How to Make School SUCK LESS for Secondary Students

Last year, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute conducted a survey in regards to how engaged high school students felt while attending school. Over half stated they didn't feel engaged in classes and 42% said they don't see the value in the school work they are asked to do. In another national survey done by Indiana University which surveyed 81,000 students across 26 states in the Midwest, 73% said they didn't like school!

Education, technology, and society has evolved and changed a lot over the past few decades. What worked with students in 2000 doesn't necessarily work in 2018. Showing a movie or video clip used to be cool. Now it's second rate to social media and games on the phone. School should be a place of learning first, but it should also challenge, engage, be relatable, and fun for students.  

Here are five reminders of ways to make school SUCK LESS for students while they learn and grow.

1. Let Kids Talk: If you ask students what is the number one thing they like the most about attending school, they will usually say "seeing friends and socializing." Yet, many times as teachers we forget this, or don't realize how we can use it to our advantage. Learning should be social and collaborative. In the working world, people collaborate to solve problems all of the time. If we are talking to our students 80-90% of the time throughout class, are they engaged and bored? This doesn't always mean presentations. One simple example is if you have a question for students, instead of them raising their hands individually, use a whiteboard and ask them in a group of 3-4 to brainstorm their answers and write them down. They can then quickly hold up and share what they discussed.

2. 180 Tricks In Your Bag: During my student teaching experience eight years ago, I'll never forget what the science teacher across the hall said to me when I asked him what advice he had for me as a new teacher. He said "always make sure you have 180 tricks in your bag." Not knowing what that meant I asked him to explain. "Each school year there are about 180 educational days you get with your students. Are you keeping them guessing and excited about what you're teaching them or are you using the same trick over and over? If your only trick is to lecture and show a movie, students will be bored of you and your class very quickly. Change it up all the time and keep them guessing." Use stories, webquests, Skype videos, podcasts, Piktocharts, presentations, debates, ThinkLinks, video projects, genius hours, and have students create, make, and share things as much as possible! 

3. Connect Learning to Life: One of Abraham Lincoln's greatest strengths as a leader and president was that he was a master story teller. If he wanted to get a point across to one of his generals about something he wanted them to do, he wouldn't directly tell them but rather use real-life examples and stories to get his point across. As educators, how often do we relate our content to what is current in our world? Do students believe that what they are learning helps them grow as a person? Do we share current events and tie that into our curriculum?

4. Move & Play: KIDS SIT ALL DAY LONG. I REPEAT, KIDS SIT ALL DAY LONG. Folks, sitting is exhausting. When I am forced to sit all day long at an in-service I dread it because it is tiring! Just because there isn't a recess in middle and high school, doesn't mean we shouldn't let students move and play! Use daily brain breaks, have them take a walk and discuss an idea, buy whiffleballs and let them throw them back and forth for a minute, make them play each other in rock, paper, scissors. When we get the blood moving, it re-energizes us as humans to press on and learn more. 

5. Care & Ask: Lastly, students are having are very hard time today dealing with life. Personally, I think it is the constant connection to each other through social media, bullying through these mediums, and students not getting outside as much as they used to. They need us to care and ask everyday! Is this tiring and tough?  Yes, but remember, students will always work harder for teachers who they know love and care about them than the ones that don't.

Ultimately, making school suck less is up to you as a teacher. The attitude and energy you bring each day many times determines how students feel about you and your class. Continue to bring it even on the days you don't feel like it! Thanks for being awesome!