When you hear a student say, “School is boring!” how do you respond?
As a school psychologist, I tend to hear one of two reactions from adults:
Reaction #1: Pinkie Pie-ing the Situation
We jump in, optimistic Pinkie Pie Style, and try to convince kids that school is sooooo much fun!!! This is a common reaction for those like me who loved school growing up (I loved school so much, I even played “school” on the weekends! 😳 ).
In fact, here is actual footage of me, projecting my experience of school being fun onto kids who have just told me it’s boring:
Reaction #2: Normalizing Boredom
Or, I’ve seen the opposite, where well-meaning adults downplay feelings of boredom as a fact of life that is normal and expected at school.
They might say, “Being bored is just a part of school that you have to deal with. Not everything is going to be exciting.”
Especially if you have this guy as a teacher:
While neither reaction is inherently wrong, what both of these reactions miss out on an opportunity….
Check out this new guest post I wrote for the Greater Good Science Center Magazine to find out how you can turn “I’m bored” into an opportunity to boost connection, understanding, and school engagement.
