Last week I tweeted out a request for teachers to find some students willing to write about needless boredom in schools and received a number of replies. (This is a follow-up to my student survey results.)
Sarah Gross, a teacher at High Tech. HS in NJ, collected some great writings. Here are excerpts from two of her 9th graders;
from Olivia:
If I ever asked a large amount of students to give one word to describe school, I think that about 90% of them would simply say: boring.
Fortunately, in the past I have always had fairly good teachers that kept me interested. However, I remember one of my seventh grade teachers being possibly the most boring person I had ever met. Everyday our class schedule was the same: read the chapter –> Complete worksheets –> Copy down immense power-points for the rest of class. Everyone I talked to dreaded going to that class where we had to learn to write fast and continue writing even with hand cramps. I never really learned anything in that class, I just memorized information, took a test on it and then forgot everything. Imagine that cycle for an entire year. It was tremendously boring.
For other teachers, I recommend not making your students copy 20 slide power points with size 8 font~ Sincerely, every student
Ways to keep students (or at least me) interested:
- Change up the outline of the class. Do fun activities so that students have something to look forward to in class.
- Speak to the students about the topic. Try to stay away from making the students read about the topic because 99% will just skim the material and say that they read it. (I am guilty)
- Interact with the students one on one.
- Try to incorporate students’ at home lives with the class. For example, I love how Mrs. G uses Twitter in class! It’s a great way to connect with the students on a more personal level.
- Only give homework when absolutely necessary. I know that I sound like I am only saying this because students (including me) don’t feel like doing it, however, there is a real reason. Unless the homework is a fun activity, most students will try to get it done and over with as fast as possible, even if it means doing in incorrectly. Doing homework incorrectly is worse than not doing the homework at all because when students put false information on homework, it becomes engraved in their knowledge.
From Maggie:
Why Am I Bored?
1. PowerPoint. Yes, I agree that PowerPoint is a very valuable tool, but this only applies in certain situations. When a teacher writes paragraphs upon paragraphs on a single PowerPoint slide, and then proceeds to read them all verbatim to “teach” the class, I completely zone out. To engage their students, a teacher needs to talk to us like we’re people. We need examples, and relatable stories that provide the information a permanent residence inside our minds.
2. The Never-Ending Videos. I think that videos are a great tool for teachers to utilize. With sources like YouTube readily available, it is easier than ever to pull up a video on any topic imaginable. However, when a video is more than 20 minutes long (when I say video, I mean something informational, not a movie), it gets harder and harder to pay attention, and easier and easier to spiral downward into the abyss of boredom. Videos, in my opinion, should be used in moderation.
3. The Lackadaisical Attitude. Personally, I feel that if a teacher seems to have no interest in a subject, neither will I. It is so much harder to pay attention when a teacher seems unenthusiastic, and I can’t even begin to explain how much more interested I am in class when a teacher really cares about what they are teaching.
How to Avoid Boring Your Students (For Teachers)
1. Like I said before, use PowerPoints wisely. Use them as a guide instead of a word-for-word of what you’re going to say.
2. Use relatable examples. Show funny (not too lengthy) videos that somehow correlate with the subject material, and make the information more memorable for your students.
3. Make class enjoyable. Throw around a ball for students to answer questions, or have a little friendly competition.
4. Even if you’re having a bad day, try to be positive. You attitude, whether it is unenthusiastic or constructive, tends to rub off on your students.
5. Engage all your students. Even if only one student is raising their hand, try to call on other people, who may not have their hand up, to answer questions. If they do not get the answer correct, try to guide them towards the correct answer instead of just saying, “No,” and skipping to another child.
How to Avoid Boredom in Class (For Students)
1. Ask questions. Try as hard as possible to think of logical questions that will benefit the entire class. This will stimulate your mind, and (hopefully) keep you focused on the subject material.
2. Be open-minded, and give each class a chance. Maybe last year your English class was the quintessence of boredom, but that doesn’t mean that English this year will be the same. Keep a positive attitude towards all your classes until you have enough time to form a logical opinion of them.
3. Raise your hand! Even if you are really doubtful of your answer, there is still a chance that you are correct. If you are wrong, a teacher could explain your mistake and make the correct answer more memorable.
4. If you are not actively writing, try not to have a pen or a pencil in your hand. This leads to doodling and thus, zoning-out.
5. Keep your head up. Resting you head on the desk will make you focus, but not on class. Instead, you will be fighting boredom, and lack of sleep.
Just a note: This post is not in any way meant to point out all the faults of teachers. Teachers are people too, and of course, like any other person, they make mistakes.
Words of wisdom from our clients.
And please, teachers, take special heed on the Powerpoints: this was the #1 disliked practice in our student survey. Too much text on each slide, and reading directly from the slide. BORING!!!
It is not easy to admit that our approach might be needlessly boring. (Please don’t write me and say that there is always boredom in life; I simply won’t post it. We’re talking about needlessly boring and improvable teacher practices here.) That’s why I encourage you to use the video/audio function on your phone and watch or just hear yourself and ask: if school weren’t required, would people happily sign up for and keep coming to such a class? Lectures got so boring at MIT that attendance dropped to 50% in many of them. Why go, given that the course iid online and the Internet has a million resources?
Here is a practical suggestion: either take voice lessons or do a thorough study of effective monologists, comics, story-tellers and public speakers; watch good TED talks; go to Toastmasters; sit in on a teacher who has great classroom presence in your building, etc. The typical teacher use of voice is not very effective: too much of a monotone, poor use of silence for effect; little crescendo and diminuendo, etc. – leaving aside the quality of the lessons and assignments. (How odd that voice lessons aren’t a core course in teacher prep.) In short, as I keep saying, there is much in our control that we can do to improve student engagement and achievement.
PS: Here – AE Student Survey 2013 – 2014 – is a pdf of our SurveyMonkey student survey, for the many people who requested a look at the questions.
26 Responses
This. Is. Awesome. Might have to share with my students!
Do it! And use our student survey, if you would prefer to go that more formal route. It’s free for the asking.
I wonder how much of the boredom is due to the fact that teachers feel like they have to literally “teach something”. What I mean is that they go over, step-by-step, whatever needs to be learned instead of letting students experience something and learn from it (or apply it).
So teachers look at the standards and try to directly teach students those standards as opposed to learning concepts based on those standards. Math ends up being drill and kill worksheets because the standards say “add 2 digit numbers”. So teachers literally create practice adding 2 digit numbers over and over and over and over. The reason for adding is not taught, nor is it applied in any situations other than unrelated word problems (that are always at the end of the lesson and seem unrelated). I’m not sure that teachers are taught that they can engage in activities that use those skills, and along the way learn/practice those foundation skills from the standards. Maybe start with word problems/situations and learn/practice as you go along. What’s there to grab a student’s interest in “adding 2 digit numbers”? There should be something interesting or people will tune-out. Isn’t that common sense?
Maybe teachers are misinterpreting the standards. Maybe they feel that the standards are what is taught instead of being part of a measurable goal. Maybe teachers are more like PE teachers and less like coaches when it comes to coaching a team sport. Working on skills is important, but if that’s all you do – wow! How boring would soccer be if all you did was skill practice all the time? What about the game and applying those skills? What about deciding when to use a skill or building on top of skills? So you work on passing and you work on kicking; what about give-and-go pass and kicks – but in a scrimmage? What about defending against the give-and-go?
What do you think?
Well, as plausible as your view is, this problem not only pre-dates the Standards but is found in private schools and colleges, so the issue must be more deeply seated. As I have often said, i think people in education misunderstand the job somewhat. The job is not to ‘teach’ but to cause learning. And for most people, based on their typical experience, that means ‘teaching’ things. Habits run deep. And few of us are fortunate enough to have had numerous teachers who knew how to speak less and cause more learning. I was fortunate. I had project-based learning in my middle years, small-discussion based classes in HS, and all seminar classes at St. John’s College. SO I have had many years of experience – as a student, as a teacher, and as a consultant – with more active student-led learning.
Indeed, you are right on the soccer analogy; I use it often. Few would persist with endless drills in the absence of the game as both incentive and teacher.
Coaches use scrimmage as an important part of practice because the test is a game.
If the result of soccer matches was an average of discrete rankings on all players individual scores in de-contextualized skills assessments, the most successful coaches would immediately abandon scrimmage. And kids would immediately abandon soccer.
And we wonder why our system doesn’t work.
I’d love a copy of the survey! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading these posts! Thank you.
You’re welcome. I can either send you the survey or make you a custom link in Survey Monkey. Either way, e-mail me at grant AT grantwiggins.org
From my daughter Gracie: Never write the Common Core Standard on the board for each lesson you teacher. It is such bullshit. Who cares that this lesson addresses standard 3.1 . It means nothing to students and undermines their sense of the teacher’s credibility and free agency.
I can cite a practice that’s even worse than writing the standard on the board. I visited a middle-school math class in MS about seven years ago, and every now and then the teacher would interrupt the lesson to ask, “now what standard are we working on?” The kids would respond, in unison, “6.4.a.2!”
You know why, right? The teacher was being assessed for connecting to the standard. I had a principle who would come in and ask the students what they standard they were working on! Way bad practice in my opinion.
That is becoming more common. In the middle school where I teach, I am required to have my “learning target” posted on the board. If an administrator comes in my room, the students should be able to tell what we are working on. Ours aren’t written as “6.4.a.2” but as sentences: “I will be able to describe how a sedimentary rock forms.” We have to verbally say it at the beginning of class and refer to it as often as applicable.
Denise- Ahh– I messed up and clicked on “thumbs down” when I meant to click on “thumbs up”. I can’t seem to undo it. So, ignore that please! I give your comment a big thumbs up!
We do not list the standard, but do list ‘essential questions’ based on standards and daily goals based on what we expect students to gain from the lesson. It is expected that students can explain how what they are doing helps them reach that goal and why it matters.
I like your response to one of the comments: our job is not to teach, but to cause learning. I also like the idea of voice lessons for teachers. (I had some doozies in college!) thank you for the survey. It will impact my choices for lessons. ( I don’t use power points- people READ them, instead of speaking to the class!)
Kids– and adults who are older versions– want variety and surprise, which I think doesn’t fit too well with the standards movement’s expectations. Now, writing down learning targets, even on a daily basis (on the board) connotes quality instruction. As we hit the trees we miss the forest. Meanwhile, the student grows to understand the process of learning as something infinitely measurable and provable, something that needs to be labeled, assessed and reported on data sheets. Is this the type of disposition we should be fostering in students? So some of the boredom of school is self-inflicted– as a function of adult’s insatiable desire to measure everything.
Yes and no. As i have repeatedly said, there is nothing in the Standards that requires less creative teaching – any more than having strict building codes inhibits architects and designers. This is simply unimaginative and timid (lack of) leadership in buildings by all parties.
I would definitely agree that standards– especially Common Core– are opportunities for creative teaching ideas to flourish. It comes down to bad marketing. Schools send the message that teacher energies should focus on data and measurement instead of creating dynamic contexts where teachers are designing innovative curriculum to meet the standards. Maybe schools need to hire marketing directors.
Love this topic! I believe that boredom comes from the teacher’s attitude. If the teacher truly loves what they do, that will be seen by the students. Passion leads to passion. It’d be interesting to conduct a teacher survey in response to this.
It seems like a big shift for most teachers, from teaching to having the students learn, because that’s the way they were taught. It’s such a terrible cycle that needs to change. Teachers need to be more enthusiastic and remember why they chose to get into one of the greatest professions in the world.
Like Emerson said “Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
In one of my courses (http://www.met.ubc.ca/) we were discussing PowerPoint, and the findings of your survey affirm our conclusions. It is overused, often not used well, and students are bored of it. Thanks for this. Will share with my class.
I enjoyed reading your student survey results. I’m not surprised by the results. If every teacher reflected on their lessons, they would have already known the result. I agree with the reply above about never writing the standard on the board, but in my school, we are required to do so. I believe it is BS, however I write it on the board, but I don’t belabor it to the students.
Teachers need to think back to when they were in school or how they feel during professional development. What worked and didn’t work for you during those times? It’s the same for students now. My biggest pet peeve is someone reading a PowerPoint to me. It’s annoying. I’m thinking that it’s a waste of my time. I can read, so just print it, give it to me, and let me get back to work.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Powerpoint was the leading cause of boredom in the classroom. Maybe do a survey on that? 🙂
This is a great post! I feel like we underestimate how significant a factor boredom is in student success. This is one factor that I have heard no one talk about- until today. I hope this opens up the dialogue for creating ways to have students take charge of their learning, with the teacher as facilitator. This thought of a teacher dumping facts and information into students’ heads is ludicrous and needs to end. The top students learn anyway. The bottom students drop out.
Look through the survey results from last year – pretty eye-opening on many counts. (Search on SURVEY)
Good post – especially the last paragraph – I use cartoons/quotes, since I can’t tell a joke to ‘save my soul’. Thanks, Grant.
I would like your permission to use this blog on student boredom from the students themselves in my trainings in New Mexico and Arizona on implementing the Common Core. Student engagement and boredom are necessary elements to take into account as we try to infuse more rigor, challenge, and complexity into our teaching. Thanks for the focus on this subject!
Of course! Thanks for asking.