What exactly causes boredom, especially in school? Is it always the teacher's or lesson's fault when students zone out or slyly text under a desk? Or is there a simple trick to get something out of even the driest, dullest experiences?
I propose that yes, with the proper mindset, students can throw themselves into (and possibly enjoy) any lecture, book, or experience others would dismiss as dull or boring. The key is using three connections, highlighted in the presentation below:
Seem familiar? I'm not sure when in elementary school students first hear about the "text to . . ." connections, but whomever came up with them was onto something big--even if the pictures in the presentation seem very infantile. There is something for everyone through the lenses of these connections; all it takes is the slightest bit of effort to spark those connections within the brain.
Literary theorists call this interaction with the text reader-response criticism, but I'm going to coin it the "quit your bellyaching and throw yourself into this, suckah" technique. (Or, to be more formal, active reading.)
Here's a case study. A large number of my students groan when I encourage them to try out non-fiction books. Without the magic of fantasy, rich narratives of realistic fiction, or dystopian governments in sci-fi, non-fiction at first can appear a little dry. Even Amy Poehler's recent memoir Yes Please could dull a dedicated reader since it relates details and experiences from her life, so how could that be interesting (especially if Poehler, SNL or Parks and Recreation mean nothing to you)?
Literary theorists call this interaction with the text reader-response criticism, but I'm going to coin it the "quit your bellyaching and throw yourself into this, suckah" technique. (Or, to be more formal, active reading.)
Here's a case study. A large number of my students groan when I encourage them to try out non-fiction books. Without the magic of fantasy, rich narratives of realistic fiction, or dystopian governments in sci-fi, non-fiction at first can appear a little dry. Even Amy Poehler's recent memoir Yes Please could dull a dedicated reader since it relates details and experiences from her life, so how could that be interesting (especially if Poehler, SNL or Parks and Recreation mean nothing to you)?
Here's where the "text to . . ." connections swoop in to save the day. Even though I love Amy Poehler, as I read from a chapter this morning where she relates her sleep habits, I was tempted to skip to the next section or even do some sleeping of my own. However, I made a conscious effort to make those connections with her details, documented below.
There you have it: even a dry chapter about sleeping habits had little spots to connect with as a I chugged through it as long as I looked for a connection. The next time you're struggling to get through something, especially in a book, see how these connections can help chase away the boredom to spark your interest. All it takes is the effort.
- "Sleep and I do not have a good relationship. We have never been friends." Man, I'm the complete opposite, Amy. I'm napping or sleeping in half of my childhood pictures. My favorite is one taken on my 7th birthday when I've fallen asleep in front of my cake. I can fall asleep anywhere, including on the hard cement. True story.
- "At a young age I would grind my teeth and snore." What exactly causes snoring? And why did I only start snoring after we had kids? Before that I purred serenely like a snoozing kitten, but now my wife has to tap to me once a week to roll over on my side.
- "He looked at me with his big kindergarten eyes and nervously said, 'I am Greg!'" Ha, totally reminds me of the Halloween prank John C. Reilly told to Conan years ago. We still say "Halloween!" in his scary voice to get a rise out of each other.
There you have it: even a dry chapter about sleeping habits had little spots to connect with as a I chugged through it as long as I looked for a connection. The next time you're struggling to get through something, especially in a book, see how these connections can help chase away the boredom to spark your interest. All it takes is the effort.