A Cure for Tedium

Fighting extreme boredom in the classroom when school sucks

Art by Thihn Vu| VOX Stafff

By Thinh Vu | VOX Staff

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. Sunlight enveloped us. The teacher told us excitedly about the geographic history of the land.

All of a sudden, I was in the world he was describing. My mind filled with the vast details of the landscape. Dinosaurs were raging through the wilds; I could feel the earth tremble 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. My real school days are monotonous. They’re full of lectures, note taking and reading, without any interactive activities at all. There is hope for school though, if teachers and students work together to make it more engaging.

I remember 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. We walked around the zoo and saw real animals we’d read about in books. It was a great experience. Not only was I learning, I was also enjoying myself.

As I’ve grown up, more and more teachers only seem to read from books, tell us to read and work from books, or give boring lectures. Sometimes, the days get repetitive and I lose the will to learn. Not just students are affected by tedious days; my teachers often seem to feel exhausted, too. Such an example can be found in my honors geometry teacher 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, she let out a sigh as she told us to entertain her somehow—she was bored.

School doesn’t have to be fatiguing: In fact, there are simple ways for school to be exciting and humorous. Brief energizers, or fun games and activities would bring life into the classroom. Fieldtrips could replenish the love for 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.

Most of the experiences I’ve had with school so far were mundane. I wish school could be the way I picture it. I also feel that even though I’ve had bad experiences with school, I don’t necessarily hate it. Perhaps it could be more interesting, if we work together to make it that way. School may suck right now, but with everyone’s help, it can become a better, more enjoyable place.

Thinh is a sophomore at Tri-Cities High. Don’t give him candy!