“I’m bored.”
All year I’ve blamed myself for this type of response.
Boredom: the nemesis of engagement. Perhaps, when were trying to teach someone. But could it also be a place of creation.
My first memories of boredom were on family vacations. The ones that took us through and to all kinds of national treasures. Boredom was a state of being on those trips. I got antsy. Wondered aloud when we were going to get there. And then, I stared out the window, simply thinking. I remember how the landscape and structures we drove past triggered “what if” scenarios, stories.
Today, a long car ride is an opportunity. I can’t do anything except think.
I have space to work through problems, get ideas.
I’ve found the treadmill provides that same kind of boredom. Running on the treadmill has become a place I can go to get ideas.
During testing boredom cropped up. If a student finished before their classmates, they were instructed to do a quiet activity of their choosing. A few read. Some doodled. All seemed to relish this time just to relax. Let their mind wander.
Except for one student. She was exceedingly uncomfortable. Antsy.
This time I didn’t feel guilty. I let her go there. Eventually, she settled down and found a way to keep herself occupied.
I wonder, how many students get the opportunity to be bored and to find the possibility boredom presents.
Hopefully, summertime will offer a place for boredom, perhaps a little discomfort, and then maybe a few thoughts will creep in. And then, who knows?
Thanks to Two Writing Teachers blog and the Slice of Life Tuesday. Read more slices here.
To Read To Write To Be 