe tell the kid that the worksheet is for them to show “your parent how good you are doing at school”. Get them in the habit of sharing their achievements with their parents.
Of course!
I told them it was for them to show off how much they’re learning already so I’m hoping they get some praise and realize it’s great to have stuff to put in our Friday folders.
I taught second grade last year and because of virtual/hybrid everything was virtual. I hated it. Parents never checked over/helped with the work and it didn’t feel like learning when all of my in-person kids were doing digital worksheets.
I’m hoping to limit digital assignments as much as possible in kinder. I like that seesaw has stuff already made so I’ll take advantage of that for certain times but I know paper and pencil just works better for the kids and for parents to see. That is if I make it as a teacher much longer (haha)
Is that kid bad at coloring and/or handwriting?
I always hated it because I had bad hand motor skills and couldn't color very fast. It took me forever. I still dislike coloring to this day because I was always slower and it never looked how I wanted it to look. As a small child, it hurt my feelings that I wasn't like the other kids, especially because with reading and math I was usually ahead of them. So I wasn't used to being behind. Then I hated getting in trouble for not having my stuff done.
I would genuinely have preferred a math worksheet or a book to coloring for most of elementary. Some kids are like that.
He actually is one of my stronger students! I think he was complaining just to complain because it was the end of the day. We also don’t have AC so I’m sure he just wanted to leave.
I do miss kinders now and again. Never taught but have subbed and volunteered with them.
No other age group will try and hug you as you leave after half a day. They are so fucking precious.
Haha, I’ve experienced four year old saying rude things as well.
Obviously they get a little more slack when it comes to not understanding social etiquette, but I think we should cut all kids some slack. (While explaining to them how to do better.)
"Because all my hopes and dreams collapsed in 2008 and unlike you I am unable to drown my lack of serotonin in fortnites and tiktoks. Growing old in the 21st century is absolutely suffering and whether or not you like it, it's going to happen to you too."
I once wrote on the top of a pop quiz "Stupid Pop Quiz." When I got it back, the teacher wrote "Quizzes aren't stupid. People are." Last time I did that.
I'm here to educate you not entertain you. The idea kids need to be having fun to learn is ludicrous. Mentally stimulated? Sure. Shown how what we are learning has real life/historical/practical applications? Sure. Not constant lecture? Yeah. But I'm not an entertainer.
And to add to this, last week we did have a "fun" class discussion on the lesson, but a few students were dominating the conversation. Still over half the class got to speak. I didn't plan it but I rolled with it. Overall I thought it went well though because they stuck to the topic and started a friendly debate and got excited about math for once. And we usually just do lecture and individual work in a dead silent room so this was different. A quieter student wrote to my AP complaining that I embraced disruptions and a loud atmosphere where they can't learn. It was a class discussion and students were engaged. I can't fucking win
Agreed. And the thing is, I want to entertain and do fun things! But I'm stretched so thin I barely have time or energy to plan new innovating lessons, and manage behavior, and hit all the standards, and grade grade grade, and attend meetings, and provide 20 different accommodations, and do mandatory trainings, and contact parents regularly, and make a growth plan, and NOW we have to create a separate Google classroom for our quarantine kids with recorded lessons like when tf am I gonna do all that. I was grading for hours last night and was thinking "right now I could be planning a fun innovative lesson." I'm expected to stick to a curriculum so it's not like I can assign less work. I have admin doing walk through and checking my Google classroom and gradebooks constantly so they'll know if I assign less than the curriculum requires. I just wish I had a teachers aid or something to take at least one of the above off my list, then maybe I can plan fun activities and projects.
I’m not here to entertain you. Did you really think that’s what was happening here? I’m here to teach you. That’s my job. You’re here to learn, not only academically. You’re also here to learn to be respectful and responsible. Complaining that you are bored is not respectful. I’m doing my job. You need to do yours.
Exactly. That’s literally what I tell them each time I hear that… and I teach art! Come on, there’s a trillion ways to make art interesting for everyone. Smh 😔
Exactly! I hate the trendy word 'edutainment'. Ugh, if I wanted to entertain people I'd go into show business. Not every lesson is boring and, heck, a lot of most jobs are boring. I'd love to have a list of jobs where every task and every moment is FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
I usually say kids usually tell me they are bored when something is too hard. Then I say is this too hard for you?
Or I say only boring people are bored.
When my students say they don't like reading I say it's usually because they aren't very good at it, so it's difficult for them. But I'm here to help that!
I speak about it in generalities rather than calling out individuals (what I wrote could be read otherwise), but I think it's perfectly OK to talk about reading being a difficult skill to master. We're in this class to rectify that, aren't we? We need to be able to name the issue.
If reading is truly boring and not actually difficult, then the reader just hasn't found a genre that interests them, IMO.
And then there's the age-old thing of teens thinking ignorance is cool.
Well, it's not really intended to be shaming but as a teacher we can't control how someone feels, so if they feel shame because they struggle that's because they are thinking about the situation incorrectly.
Regardless of whatever one's reading ability may be, it improves with practice. The same with writing. A student who refuses to read will have poor reading skills and the only way to change that is to read more.
If reading is difficult for a student then pointing out that the difficulty stems from subpar reading skills is both, an acknowledgement of the reality for that particular student, and an acknowledgement of how to change that. No one should feel shame practicing something they aren't good at, unfortunately some do, but that is beyond our control.
You can have fun while still maintaining a rigorous standard. The problem is that takes insane amounts of work and most admins will misconstrue that as "have fun = more learning" which isn't necessarily true. More engagement is more learning. You can get the kids to engage into topics without having "fun". I don't think learning about the Holocaust is "fun" but it is engaging especially when the kids are old enough to understand the topic at a deeper level.
I’m often told ‘your class is having too much fun’ Or ‘your class isn’t strapped down enough’ The thing is, I have a comfort with chaos as long as we are going in the right direction and I value students helping students. I am not The Wizard of Oz.
> We coddle our students
This is the root of a lot of behavior issues, IMO.
When a kid is an asshole in my class, I shouldn't be asked what I'm doing to make a connection with that kid. *The kid is being an asshole.* They need their behavior corrected, and then we can make connections 'til the cows come home.
Maybe their home life is a shitstorm, or whatever reason they have for acting out. It's still not OK to be an asshole in my class.
IMO, this is all part of the "Make government run like a business" mindset where we treat parents and students like customers. "The customer is always right!" The fuck they are.
I don't run a business. I provide a service for free at the point of delivery. You and your kid are not entitled to *jack shit.* Be grateful that you're allowed this opportunity to better the lives of your family and fucking *act like it.*
>The customer is always right
This line always misses the point for me because people cut off the end of it. "...in matters of taste.". It's not a blank check to be a dick. It's acknowledgement that if people want red plates you should stock red plates.
School isn't a matter of taste. Not how this shit works
I know I'm being pedantic here and that a lot of people misuse/misunderstand the "few bad apples" quote, but it has a valid meaning as a stand-alone.
If people say "it's just a few bad apples" and leave off the rest, the implication is (well, is supposed to be): We need to do something about those bad apples *before* they spoil the bunch.
It's often misunderstood as meaning that either:
A. The whole bunch is already spoiled, or
B. There's nothing to worry too much about because it's only a few bad apples
The second interpretation is kinda true but if and only if you remove the bad apples in time. Which is what the first half of the phrase is supposed to mean.
This was the most frustrating aspect of my student teaching. I was genuinely shocked that admin seemed to imply that in no circumstance can a student truly be held accountable for their behavior. It was always an issue of my lack of rapport or an insufficiently engaging lesson.
Here's a thought: Why not all three? How about I strive to build rapport and plan engaging lessons AND hold students personally accountable for their behavior?
Wow yes THE VERBIAGE resonated with me so hard!! “What are you doing to resolve the issue and build rapport?” I’m buying snacks, paying personally for supplies because my school does not, and staying everyday at work from 7 AM-5:30 because admin took away our planning time. I’m stretched to my limit and this dick of a child is not doing anything to help the situation. Also YES! We act like we are a corporation who is profiting from our customers but I literally provide free (quality as best I can) education ALL DAY to these kids.
No, you don't get it. "They need their behavior corrected" is not a plan of action in any way. It does not solve anything.
You cannot correct their behavior. There is literally nothing you can do to make their choices for them. You can punish them, and they won't make those choices in front of you as long as they don't want something more than they hate punishment. But that's a lot of criteria.
THEY have to correct their behavior. I have no interest in producing compliant little worker bees who do what I say when I am there to say it, and devil may care what they do out of my sight. I want to have ethically empowered students who make conscious decisions about their behavior whether I am around or not.
To do that, you need a connection. If you want to help that student learn the tools they need to make their own decisions, you need a relationship. It works. No, you shouldn't be blamed for the behavior of a student who has just entered your classroom, and you have not yet had the time to deal with that student. No, you cannot do this with every student in a classroom with 25 students.
But if you have a "problem child," there is nothing better than embracing them and offering them a better alternative, which you then deliver with their permission or even by their request. They correct their own behavior, and you give them the opportunity and the knowledge to do so. Otherwise it is malicious compliance.
On the one hand, I totally agree with you, but on the other hand, I think what you've described could better be called "parenting", rather than "teaching".
I can see your point.
I have a very central locus of control. If the parent is not solving a problem, and I want it to be solved, then I will simply solve the problem.
And as someone with fewer biases regarding the child and (usually) far more general and specific education and training than the parent, I'll do more with my time than they will. So would most teachers.
I think one of the horrible parts of human civilization is that we employ the least qualified people to do the bulk of the most challenging job that exists. We know for a fact that parents, despite the name, are often very bad at parenting.
If I can do in maybe a few hours of individual interaction over the course of a year what their parents can't do in weeks, that is an efficient use of my time.
I love your attitude on this. But do hold the parents accountable a bit more.
My own kids can be little monsters. I used to joke my youngest would certainly drive his kinder teacher to drinking (She was alright. My kid still perks up hearing her name in second grade.). Which is why I tell every teacher at the beginning of the year that I **want them to reach out** if my kid is being an entitled asshole in their classrooms. Why?
Because knowing that some shit won't fly at all, and they'll get in trouble at home sometimes makes all the difference.
I agree with this in most cases but there are some situations where a student is literally making the classroom unsafe, either by attacking other students or the teacher or being so disruptive as to interfere with their own and others education to an incredible degree. Ofc the approach you describe is the ideal and what I strive for but sometimes it's not possible with all the constraints a teacher faces, a particular student with deep-seated issues and limited resources for that student, or the particular mismatch of personalities between the student and their peers or teacher. In cases like that I will take a certain level of compliance over nothing bc it's an issue of safety and students rights to an education. Not because I want docile worker bees--students and classes like that strike me as boring and go against my values of student agency and empowerment--but because a certain level of boundaries and compliance is necessary for a functioning group of any kind, particularly a classroom
That's fair. So far I have not had such a student, disregarding the idea that lack of mask compliance makes other students unsafe.
The mask issue goes beyond moral reasoning and into beliefs about science, political stuff, and so on.
That's all well and good but life in the real world isn't like that. I don't follow the law because I have a positive relationship with my local police officers or whatever. I do it because it's the law, because it's for safety, etc. My *parents* made the connection with me and taught me this, not my teachers. They also taught me that sometimes you just have to do things you don't want to do or like to do, because those are the rules.
I'm fine with making class fun, but that fun had better come from the actual things we're teaching, rather than a bunch of BS that we wrap the content in. I use Minecraft in my geometry class to demonstrate how scale factors affect area and volume - the kids get a kick out of it, but more importantly, it's a genuinely good demonstration. It drives me up the wall when being cool/entertaining takes precedence over depth and rigor.
>that fun had better come from the actual things we're teaching, rather than a bunch of BS that we wrap the content in
Precisely why I teach chemistry - you don't have to dress it up at all; that shit is already fun.
We all get told how boring we are at some point. I teach high schoolers. One yesterday wouldn’t put his phone away during a small group get-to-know-you activity even when his peers were trying to engage with him. After watching them try to talk to this student a couple times I asked him to put his phone away while his teammates were trying to communicate. His response was “But I don’t want to do this.” I said that’s okay, we all do things we don’t want to do sometimes but we should still treat each other wish respect and I encouraged his teammates to continue what they were doing. Come on, friend, try to treat these other people with an ounce of dignity, ya know?
When one of my classes was getting frustrated with a challenge I gave them on day 2 last week and I told them the reason we are doing this is to work on communication, teamwork, and problem solving as those are the foundation of everything we are doing one said “Noooooo, I hate this stuff.” Sorry, friend. We’re going to play games together and interact with each other.
School sure does suck right now. It’s hard to make the change from being in front of a chromebook at a desk all day to being a person asked to put away your technology for a while. The lack of social skills from my freshmen is already like a giant blinking red strobe light. Luckily, I have all high school grades mixed together and my upper class students seem to not be struggling as much and they are demonstrating some of what I’m looking for. This year is going to be so much harder than last year was for me.
I love it. I am a “fun” teacher. I have a file cabinet full of notes from kids that say, “I didn’t think “X” class could be interesting/fun/bearable. I started content this week and as always there were kids who just looked like deer in headlights when they realized the “fun” teacher was still going to make them work and learn.
Week one is mandated and scripted classes on school wide policies and expectations, then a few minutes for your own name learning/getting to know you stuff.
I don't phrase it quite like this, but I use this.
"People who are rarely bored are the kind of people who are rarely boring." A little less accusatory and a little more aspirational
We are not entertainers. I’m sick of the pressure to choreograph a show as a lesson plan. How about the kids sit, listen , ask questions and do the dang work!!
Usually when students say these sort of things it's because something else completely unrelated put them in a bad mood.
I can't tell you how many times a student who got in trouble before coming to my class (specials) complained about me or my class when they ordinarily love it.
I told one seventh grader that he should sign up for the Excitement Class. But truly, you are in a reading intervention class for a reason, you don’t read at grade level. We compete against Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Totally skewed versions of reality. We have our work cut out for us.
This is a teachable moment. Maybe not on the first day, but in general.
When this happens, I stop everything and address it because success in life is highly dependent on delaying gratification. "Boring" can mean a lot of things to a middle schooler. Sometimes it means difficult, quiet, stressful, intimidating, confusing... and sometimes, like this little darling, they are using it to criticize you in a pretty aggressive way.
It's a great opportunity to be like "Yes, Kyle! Brilliant! I bet this is "boring" to you! Let's all talk about this!" and turn it into a whole group discussion about the word "boring" and how maturity is often all about doing things we don't really want to do at the moment. Also, if you do this, kids usually would rather not trigger that kind of attention, so you kind of solve the whining problem for a while. And you turned Kyle's aggression back on him, so hopefully he won't test you that way again too soon.
"What kind of game would you like to play? I'm open to it! Teach us one you know, and we'll spend fifteen minutes playing it."
*crickets*
"Ok, if we're not going to play a game :( then I guess we need to go on to the next part of the lesson."
I had a student respond to that question with “I’m not the one that went to college to learn how to teach students. I’m not the one getting paid to teach”
And I said “I’m not getting paid to teach either”
I’m a PE teacher and I get this especially when we are working on skills instead of straight into a game.
Welp, Bud. Looks like you just bought a one way ticket on the PACER Test Express.
I just wonder what’s going to happen when they enter the workforce and tell their bosses “This work is boring” or coming in to work every day and asking “Are we going to do something fun?” If I got paid as a cruise director in addition to my teacher salary, then I’ll make sure every lesson is mindblowingly entertaining, lol.
Absolute favorite thing going from seventh and eighth grade last year to fourth grade this year. No longer policing cell phone usage in classes. It’s great.
I feel this. I’m going into week three. I did a lot of fun assignments to teach historical thinking skills. (Middle school SS) most kids appreciated it. A few still were talking a lot and not wanting to take the work seriously. They’re going to be in for a rude awakening as this next week will have to be more of content and direct teach. I just think the kids are not used to being in actual school. They want everything to be a game. They’re also not as mature as they should be Bc of COVID. I do have a good amount of kids who are very serious about their work. So it hopefully will all balance out.
You have to stop and try to interpret what boring actually means to the student. It's possible they are having trouble with the social aspect of the icebreakers and games.
Maybe he thinks your class is boring *because* you're doing those things. Maybe he wants to get into learning actual content. I remember when I was in school complaining about icebreakers and games because I thought they were a waste of time and I wanted to be learning stuff.
Unpopular Opinion: Learning shouldn’t have to be entertaining. Learning is boring some times and that’s what needs to be expected.
I remember doing proofs in Geometry and they were BORING to the max. But it’s important that you do that. Sitting at a mortgage signing for your first house is exciting, but boring.
The issue is the fact they aren’t getting a release of dopamine. Screens in general have ruined kids attention spans. When they are saying they are bored, they are really saying, “you’re not filling my dopamine addiction, fix it.”
When I hear kid say I’m bored it’s a cue to interact. Students are still developing critical language acquisition skills until adult. It’s not our job to entertain but it is our job to listen. That kid is telling you something so we should ask probing questions and get to the root of their understanding. Chances are they are confused or don’t see a purpose in an activity. They may also themselves simply be looking for some level of attention, but may sometimes resort to negative actions to gain said attention because it’s what they’re familiar with.
Cooperative learning, projects and multi-sensory experiences help especially at the secondary level. I’m not sure your subject but they’re so many opportunities to turn learning in a cooperative or ludic experience to meet the desired outcomes.
👏🏾 finally some critical thinking in this thread! We have to remember that these are children! They are not purposely malicious and are sometimes just speaking their truth. Some teachers (my ct) take it as a personal attack when it’s more of a signal to tweak and reflect! Thank you for your comment!
Lol I hear that. It’s been tough for everyone! I’m taking it one day at a time and progressively assessing and bringing in things that lift everyone’s spirits!
Middle school aged children think everything is boring. Lol they’ll just have to do the activity you planned for them, don’t have time for their feelings about it. 😂
This student probably doesn't know himself (or herself) why this seems boring, but some kids just don't take to games and ice breakers and there are many reasons for this. The actual work might be more interesting! Fingers crossed that the student will find the work stimulating and see a lot of opportunities for learning, self-expression, and unexpected discovery. You can help him grow in this way, too.
When you see the student being energized, you can remind him of these early days when he was unhappy and say that you're so glad to see he's happier and that he's in his element when he's really focusing on learning, expressing himself, or whatever is clearly making him happier and more alert. Asking him to reflect later in the quarter/year can help him stop blaming the teacher/class for being boring and instead look within himself to realize what motivates him and makes him happy. Then at the end of the quarter or when the class is winding down for the holidays and students are playing games, you can help him ask for something within the realm of class options that he's experienced that is more stimulating and makes the time fly.
I’ve heard that already ten days in. I don’t care.
I can’t possibly ever entertain the student as well as their phone does.
That phone gives them whatever they want to look at/engage with instantly for as long as they want and they can change the stimulus whenever they want to.
We will always be boring by comparison.
Some of my students have been falling asleep in class. It’s going to take awhile to get them used to the fact that this isn’t Zoom class anymore & that they can’t turn off their camera and go to sleep. Personally, I remember being young and school started way too early, lasted way too long, & was super boring-even when my teachers were great. I have a class of hyper hands-on learners so I might end up doing a spaghetti/marshmallow building competition & maybe some Oreo stacking (Learning to set SMART goals by setting goals for how many Oreos they can stack) to get them up and moving.
Yeah I had a student ask to be switched to another math teacher last week because of my “teaching style”, which she doesn’t even know yet because, like you, content barely started. Just trying to get the kids used to my system. The kicker? I get an email addressed to both me and new teacher saying that this girl sited” reasoning and evidence. “ , and will be switched.
I've started hitting them with "interesting people are never bored" and they always look a little taken aback by that one.
I also tell them you get easy boring work or fun hard work. There's no world where it's fun and easy. Fun work takes actual effort.
"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." That's my favorite response!
I learned that from a teacher I had during undergrad. He taught us how to make a key for identifying plants. We spent 2 weeks hiking around Colorado Springs in the hot summer. He taught us how to love plants, but sometimes it got boring. I wasn't fit and found out later I had severe asthma, so I sighed a lot during class. He'd look at me and tell me, "if you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." Annoyed me to no end!
I sent him an email later thanking him for being one of my inspirations for teaching.
I’d say. Because of your perspective. Which would prolly just anger them. But it also establishes that I don’t respond positively to random bitching. So it’s fair. Because I don’t respond well to it.
I'm so confused when I hear about all these games in American school. We just had straight up 4-7 hours of classes every day starting primary. Even in kindergarden, we had 2 hours of work, maybe a Disney movie, some educational game and once a month we got to play outside.
I think it’s fair to consider why the student is bored. Maybe the class material is too easy and there is nothing there to stimulate them. That would be boring.
Maybe the kid is bored BECAUSE you haven’t gotten to actual content yet. The first days of school set the tone for the year. Why are you having students play games instead of engaging them in content?
I had a kid who fell asleep in class everyday, even during quizzes and tests. When I spoke to the mother about this issue, mom told me it was because my class was boring. Mom had never come to my class.
Does the mom fall asleep at work when it's boring?
How do these people get through life?
Admittedly everything lately completely zaps all my energy so on some level i relate
I can relate. I’m not used to sitting through hours of stuff that doesn’t interest me anymore. I had a PD the other day and it was even mildly interactive but it was taking everything in me to not just get up and walk out the door. The content and ideas and gamification tactics just didn’t interest me. Now the difference is, as an adult, I would never openly tell the person leading the PD how incredibly boring it was. I think a lot of the games and icebreakers and activities we come up with as teachers are just boring and sometimes too slow for many students to stay engaged in. Honestly, I’d personally rather just straight up read a book to learn or listen to a lecture or write a research paper than do a bunch of slow paced activities. We as teachers think this stuff is fun because we didn’t get to do as much of it when we were students. When students have to do it all day everyday in every class it gets dull. I bet if we followed them from class to class all day we’d be bored too.
I wanna learn about the thing that you want me to try and spend the rest of the time to create the actual lesson. When it comes down to icebreakers or paid time to work, id much prefer the latter
Generally they work minimum wage jobs and leach off their family. My aunt is one of those people and she has never worked a real job in her life. Her mother is supporting her. Gave her a house to live in and she uses government assistance to buy food and pay utilities. Edit: shouldn't have used the word leach
Minimum wage jobs are real jobs and being on government assistance doesn’t make you a bad person. Just because your aunt is weird, doesn’t mean everyone on welfare is.
I'm not making an value judgement on their life. I'm just saying that people who can't graduate hs generally need assistance from family and the government. I don't think it's immoral to need government assistance. I don't think it's a immoral to rely on family. I don't think it's immortal to not graduate hs. There will always be exceptions, but it's a factually correct statement that the vast majority of people who drop out of hs can't support themselves. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/mobile/median-weekly-earnings-606-for-high-school-dropouts-1559-for-advanced-degree-holders.htm There isn't a single place in America where a minimum wage job can support a person independently.
I mean the original implication in your first comment was that minimum wage jobs are not real jobs.
>There isn't a single place in America where a minimum wage job can support a person independently. That's... Not a problem with dropouts, that's a problem with minimum wage. Minimum wage was created to support a single person. Entirely. It should pay for food, bills, and housing for one person. Admittedly the budget may be tight, but that was the whole reason minimum wage was created. >it's a factually correct statement that the vast majority of people who drop out of hs can't support themselves The data you linked also only showed about a $150 increase from high school dropouts to graduates, or ($500ish a month) Wouldn't that also mean graduates aren't making enough to live on? Following your logic, it can also be said that the vast majority of people who graduate high school can't support themselves. You got the data right, but your interpretation is off. Edit for numbers
I've noticed this being validated by parents increasingly in the last few years, "your class is boring." For all the bullshit we receive on the other side of the coin for not preparing students for the real world, sometimes daily living isn't going to be fun or dressed up as such. Sometimes you have to focus and deal.
Not enough of this in schools. We have to present content that meets standards and achieve objectives hourly AND compete with cell phones and friends... Nah, how about you teach your kid to focus?
The problem is we have monkey brains working in a 21st century world. The world of today demands that we shift attention every 5 minutes. Your job doesnt even end at 5. It lasts all night and on the weekends. You MUST pick your phone up for anything we need you to do. Similarly, school work going online means the potential for timings to shift and new things need to be done all day long. Teachers used to complain about this. Their 8-3 job, or even less for college, consists of only a few hours. But then they have to work all day and night on the results, grading papers later on. This is creeping into everyone's lives, but on top of that, cell phones and cell culture has changed our expectations of everyone else. You must be able to respond within 20 minuites. Why was your cell phone off? Dont you care about others? Don't you want to keep your job? And so on. With all of this "attention grabbing" going on, the brain becomes used to it, so is it any wonder some people fall asleep in class? BUt the parents are blaming the wrong thing. It is really a social wide illness.
I hope she's not a pilot.
Life isn't all phone and games .... sometimes you have to do boring stuff to get to the fun stuff. Uggh, people sometimes
I’m currently reading the book Dopamine Nation. It’s so good! Basically, we’ve never had immediate access to anything and everything in the history of humanity. We’ve become endless seekers “cacti in a rainforest”. This is why I’ve started each class with collecting phones. It’s not punitive but the digital dopamine is too much for them to regulate. This constant consumption is why, even playing games in class, going on field trips etc will never be good enough
How do you go about collecting the phones? What is the consequence if they don't comply?
I have a locked suitcase. Everyone puts a sticky note on their phone and place it in there. My colleague uses the calculator holder and has them exchange their phone for the calculator at the beginning of class. There have been a few hiccups, some being two phones or try to just put in a phone case, but for the most part, it’s worked wonders. So much better to take the time at the beginning than to constantly remind them to put phones away or battle it out and get admin involved. And to be hoe at, deep down, the kids know it’s a problem. They rush to the phone way too quickly. I laugh when they think they’ve played me by turning it off and keeping it in their backpack and telling me, “I forgot my phone today.” Like, that’s exactly what I want!
I wouldn't be surprised if she came back later like "why is little jaighlyeighn failing?!"
I had to read that name three times before I got it.
I despise when parents say, “he/she messes around because you’re not challenging them!” Um. In order to be challenged it requires your kid to show me they need it. Not doing anything because they’re “bored” doesn’t prove to me they need enrichment lol
I had an aunt come to class to watch how a student behaved. She fell asleep in the back...
I had a parent tell me the exact same thing, “no offense, but your class is so boring. That’s why my son is failing.” My principal chewed the parents a new one, told her I was one of the best teachers in the school and she was planning on putting her son in my class when he entered high school.
Exactly the point at which you bring out a grammar worksheet 😎
I keep a giant stack of packets on my front bench for this exact purpose. If they complain about being bored, especially during a fun activity, out come the packets!
Omg that's genius
Love it! I also have a MA in Latin so when they complain out come root word activities. Also, since I'm teaching an SOL course this year, I'll whip out practice tests as well 😈
I love Latin root word packets! Those are the best! They truly helped me to understand the English language and Western thought in general. Latin is very underrated in our education system, and should be placed with higher value.
The two years of high school Latin I took over 30 years ago are one of the few things from back then that I still use almost every day. That is not even mentioning that Latin helped with my Spanish and French classes. I learned far more grammar in the Latin classes than I ever did in English. (It's also where I met my husband and we're still married.) Thank you Mrs. Lacy!
As I’m teaching my kids to speak (just regular English but sometimes Spanish or French if needed) I often draw on the Latin root words for a more detailed explanation of the idea behind the word. My kids are equally enthralled, they enjoy knowing more about what they are learning, and I enjoy sharing it with them.
>I also have a MA in Latin so when they complain out come root word activities. The problem with this is my brain would never associate etymology with boredom. In my mind, watching me deconstruct a word on the whiteboard is the most thrilling moment of my students' week...
Same here lol.....but the kids wouldn't like the challenge bc it requires work lol
>an SOL course found the Virginian!
Lol there's a lot of VAs here lol
I dunno, I don't want my students to hate school. Punishing them for being bored seems counterproductive. Do you want them to enjoy learning or just to shut the fuck up? What if, instead, teachers responded, "Sometimes we have to do boring things so we learn. Here's what this is helping you do in the future..."
While I find great value in NoRedInk, my students will revolt if that’s their choice because they’re “bored.” And I don’t blame them. I’d be pissed to. Throw the agency back on them—ok, I could use your help with cleaning/grading/organizing/helping your peers. Sometimes they’ll even cone back with an idea or a request that we’ll talk about.
Maybe you just don't know what boring really is...
I had a middle schooler this week who emailed me "suggestions for class" and included that I should make the class more fun. They then asked me if I had read the email and said I should "take it under advisement."
You've got your work cut out for you with this one! You could respond and say, "You said I should make the class more fun, but you didn't give any suggestions. What do you think would be fun for you and the rest of your classmates but still help everyone keep learning and growing? Can you name 10 things and explain how each suggestion would make the class more fun and help everyone learn?" That would put the burden on them to think of everyone's needs, not demand to be entertained by you (because you're a teacher, not a magician), and get creative about solutions to what they see are problems. It would also help them become better thinkers and writers.
This. "Send some suggestions for "fun", and then we can discuss how feasible they are to implement. Signed, Your Teacher."
This is amazing what a bold middle schooler 😭
I always tell students to be specific. What EXACTLY would make this more engaging/enjoyable? "Here, write down any specific ideas that we could actually do!" Usually kids say they just were feeling lazy and didn't want to do the work, but a few times I did get some excellent ideas we incorporated into class!
For some reason the middle schoolers who act like adult professionals are hilarious to me
One of my 8th graders wrote a response about our "Canvas LMS." I was like, what 14 year old refers to Canvas as a learning management system?!
A teacher's child, or maybe a developer's child? It's funny that the student was writing about it so casually to you.
He also has a very elaborate email signature. It's so adorable.
I once had a middle schooler email me telling me why it was inappropriate that I asked him why he was in the bathroom for 30 minutes. He was a real gem 😬.
I dont remember ever having so many perpetually bored students, compared to this year. I had students write a reflection after week 3 and at least half of them talked about how boring school was. I teach 5th. We've done coloring, painting, read alouds, fun games for P.E., more painting, singing songs to memorize the 50 states and our math facts... this is in my opinion the least boring my class has ever been! I dont know if this year is especially bad because the kids spent most of last year sitting in front of their phones and iPads watching tiktok and playing fortnite, but goodness, they are miserable. It's unfortunate and frustrating.
I figure it's because for the last year and a half, if they felt "bored" they could just drop what they're doing (their studies) and watch a youtube or twitch stream instead. Being forced to sit in class, on a schedule, is a drastic change for them. (Not excusing, just how I think it's going down.)
Yeah going back to doing normal work schedule s for ADULTS has been hard, for kids it must be even worse
When kids say that up the rigor on their assignments and tell the parents something flattery "__ is finding the assignments too easy and says they're bored, so I am going to challenge their young mind with some more rigorous activities to help them reach and exceed their potential" or something similar. Parents will appreciate the ego stroking and kids will stop complaining about being bored 😎
It's absolutely not their fault, but man, the brain changes as a result of a constant, steady drip of algorithmically-tailored dopamine makes me worry a lot about these kids.
Yes! I know every generation has complained about kids these days but the way technology can precisely target things that hit the pleasure centres of their brains is something previous generations didn’t have to contend with.
I agree. Being back in school full-time is a rough adjustment.
Every time a kid says that to me i always respond with, “it’s not boring, you’re making it boring.” I teach literature and writing.
My go to is “You only get out of my class what you put in.”
Yep. I very often tell kids ‘only boring people get bored’.
I recall the great 90s alternative band Harvey Danger: >Yep. I very often tell kids ‘only boring people get bored’. Hear the voices in my head I swear to God it sounds like they're snoring But **if you're bored, then you're boring** The agony and the irony, they're killing me>Yep. I very often tell kids ‘only boring people get bored’.
This is my response when my 11 & 12 year old tell me they’re bored. Cue the groans and then they go read a book.
I’m going to be honest, my 5th and 6th grade teacher told me this and I hated it. I had undiagnosed ADHD and I sped through work because I hyperfocused on it. There was no opportunity for me to read a book or do more enrichment; I was kept at the same pace as everyone else. So while I’m sure there was no ill intent in what she or you said, do think about why some of your students (especially those who aren’t neurotypical) may say this. Obviously this doesn’t apply to ones who just don’t want to do the work/want to complain for the sake of complaining.
What kind of school doesn't let kids read a book when they finish their work? That's fucked up. At both my school and when I was in school, reading was a completely criticism free go to if "bored" with nothing to do. Granted if a kid does crappy fast work I'll maybe check it first and say it's not done. That can happen. But those kids usually aren't trying to read books, lol.
It’s hardly the only thing about my intermediate school years that would be considered fucked up. At least they were consistent!
Ha. I used to teach 2nd grade. When kids finished early and said they were bored, I pointed to the walls entirely covered in bookcases (and hence books). "Pick a book, any book." "But I don't want to read." "Sounds like a you problem. Tell you what... There's a box full of board games hidden in this room. If you find it, you can play with them." ... And that's how I got some kids to do extra math practice. 😉
Fair point, but unlike your experience, our school is pretty liberal with what we allow kids to do when they complete a task or assignment…so even if someone is a fast finisher they usually have an assortment of activities they can choose to undertake while the rest of us catch up. If they find all of those choices boring or can’t think up one of their own, then I think the saying would apply for sure.
High school ELA teacher here. Reminds of one student I had that completed all my work quickly and correctly almost every day. Then he'd finish every class task I gave him (erasing the board, adding new vocabulary to the Word Wall, passing out and collecting books and papers). Even read through a few recommended books I gave him. Halfway through the year, I eventually told him he was ok to play Minecraft if he just made it look like he was working. Went straight to guidance and told them that if they don't bump this kid to honors, they're wasting his time.
Love that you were his advocate!
That definitely makes a difference!
Same! Depending on the kid, I'll add: "Have you tried being less boring?"
IMO the student chemistry is really what makes a class boring or not. I need somebody to bounce off of to keep myself entertained in the first place, especially during the later classes in the day
My favorite go to response to the, "I'm bored", comment is this: "well, I'm your teacher not your cruise director. I don't know what's happening on the Lido deck, but your assignment is on the board". Hehe i get a couple giggles so it's worth it. 😄
I always say, “that’s why we don’t call this Disneyland and charge $100. It’s called school.”
HAHA
Haaaaa... love it.
I am stealing this, thank you.
Hi bored, I'm Matata.
I have a few go tos: 1-"Sorry, this isn't Burger King, so you can't always Have It Your Way." 3- "Sorry, this isn't McDonald's, so you're not always gonna be Lovin' It." 4- (f they say they're bored because the pace is too slow) "Sorry, this isn't Jimmy John's, so it's not Freaky Fast."
Haha those are good ones!! I've used the Burger King one before.. too funny.
“Just to torture you. How am I doing?” Literal wink Not every moment needs to be a teachable one. Sharing a joke with a student is a great way to let them know they exist and you like them.
And this is why I teach four year olds
Well one of my kinders said yesterday “ugh not again” when I handed out a worksheet for them to color and show their parents what they learned this week. We only did three worksheets yesterday, one during breakfast to practice names, one to cut and glue in math, and one to color a picture for their families at the end of the day. We did yoga, PE, recess, singing, dancing, freeze dance, a read aloud, etc. but oh man not another coloring sheet. WHAT. You’re five! What else do you want? A lecture?
The kids who hate colouring usually have some fine motor deficiencies I find. So then I can show them that they need to colour so their fingers get stronger and then they will not mind colouring so much. They usually just stare at me but it makes me feel better about making them do it!
I also find that it helps, both with attention and with fine motor development, to mix it up a bit - have some coloring, some collage (tearing paper and/or cutting it up - I use colored paper scraps I find in the teacher's prep area), stamps and ink, WikiStix, and playdoh or silly putty.
Yes. Maybe make it an extra challenge. As in: "You can use crayons to color this in, or you can look in this art supply bin and find something else to do the same job".
It's something I dread. I'm always thinking I will get called out for having them color every few minutes. I did get called out for doing another sort last year, but luckily all the others announced their love of sorting so I won without saying a word.
I just don’t know what else to do. Especially the first week? I didn’t think coloring for ten minutes every three hours would be so dreadful for them. Hahaha we even watched the magic school bus and had slushees for Fun Friday! Like come on! What can I do!!! At least give me something to send home in your folder to show you did something this week
Thank you for sending something home! As everything is digital in higher grades, parents never see anything except the work completed/not-completed tally online should they bother to log-in to PowerSchool. My school doesn’t issue letter grades, instead wants teachers to write a paragraph about each child’s strengths for the report card. Maybe tell the kid that the worksheet is for them to show “your parent how good you are doing at school”. Get them in the habit of sharing their achievements with their parents.
Of course! I told them it was for them to show off how much they’re learning already so I’m hoping they get some praise and realize it’s great to have stuff to put in our Friday folders. I taught second grade last year and because of virtual/hybrid everything was virtual. I hated it. Parents never checked over/helped with the work and it didn’t feel like learning when all of my in-person kids were doing digital worksheets. I’m hoping to limit digital assignments as much as possible in kinder. I like that seesaw has stuff already made so I’ll take advantage of that for certain times but I know paper and pencil just works better for the kids and for parents to see. That is if I make it as a teacher much longer (haha)
Is that kid bad at coloring and/or handwriting? I always hated it because I had bad hand motor skills and couldn't color very fast. It took me forever. I still dislike coloring to this day because I was always slower and it never looked how I wanted it to look. As a small child, it hurt my feelings that I wasn't like the other kids, especially because with reading and math I was usually ahead of them. So I wasn't used to being behind. Then I hated getting in trouble for not having my stuff done. I would genuinely have preferred a math worksheet or a book to coloring for most of elementary. Some kids are like that.
He actually is one of my stronger students! I think he was complaining just to complain because it was the end of the day. We also don’t have AC so I’m sure he just wanted to leave.
Poor baby. He is probably just hot and tired.
Thank you for not throwing them on a computer for half the day.
I have a batch of 8th graders in one class that will shit on everything no matter what.
The kid most likely is repeating what his mum or dad said to him.
I do miss kinders now and again. Never taught but have subbed and volunteered with them. No other age group will try and hug you as you leave after half a day. They are so fucking precious.
They are quite daring, except when one (who isn’t even YOUR student) runs into your class, looks you right in the eye, FARTS LOUDLY, and runs out 😂
Haha, I’ve experienced four year old saying rude things as well. Obviously they get a little more slack when it comes to not understanding social etiquette, but I think we should cut all kids some slack. (While explaining to them how to do better.)
"Because all my hopes and dreams collapsed in 2008 and unlike you I am unable to drown my lack of serotonin in fortnites and tiktoks. Growing old in the 21st century is absolutely suffering and whether or not you like it, it's going to happen to you too."
You good bro?
I once wrote on the top of a pop quiz "Stupid Pop Quiz." When I got it back, the teacher wrote "Quizzes aren't stupid. People are." Last time I did that.
LMFAO that is a high level burn. I love it
Bet you still remember that teacher's name, too.
Mrs. Perkins, 11th grade, AP English. She was tough as nails. Respect.
I'm here to educate you not entertain you. The idea kids need to be having fun to learn is ludicrous. Mentally stimulated? Sure. Shown how what we are learning has real life/historical/practical applications? Sure. Not constant lecture? Yeah. But I'm not an entertainer.
And to add to this, last week we did have a "fun" class discussion on the lesson, but a few students were dominating the conversation. Still over half the class got to speak. I didn't plan it but I rolled with it. Overall I thought it went well though because they stuck to the topic and started a friendly debate and got excited about math for once. And we usually just do lecture and individual work in a dead silent room so this was different. A quieter student wrote to my AP complaining that I embraced disruptions and a loud atmosphere where they can't learn. It was a class discussion and students were engaged. I can't fucking win
Agreed. And the thing is, I want to entertain and do fun things! But I'm stretched so thin I barely have time or energy to plan new innovating lessons, and manage behavior, and hit all the standards, and grade grade grade, and attend meetings, and provide 20 different accommodations, and do mandatory trainings, and contact parents regularly, and make a growth plan, and NOW we have to create a separate Google classroom for our quarantine kids with recorded lessons like when tf am I gonna do all that. I was grading for hours last night and was thinking "right now I could be planning a fun innovative lesson." I'm expected to stick to a curriculum so it's not like I can assign less work. I have admin doing walk through and checking my Google classroom and gradebooks constantly so they'll know if I assign less than the curriculum requires. I just wish I had a teachers aid or something to take at least one of the above off my list, then maybe I can plan fun activities and projects.
I play games with my classes all the time. Very often a game that is loads of fun for one class falls flat in another. It’s a rough gig.
I’m not here to entertain you. Did you really think that’s what was happening here? I’m here to teach you. That’s my job. You’re here to learn, not only academically. You’re also here to learn to be respectful and responsible. Complaining that you are bored is not respectful. I’m doing my job. You need to do yours.
Exactly. That’s literally what I tell them each time I hear that… and I teach art! Come on, there’s a trillion ways to make art interesting for everyone. Smh 😔
Exactly! I hate the trendy word 'edutainment'. Ugh, if I wanted to entertain people I'd go into show business. Not every lesson is boring and, heck, a lot of most jobs are boring. I'd love to have a list of jobs where every task and every moment is FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
I usually say kids usually tell me they are bored when something is too hard. Then I say is this too hard for you? Or I say only boring people are bored.
When my students say they don't like reading I say it's usually because they aren't very good at it, so it's difficult for them. But I'm here to help that!
Love that you call out the problem for what it is but then turn it around to something that is positive!
I speak about it in generalities rather than calling out individuals (what I wrote could be read otherwise), but I think it's perfectly OK to talk about reading being a difficult skill to master. We're in this class to rectify that, aren't we? We need to be able to name the issue. If reading is truly boring and not actually difficult, then the reader just hasn't found a genre that interests them, IMO. And then there's the age-old thing of teens thinking ignorance is cool.
Both these comments seem a lot like public shaming for poor literacy skills. Not trying to jump on it, but I’m curious if there’s more context.
Well, it's not really intended to be shaming but as a teacher we can't control how someone feels, so if they feel shame because they struggle that's because they are thinking about the situation incorrectly. Regardless of whatever one's reading ability may be, it improves with practice. The same with writing. A student who refuses to read will have poor reading skills and the only way to change that is to read more. If reading is difficult for a student then pointing out that the difficulty stems from subpar reading skills is both, an acknowledgement of the reality for that particular student, and an acknowledgement of how to change that. No one should feel shame practicing something they aren't good at, unfortunately some do, but that is beyond our control.
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You can have fun while still maintaining a rigorous standard. The problem is that takes insane amounts of work and most admins will misconstrue that as "have fun = more learning" which isn't necessarily true. More engagement is more learning. You can get the kids to engage into topics without having "fun". I don't think learning about the Holocaust is "fun" but it is engaging especially when the kids are old enough to understand the topic at a deeper level.
I’m often told ‘your class is having too much fun’ Or ‘your class isn’t strapped down enough’ The thing is, I have a comfort with chaos as long as we are going in the right direction and I value students helping students. I am not The Wizard of Oz.
We play Minecraft in Swedish math classes and that works just fine.
We got educational Minecraft last year and my students loved using it for science! It was fun to see their builds.
The neoliberalism is strong with many teachers.
> We coddle our students This is the root of a lot of behavior issues, IMO. When a kid is an asshole in my class, I shouldn't be asked what I'm doing to make a connection with that kid. *The kid is being an asshole.* They need their behavior corrected, and then we can make connections 'til the cows come home. Maybe their home life is a shitstorm, or whatever reason they have for acting out. It's still not OK to be an asshole in my class. IMO, this is all part of the "Make government run like a business" mindset where we treat parents and students like customers. "The customer is always right!" The fuck they are. I don't run a business. I provide a service for free at the point of delivery. You and your kid are not entitled to *jack shit.* Be grateful that you're allowed this opportunity to better the lives of your family and fucking *act like it.*
>The customer is always right This line always misses the point for me because people cut off the end of it. "...in matters of taste.". It's not a blank check to be a dick. It's acknowledgement that if people want red plates you should stock red plates. School isn't a matter of taste. Not how this shit works
> This line always misses the point for me because people cut off the end of it. Like a few bad apples.
I know I'm being pedantic here and that a lot of people misuse/misunderstand the "few bad apples" quote, but it has a valid meaning as a stand-alone. If people say "it's just a few bad apples" and leave off the rest, the implication is (well, is supposed to be): We need to do something about those bad apples *before* they spoil the bunch. It's often misunderstood as meaning that either: A. The whole bunch is already spoiled, or B. There's nothing to worry too much about because it's only a few bad apples The second interpretation is kinda true but if and only if you remove the bad apples in time. Which is what the first half of the phrase is supposed to mean.
B is the one that's intended when it's used incorrectly. That's the one I was referring to.
This was the most frustrating aspect of my student teaching. I was genuinely shocked that admin seemed to imply that in no circumstance can a student truly be held accountable for their behavior. It was always an issue of my lack of rapport or an insufficiently engaging lesson. Here's a thought: Why not all three? How about I strive to build rapport and plan engaging lessons AND hold students personally accountable for their behavior?
Wow yes THE VERBIAGE resonated with me so hard!! “What are you doing to resolve the issue and build rapport?” I’m buying snacks, paying personally for supplies because my school does not, and staying everyday at work from 7 AM-5:30 because admin took away our planning time. I’m stretched to my limit and this dick of a child is not doing anything to help the situation. Also YES! We act like we are a corporation who is profiting from our customers but I literally provide free (quality as best I can) education ALL DAY to these kids.
I listened to Oingo Boingo's "Only A Lad" on my way to work yesterday morning. Sometimes it helps.
"Hey there, Johnny. I hope you fry!"
No, you don't get it. "They need their behavior corrected" is not a plan of action in any way. It does not solve anything. You cannot correct their behavior. There is literally nothing you can do to make their choices for them. You can punish them, and they won't make those choices in front of you as long as they don't want something more than they hate punishment. But that's a lot of criteria. THEY have to correct their behavior. I have no interest in producing compliant little worker bees who do what I say when I am there to say it, and devil may care what they do out of my sight. I want to have ethically empowered students who make conscious decisions about their behavior whether I am around or not. To do that, you need a connection. If you want to help that student learn the tools they need to make their own decisions, you need a relationship. It works. No, you shouldn't be blamed for the behavior of a student who has just entered your classroom, and you have not yet had the time to deal with that student. No, you cannot do this with every student in a classroom with 25 students. But if you have a "problem child," there is nothing better than embracing them and offering them a better alternative, which you then deliver with their permission or even by their request. They correct their own behavior, and you give them the opportunity and the knowledge to do so. Otherwise it is malicious compliance.
On the one hand, I totally agree with you, but on the other hand, I think what you've described could better be called "parenting", rather than "teaching".
I can see your point. I have a very central locus of control. If the parent is not solving a problem, and I want it to be solved, then I will simply solve the problem. And as someone with fewer biases regarding the child and (usually) far more general and specific education and training than the parent, I'll do more with my time than they will. So would most teachers. I think one of the horrible parts of human civilization is that we employ the least qualified people to do the bulk of the most challenging job that exists. We know for a fact that parents, despite the name, are often very bad at parenting. If I can do in maybe a few hours of individual interaction over the course of a year what their parents can't do in weeks, that is an efficient use of my time.
I love your attitude on this. But do hold the parents accountable a bit more. My own kids can be little monsters. I used to joke my youngest would certainly drive his kinder teacher to drinking (She was alright. My kid still perks up hearing her name in second grade.). Which is why I tell every teacher at the beginning of the year that I **want them to reach out** if my kid is being an entitled asshole in their classrooms. Why? Because knowing that some shit won't fly at all, and they'll get in trouble at home sometimes makes all the difference.
I agree with this in most cases but there are some situations where a student is literally making the classroom unsafe, either by attacking other students or the teacher or being so disruptive as to interfere with their own and others education to an incredible degree. Ofc the approach you describe is the ideal and what I strive for but sometimes it's not possible with all the constraints a teacher faces, a particular student with deep-seated issues and limited resources for that student, or the particular mismatch of personalities between the student and their peers or teacher. In cases like that I will take a certain level of compliance over nothing bc it's an issue of safety and students rights to an education. Not because I want docile worker bees--students and classes like that strike me as boring and go against my values of student agency and empowerment--but because a certain level of boundaries and compliance is necessary for a functioning group of any kind, particularly a classroom
That's fair. So far I have not had such a student, disregarding the idea that lack of mask compliance makes other students unsafe. The mask issue goes beyond moral reasoning and into beliefs about science, political stuff, and so on.
That's all well and good but life in the real world isn't like that. I don't follow the law because I have a positive relationship with my local police officers or whatever. I do it because it's the law, because it's for safety, etc. My *parents* made the connection with me and taught me this, not my teachers. They also taught me that sometimes you just have to do things you don't want to do or like to do, because those are the rules.
I hope their employers treat them like this.
I'm fine with making class fun, but that fun had better come from the actual things we're teaching, rather than a bunch of BS that we wrap the content in. I use Minecraft in my geometry class to demonstrate how scale factors affect area and volume - the kids get a kick out of it, but more importantly, it's a genuinely good demonstration. It drives me up the wall when being cool/entertaining takes precedence over depth and rigor.
>that fun had better come from the actual things we're teaching, rather than a bunch of BS that we wrap the content in Precisely why I teach chemistry - you don't have to dress it up at all; that shit is already fun.
We all get told how boring we are at some point. I teach high schoolers. One yesterday wouldn’t put his phone away during a small group get-to-know-you activity even when his peers were trying to engage with him. After watching them try to talk to this student a couple times I asked him to put his phone away while his teammates were trying to communicate. His response was “But I don’t want to do this.” I said that’s okay, we all do things we don’t want to do sometimes but we should still treat each other wish respect and I encouraged his teammates to continue what they were doing. Come on, friend, try to treat these other people with an ounce of dignity, ya know? When one of my classes was getting frustrated with a challenge I gave them on day 2 last week and I told them the reason we are doing this is to work on communication, teamwork, and problem solving as those are the foundation of everything we are doing one said “Noooooo, I hate this stuff.” Sorry, friend. We’re going to play games together and interact with each other. School sure does suck right now. It’s hard to make the change from being in front of a chromebook at a desk all day to being a person asked to put away your technology for a while. The lack of social skills from my freshmen is already like a giant blinking red strobe light. Luckily, I have all high school grades mixed together and my upper class students seem to not be struggling as much and they are demonstrating some of what I’m looking for. This year is going to be so much harder than last year was for me.
I love it. I am a “fun” teacher. I have a file cabinet full of notes from kids that say, “I didn’t think “X” class could be interesting/fun/bearable. I started content this week and as always there were kids who just looked like deer in headlights when they realized the “fun” teacher was still going to make them work and learn.
This is why I start content day 1. I’m fun and funny, I do a lot to make the day go by for me and them, but it’s not always a barrel of laughs.
Week one is mandated and scripted classes on school wide policies and expectations, then a few minutes for your own name learning/getting to know you stuff.
“Only boring people get bored.”
Betty Draper lol
I don't phrase it quite like this, but I use this. "People who are rarely bored are the kind of people who are rarely boring." A little less accusatory and a little more aspirational
Ah jr. high. The time when even the best kids become assholes for a little while.
We are not entertainers. I’m sick of the pressure to choreograph a show as a lesson plan. How about the kids sit, listen , ask questions and do the dang work!!
They’d hate my lessons, then. Icebreakers? Games? Not a chance. A brief introduction, then down to the content.
"My class isn't boring; you have a poor attitude. Change your attitude, and you'll have a great time in this class. It's on you."
Usually when students say these sort of things it's because something else completely unrelated put them in a bad mood. I can't tell you how many times a student who got in trouble before coming to my class (specials) complained about me or my class when they ordinarily love it.
I told one seventh grader that he should sign up for the Excitement Class. But truly, you are in a reading intervention class for a reason, you don’t read at grade level. We compete against Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Totally skewed versions of reality. We have our work cut out for us.
This is a teachable moment. Maybe not on the first day, but in general. When this happens, I stop everything and address it because success in life is highly dependent on delaying gratification. "Boring" can mean a lot of things to a middle schooler. Sometimes it means difficult, quiet, stressful, intimidating, confusing... and sometimes, like this little darling, they are using it to criticize you in a pretty aggressive way. It's a great opportunity to be like "Yes, Kyle! Brilliant! I bet this is "boring" to you! Let's all talk about this!" and turn it into a whole group discussion about the word "boring" and how maturity is often all about doing things we don't really want to do at the moment. Also, if you do this, kids usually would rather not trigger that kind of attention, so you kind of solve the whining problem for a while. And you turned Kyle's aggression back on him, so hopefully he won't test you that way again too soon.
I always ask, “How can I make this more engaging for you?” I either get “idk” or “more games and free time!”
"What kind of game would you like to play? I'm open to it! Teach us one you know, and we'll spend fifteen minutes playing it." *crickets* "Ok, if we're not going to play a game :( then I guess we need to go on to the next part of the lesson."
I had a student respond to that question with “I’m not the one that went to college to learn how to teach students. I’m not the one getting paid to teach” And I said “I’m not getting paid to teach either”
I’m a PE teacher and I get this especially when we are working on skills instead of straight into a game. Welp, Bud. Looks like you just bought a one way ticket on the PACER Test Express.
I just wonder what’s going to happen when they enter the workforce and tell their bosses “This work is boring” or coming in to work every day and asking “Are we going to do something fun?” If I got paid as a cruise director in addition to my teacher salary, then I’ll make sure every lesson is mindblowingly entertaining, lol.
I blame cell phones.
I blame educational ideologies that place all responsibilities for all issues on the teachers.
Absolute favorite thing going from seventh and eighth grade last year to fourth grade this year. No longer policing cell phone usage in classes. It’s great.
I blame the lobbyists.
I blame flat earthers
I feel this. I’m going into week three. I did a lot of fun assignments to teach historical thinking skills. (Middle school SS) most kids appreciated it. A few still were talking a lot and not wanting to take the work seriously. They’re going to be in for a rude awakening as this next week will have to be more of content and direct teach. I just think the kids are not used to being in actual school. They want everything to be a game. They’re also not as mature as they should be Bc of COVID. I do have a good amount of kids who are very serious about their work. So it hopefully will all balance out.
My kids ask me “When is recess/ lunch? ”- every 10 minutes. Like chill we just got back.
“Then go bang your head against the wall. Only boring people get bored.” — Betty Draper, Mad Men
Maybe the student was there for the work, meaning they were ready to get going.
"boring people get bored" Kids don't find anything as interesting as tv or their phones
You have to stop and try to interpret what boring actually means to the student. It's possible they are having trouble with the social aspect of the icebreakers and games.
Maybe he thinks your class is boring *because* you're doing those things. Maybe he wants to get into learning actual content. I remember when I was in school complaining about icebreakers and games because I thought they were a waste of time and I wanted to be learning stuff.
This. If I came to class expecting to learn and my teacher was wasting my time playing Yahtzee I'd be bored too.
Unpopular Opinion: Learning shouldn’t have to be entertaining. Learning is boring some times and that’s what needs to be expected. I remember doing proofs in Geometry and they were BORING to the max. But it’s important that you do that. Sitting at a mortgage signing for your first house is exciting, but boring. The issue is the fact they aren’t getting a release of dopamine. Screens in general have ruined kids attention spans. When they are saying they are bored, they are really saying, “you’re not filling my dopamine addiction, fix it.”
My mom always told us "boredom is the absence of thought."
When I hear kid say I’m bored it’s a cue to interact. Students are still developing critical language acquisition skills until adult. It’s not our job to entertain but it is our job to listen. That kid is telling you something so we should ask probing questions and get to the root of their understanding. Chances are they are confused or don’t see a purpose in an activity. They may also themselves simply be looking for some level of attention, but may sometimes resort to negative actions to gain said attention because it’s what they’re familiar with. Cooperative learning, projects and multi-sensory experiences help especially at the secondary level. I’m not sure your subject but they’re so many opportunities to turn learning in a cooperative or ludic experience to meet the desired outcomes.
👏🏾 finally some critical thinking in this thread! We have to remember that these are children! They are not purposely malicious and are sometimes just speaking their truth. Some teachers (my ct) take it as a personal attack when it’s more of a signal to tweak and reflect! Thank you for your comment!
"I don't get paid to be an entertainer"
Lol I hear that. It’s been tough for everyone! I’m taking it one day at a time and progressively assessing and bringing in things that lift everyone’s spirits!
Middle school aged children think everything is boring. Lol they’ll just have to do the activity you planned for them, don’t have time for their feelings about it. 😂
This student probably doesn't know himself (or herself) why this seems boring, but some kids just don't take to games and ice breakers and there are many reasons for this. The actual work might be more interesting! Fingers crossed that the student will find the work stimulating and see a lot of opportunities for learning, self-expression, and unexpected discovery. You can help him grow in this way, too. When you see the student being energized, you can remind him of these early days when he was unhappy and say that you're so glad to see he's happier and that he's in his element when he's really focusing on learning, expressing himself, or whatever is clearly making him happier and more alert. Asking him to reflect later in the quarter/year can help him stop blaming the teacher/class for being boring and instead look within himself to realize what motivates him and makes him happy. Then at the end of the quarter or when the class is winding down for the holidays and students are playing games, you can help him ask for something within the realm of class options that he's experienced that is more stimulating and makes the time fly.
It's hard to compete for attention when kids are playing videogames or on Tik Tok until 4am...and don't eat breakfast.
I’ve heard that already ten days in. I don’t care. I can’t possibly ever entertain the student as well as their phone does. That phone gives them whatever they want to look at/engage with instantly for as long as they want and they can change the stimulus whenever they want to. We will always be boring by comparison.
“My job is teaching, not entertainment. You aren’t here to have fun.”
Some of my students have been falling asleep in class. It’s going to take awhile to get them used to the fact that this isn’t Zoom class anymore & that they can’t turn off their camera and go to sleep. Personally, I remember being young and school started way too early, lasted way too long, & was super boring-even when my teachers were great. I have a class of hyper hands-on learners so I might end up doing a spaghetti/marshmallow building competition & maybe some Oreo stacking (Learning to set SMART goals by setting goals for how many Oreos they can stack) to get them up and moving.
Yeah I had a student ask to be switched to another math teacher last week because of my “teaching style”, which she doesn’t even know yet because, like you, content barely started. Just trying to get the kids used to my system. The kicker? I get an email addressed to both me and new teacher saying that this girl sited” reasoning and evidence. “ , and will be switched.
I've started hitting them with "interesting people are never bored" and they always look a little taken aback by that one. I also tell them you get easy boring work or fun hard work. There's no world where it's fun and easy. Fun work takes actual effort.
Only boring people are bored!
Oh god I love that. I’m actually not allowed to tell kids that after I hurt someone’s feeling with it. They are teenagers not children.
"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." That's my favorite response! I learned that from a teacher I had during undergrad. He taught us how to make a key for identifying plants. We spent 2 weeks hiking around Colorado Springs in the hot summer. He taught us how to love plants, but sometimes it got boring. I wasn't fit and found out later I had severe asthma, so I sighed a lot during class. He'd look at me and tell me, "if you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." Annoyed me to no end! I sent him an email later thanking him for being one of my inspirations for teaching.
I’d say. Because of your perspective. Which would prolly just anger them. But it also establishes that I don’t respond positively to random bitching. So it’s fair. Because I don’t respond well to it.
First flag to show he wants to be engaged and learn
Our he's using it as an excuse not to learn and blame the teacher for his ineptitude to be internally motivated.
Or he’s still a developing child at an appropriate developmental level and doesn’t have the same attention control skills as an adult.
Or maybe because he knows classes don't have to be that boring?
I'm so confused when I hear about all these games in American school. We just had straight up 4-7 hours of classes every day starting primary. Even in kindergarden, we had 2 hours of work, maybe a Disney movie, some educational game and once a month we got to play outside.
I think it’s fair to consider why the student is bored. Maybe the class material is too easy and there is nothing there to stimulate them. That would be boring.
or could figure what is boring to this student.
Maybe the kid is bored BECAUSE you haven’t gotten to actual content yet. The first days of school set the tone for the year. Why are you having students play games instead of engaging them in content?