Pepto-Abysmal

We were discussing rights in one course today, human rights. The conversation at one point was along the lines of:
Teacher: What rights does the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights give?
Student: Who cares?
T: Certainly a lot of the rights we have, here and internationally, depend on what this says.
S: But it’s boring.
T: Is excitement a requirement for learning something, or making it important for that matter?
S: I could care less.
OK, so international treaties are admittedly not the most electrifying documents. You would think, however, that teenagers would have a vested interest in the right to life, or freedom of movement, or freedom to religious beliefs. These, after all, are grounded in daily issues in their own lives. Abu Ghraib. Abortion. The freedom to move and live where you choose within your own country. But it all just gets a big yawn.
S: Discussing is boring. Can’t we just have worksheets or something?
T: Sigh.
It’s one of those days that just doesn’t seem to click. Often passion for a subject and students knowing that you care about them can inspire interest and passion among learners. Some days, even that doesn’t help. Were the day and all courses a complete waste? No, of course not. Learning still happened. Fish gotta swim. Some students were focused and brilliant, but most today were apathetic, bored, and far too stubborn or tired to let themselves be, or become, inspired.

It’s a frustration that most educators take personally. And it’s a frustration that is often made personal by edu-experts and politicians alike who seem to think that a mere shift in teaching strategy, or technique, or philosophy will make all students engaged, excited, and eager learners. Somehow if the teacher were just more engaging, creative, or knowledgeable about “research-based” methods, all would be well. But students are human beings and share responsibility. No teacher should take the burden of a life and culture filled with boredom and make it their own. That doesn’t mean giving up. It just means staying healthy. It means taking a Pepto-Bismol, getting a good night’s rest, and starting again tomorrow even more determined. It means an awareness that seeds of ideas and attitudes are planted daily that won’t appear for years, often decades. Today’s success or failure can’t really be measured today. There are a number of stories of those seeds and what they became.

Perhaps at some point, I’ll share some.