Well, kids start being moody and hard to motivate around that age. They stop being excited about being able to count to one hundred and the trouble they get into stops being cute. That's no reason, though, why people who teach teenagers can't have fun.
The increasing problem in the American Education system is the challenge of motivating students. The drop out rate, however, is actually down over the past twenty years. Still, teachers cite No Child Left Behind, a decrease in disciplinary control, and lack of support from parents as factors that make it difficult to get through to children.
But maybe more standardized tests and pacing guidelines aren't the answer. Maybe we need to give teachers more freedom to use their creativity to get the information out there. The last two decades have seen great leaps in how we teach to different learners. Education isn't just for one type of learner anymore, but they have to want to learn.
That's where this blog comes in. This blog is about making everyone a nerd-- making everyone able to get excited about acquiring knowledge on a particular subject. Nerd, Geek, Dork... in my school days, my friends and I wielded these as words of power.
Maybe your students would rather be identified by their skill on the football field or their prowess slaying Zombie Nazis online. That's okay. This blog is about reaching out to them and making them understand why their education is important to them.
You can expect posts about
- Using pop/nerd culture to motivate students
- Using pop/nerd culture to motivate teachers
- Educational technology
- Printouts for teachers
- Lesson plans and assignments
- Getting kids excited about learning-- even if they look like a nerd.
Urban Dictionary (Urbanddictionary.com)
Nerd: 1. One whose IQ exceeds his weight.
