Teaching and the “F-Word”

The last month of school everyone knew I was retiring, so I opted out when the English Department met for curriculum planning. It was bittersweet because I always enjoy imagining future lessons and ways to further improve instruction, but I also wanted to savor my last days with students. The day after the planning session, I casually asked a fellow English teacher how it had gone. She looked sheepishly up at me and proceeded to share that they had been encouraged to drop “pet projects” and “fun” activities to extend time for “drilling down” and completing repeated practice on skills. She looked at me with a pained expression saying, “I love the activities you’ve woven into the units, and so do the kids. This makes me so sad.” I was aghast! To say I was insulted would be an understatement.

Why has the idea of creating fun(yes, I said it-fun) activities that support instruction become taboo? Why do we neglect to honor the fact that we are working with children? The word fun prompts sneers from some in education. In contrast, I think teachers who tap into their own inner child and remember the power of pretend and imagination should be encouraged and heralded as experts on blending learning and play. Instead, they are shamed or made to feel as if they’re “less than.” I know this is true because it happened to me. Time and time again, my work with students was reduced to the tagline of being “fun.” The experiences I developed were referred to snidely as “pet projects.” After 30+ years working with kids, I can safely say that learning infused with play and pretend can be just as impactful as “drilling down” on skills through paper/pencil practice. Ideally, BOTH should be a part of any lesson design. There should be a balance between high interest activities and the assessment pieces which hold students accountable. Games, projects, and art connections bring the learning to life and create lasting memories. These rich memories, in turn, promote a love of learning. And, as a result, a love for the work of school.

Why would we ever remove fun from our curriculum plan? Fun is not a bad word, after all. It’s the secret for reaching children where they are and capturing their hearts.