You may have felt the same way about school when you were growing up – you just couldn’t wait to graduate and start earning a living. And while your children may still enjoy learning, it can be difficult to stay focused and truly love what they are learning day-in and day-out.
Education Can Be Stale
Whether you felt itchy to be done with school or not, your children may be feeling this pressure nowadays. It isn’t easy trying to learn in a huge building of both your friends and sometimes enemies. Everyone learns differently, and if your child struggles to keep up (or feels the material is too slow), this can make them antsy about attending and learning in general.
Not to mention the fact that a lot of teaching styles can be slightly archaic, where teachers will simply lecture and kids will have to understand it in their own ways. It may not be that children are struggling to learn, it’s just that the way it’s being taught is no longer up to par. Staying inspired, both for teachers and students, is key to keeping education more engaging and accessible. Most children enjoy learning and want to learn about a variety of subjects, it just has to be presented in the right ways to truly be retained and learned.
Staying Inspired
There may be extra feelings of ditching school if kids feel like their time is better used elsewhere. So much is now accessible online, and can even turn a profit. Gaming can earn money, as well as posting videos and being a YouTuber. Of course, most adults know these don’t always pan out and aren’t always the best course of action. But when you’re young, it can seem like a great thing to really pursue.
As a parent, it’s key to remind your kids about how important education is, whether it’s school-taught or self-taught. There is a difference between book smarts and street smarts, and you can tell your kids there’s nothing wrong with pursuing these endeavors as a hobby or in their free time. But there’s also a need for education! You could take this time to sit down with your kids and figure out if their boredom from school stems from stale teaching or if it’s something deeper.
Spark that Love of Learning
In the end, what our society may need is truly a re-evaluation of our education system. Most schools are realizing this post-Covid, where the entire school system got flipped. But it worked! As parents, you can help be that voice to direct change if necessary. And to also try and spark that love of learning in your children, no matter their age.
Kate Kyzivat