Vox, Atlanta
Sitting in class one day, scribbling endless notes, I started to daydream. I imagined myself at the park with the rest of my class. It was a beautiful day outside. I could feel the fresh air on my face, and sunlight enveloped us.
The teacher was excitedly telling us about the geological history of the land. All of a sudden, I was imagining the world he described, my mind filled with the vast details of the landscape. Dinosaurs were raging through the wilds, the Earth trembled beneath me, and sweat beaded on my forehead from the intense heat of volcanic activity. Everything was coming alive.
Then my teacher called my name, and I was sucked back to reality.
Most of my school days are monotonous, not exciting. They’re full of dull lectures, note-taking and reading, without any interactive or imaginative activities.
There is hope for school though, if teachers and students work together to make it more engaging.
When I was in elementary school, my class visited museums, parks, even the zoo, for a reinforced learning experience. The teachers would take us around the museums and show us things we had learned about in class: the different environments we had studied or the dinosaurs we had discussed. At the zoo, we saw real animals we’d read about in books. It was a great experience. Not only was I learning, I was also enjoying myself.
But as I’ve moved up in grade, more and more teachers only seem to read from books, tell us to read and work from books, or give boring lectures. The days get repetitive and I lose the will to learn. Teachers often seem exhausted, too. In my honors geometry class during freshman year, it was a dull day and all we were doing was work. We didn’t have any fun, and we couldn’t talk in class much. Then the teacher let out a sigh as she told us to entertain her somehow. She was that bored.
School doesn’t have to be fatiguing. There are simple ways for school to be exciting and humorous. Brief energizers or fun games and activities would bring life into the classroom. Field trips could replenish love of learning in the lives of many students. We need to feel engaged in what we learn, not forced to learn. I don’t just want to know about the curriculum. I want learning to be a part of my physical life.
In order to make school better and more engaging, students need to help, too, by showing teachers gratitude. This would let the teachers know that their work is not a waste of effort, and they are helping students get the best out of their education. It would also motivate teachers to work even harder for the benefit of their students.
Even though I’ve had bad experiences with school, I don’t hate it. Perhaps it could be more interesting, but only if we work together to make it that way.
Copyright 2007 VOX Teen Communications
