Sometimes kids get bored with school. Sometimes they get bored with a single subject. Whatever that subject is, it’s our job as parents and educators to get them excited about it again.  

If your kid hates reading, maybe they are reading the wrong things. I personally think it would be better for a kid to devour comic books (even poorly written ones) than to stop reading all together because they don’t enjoy Great Expectations. (Once they love reading again, gradually introduce serious literature, of course).

If your kid hates math, realize that it probably has nothing to do with your kid being uninterested in solving problems (numerical or otherwise). It probably has to do with how the subject is being presented. Teachers: before you get offended about this,  I’m not criticizing your technique. There are lots of reasons that America is one of the few developed nations where we find it socially acceptable to have a fear of math. We have a generational problem, and guess what: eventually somebody’s generation has to fix it.   

Be honest with yourself: do you  enjoy math? If you do, your kids probably seem to pick up math fairly well. If you don’t, your best intentions may not be enough to hide that feeling from your kids or students.  

So, should we sit back and leave it to someone else who likes math to fix that problem?

Do you wait for someone else to give you money to pay the bills? If you find yourself in this situation, then, in order to be an effective math teacher, you need to find a way to enjoy math yourself. Don’t worry about your kids. Focus first on finding a way yourself.

The same thing is true about science (or any subject). If you find your kids bored with science, or saying they hate science or similar things, then first you need to find a way to enjoy science yourself. If you already enjoy it sometimes, that should be easy. If not, figure out how science relates to your favorite thing in the world. Once you have something to be excited about, you will be better prepared to pass that excitement on to your kids.

So, do you need a science Adventure? If your kids do, then you do too! But don’t worry, it’s not a bad thing. Think of it as a way to learn more about your favorite thing in the world.

 

Good luck adventuring!

Kelly