‘Books, Films and Wanderlust’: inspiration to beat boredom in classrooms.
There is a sure shot solution to dispelling the gloom of routine and monotony in the classroom. Make room for Books, Films and Wanderlust. They constitute the ultimate entertainment-infotainment package ever. Lessons that draw inspiration from popular fiction in print and media can open doors to great avenues for learning. The wealth of knowledge and experience gained from exposure to the three, can help one mold an impressive identity in this world of the common and the mediocre.
Recent times have seen the blurring of the fine lines of separation between schools and homes. Subsequently, we see growing children spent most of their active hours in schools, pouring over information that seems insipid, and engaging in tasks that are rather tedious for their sensibilities. I firmly believe that if the curriculum in schools could make provision to expose students to age appropriate reading and watching, we would be able to go a long way in arresting the interest of our young 21st century learners.
In order to make the best of the world of books and films, the first thing obviously would be for educators to expose themselves to some of the reading and viewing material that our learners are exposed to. Let’s keep track of the latest trends for the ages that we interact with. This is an excellent plane to strike a rapport with your learners. I have on many occasions seen the awe and tinkle in the eyes of my students at the mention of ‘why I think that Robert Downey Junior was the perfect fit for Iron Man’ or ‘why Will Smith as the Genie in the latest version of Aladdin was a bit flawed due to his blue complexion.’ It’s a fact that students respond better to teachers who are familiar with the entities in their world of Books and movies. So, one ought to take the effort to get into their space to think like them and speak their language.
There’s no point talking about Tom and Jerry, Inspector Gadget or ‘The Famous Five’. Instead, we must talk about our favourite character from ‘Hotel Transalvania’; ‘Was Selena Gomez the perfect pick to lend voice to Mavis Dracula?’ Or perhaps a close reading of Harry Potter to discuss the evolution of Harry’s character from one book to the other and how his signature traits like honesty, bravery, wit and loyalty help him to overcome the obstacles in his path. Netflix being the latest fad, introduce your older learners to political drama to the likes of ‘Designated Survivor’ or the nitty gritty of Law and Order in ‘Suits’. If you start off on a note like this, and you bet you’ve got the attention and trust of all your students. Introduce your students to the world of TedTalks’ that opens doors to a world of interesting perspectives on a plethora of topics, both mundane and bizarre.
For students who are on fire for a good read or a good watch, the idea of travel is going to be equally enticing. Talk to your students about cultures and civilizations of the world. Arouse their interest in people. Instead of seeking worthless materialistic pleasures of the world, your learners would want to indulge in the simple pleasure of traversing through the ends of the earth, meeting people and establishing greater faith in humanity. They will start thinking on lines of universal brotherhood and global citizenship. They will develop feelings in tune with the well being of humanity and tolerance for diversity.
So, let’s strive to gain a better understanding of our learners by making time to read what they read, watch what they watch and then talk to them about it. In the bargain, you will not only win the hearts of your students, but will also catch some priceless moments of pleasure for yourself.