I was talking to a friend of mine about their child and school. He was talking about how much his kid really didn’t like school. And as he said it, he had that kind of sad chuckle that meant, “What are you going to do, you know?”
So I asked him, “Do you think that’s o.k.?”
And he said, “Well, most kids hate school, don’t they?”
And I can’t refute that, not really. And on some level, I get it. School is where we ask kids to do work, instead of play. And I admit it, I love SLA, but on any given day, I’d rather be at the beach or playing Ultimate or something. But that doesn’t mean we can’t create spaces kids love.
I believe deeply that kids — and adults — can work hard in service of things they care about. I believe deeply that we, as people, can understand how meaningful, powerful work can be joyful, even when it’s hard.
And school has to be that. If we accept the idea that the institution dedicated to teaching and learning is fundamentally not fun, not to be enjoyed, o.k. to hate, then we send a powerful message about the role being learned plays in the rest of our lives.
It is incumbent on the adults to not settle for the statement, “My [child/student/friend’s kid] doesn’t like school.” We have to unpack the “why” behind that statement and work to fix it.
It’s not on the kids to love school. It’s on all of us to create joyful, profound, empowering spaces in school that are easy to fall in love with.
You can add to that the response to the question: What was your favorite thing you did today?
Usually, the answer is “lunch.”
This a valid point in many schools around the world….sadly. As teachers, a lot of the time we get caught up in our daily routines (and sometimes ourselves) so much that we forget that our students spend most of their day, day after day, in our rooms with us. Why should that matter? Think about your home, your living room, your bedroom, your “man cave” and compare it to your classroom. Usually they do not resemble each other. Our living spaces at home, or where ever we like to spend our time, are full of life, color, things to do, and feeling. They usually do not have undecorated white walls (or decorated with outdated ‘educational’ posters), bland desks and chairs, and an overall void of a welcoming appeal. Why should our classrooms be like this? Why shouldn’t our classrooms give a more comfortable feel? A simple paint job on the walls. A few plants here and there. Some music in the background. Lighting other than the industrial tube fluorescent lighting that is common in a classroom. Spruce up your classroom with things that are not necessarily thought of as “educational items.” Use those so-called bulletin boards for posting items that are not the boring bulletins that none of your students read anyway. While you are at it, don’t stop at your classroom, continue throughout your campus. When a student feels comfortable at their school, they are in a better mental place and therefore more open to learning. Isn’t this what we as teachers desire from our students? Then why not assist them in getting to that place?
To help strike down the “hate” (which is a very harsh word) kids feel at school, start by making school a place where they want to be for reasons that are not related to the content being delivered in any of the classrooms. I have had the pleasure of working at two such schools, one in Salisbury, Maryland (U.S.A.) and my current school in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Both of these schools are hubs for everyone in the school community. They are both places where kids WANT to go even when they don’t have class. The rooms are welcoming, the campus is open and welcoming to students and families, thus leading to happy students that want to come to THEIR school everyday….literally seven days out of the week there are students on campus because they WANT to be here. It is great to be a part of this not only as a teacher, but as a parent as well. My two sons love school again. They love that it is THEIR school. As parents, my wife and I couldn’t ask for anything more. As a teacher, I love coming to “work” everyday.
So, it does come back to what Chris said…”It’s on all of us to create joyful, profound, empowering spaces in school that are easy to fall in love with.” If each of us changes our space in each of our schools, that will go a long way in changing the attitudes and feelings of many students.
I really enjoyed your response! Our school is currently in the process of doing some of these exact things! We are renovating the old computer lab to be a student lounge during free periods and Seminar time. The art classes painted an awesome mural on the walls, we did some fundraising and purchased two TVs and some game consoles and the hospital donated their old reclining chairs from patient’s rooms. This all sparked because I suffer from Vertigo and cannot have the overhead fluorescent lights on all day. I had to purchase some lamps to light the room, which led to some other decorations, a bean bag area for reading time, etc. Once the students started commenting, other teacher’s started following. We are noticing a much improved climate, morale and discipline is much lower for all teachers! I couldn’t agree with your post more. It’s up to us to create positive, joyous learning environments for our students if we want their best!
Chris, I’ve just discovered your blog and I’m really enjoying what I’ve read so far. I was a pretty good student growing up, but I hated school like so many other students. When I remember why, I think it was just because I wasn’t able to do what I wanted. I wanted to be outside playing basketball, not sitting still in a chair. Not reading poetry. Not doing math problems. Not taking notes. I just wanted to be out having fun.
When thinking about students enjoyment of school, I think there are two things that need to be considered. First, kids have to learn that life is not all about fun and that they will always have to do things they don’t like. No matter how much someone loves his job, he’ll never love every part of it. I love teaching, but I sure don’t love staying up til 2 in the morning grading papers. If students don’t learn to do things that aren’t fun in and of themselves, they will miss out on one of the most valuable lessons of education.
On the other hand, students must learn how to make things that aren’t fun, fun. Good teachers are teachers that somehow get students to enjoy things that aren’t naturally fun. My high school history teacher taught with energy and didn’t just teach out of a book, so I became fascinated with history. Taking notes isn’t fun. Learning dates isn’t fun. I’d rather be shooting hoops. But that teacher caught my attention and showed me that unfun things can be fun if they’re done the right way. The other day, I was teaching George Herbert’s poetry to my 12th graders. Poetry is not fun for most people. But when students had the opportunity to interpret the poetry and understand exactly what was being said, they responded with “Oh my goodness. THAT IS AWESOME!” They understood something they couldn’t understand at the beginning and loved it.
I guess my point is that teachers cannot just focus on making school more “fun.” Fun was what I wanted as a kid, and I didn’t always get it at school. Had I gotten it, I don’t think I would have the diligence to do a lot of my work today. But, I was also taught to make bad situations enjoyable. “Only Boring people let themselves be bored.” A friend of mine told me that when he reads something, he pretends its the most interesting thing he’s ever read. I’ve started to do the same and it works.
John