Back to School
Summer is now officially over, and with it, our favorite season: school holidays!
Back to school means back to boring lectures, back to school parties, and—most importantly—back to our precious studies.
With the return of the academic year, comes a whole new set of challenges and joys. While the routine of studying and grading papers is certainly therapeutic and helping us grow as individuals, it also means that there are a lot of distractions and temptations. As soon as the bell rings, we’re flooded with new ideas and new opportunities, and sometimes it’s hard to focus on what’s important to us.
For many of us, the return of school means the return of our social lives as well. Now that the kids are back in school, we’re free to have fun again – but the problem is, with so much more opportunity comes a whole new set of temptations. We need to fight the urge to go on distracting social media platforms and instead focus on what’s important to us. Why? Because every single one of these apps and platforms is filled with bad habits that can easily distract us from achieving our goals.
Homeschoolers might be especially susceptible to these distractions. Now that they’re unplugged from their digital distractions, they might find it hard to focus on their studies. Why? Because they miss out on all the fun opportunities that come along with being connected to the digital world. This is why it’s so important to keep a close eye on their studies and grades and nudge them towards better performance. If they see that the benefits of their education are outweighing the burdens (in this case, homework and extra-curricular duties), then we know they’ll be more than happy to continue their education at home. However, if the burden outweighs the benefits, then it’s time for a change.
Fortunately, there are ways to bring the fun back into our studies without risking our grades or our minds. One way is through humor!
What is humor?
Many of us might think of humor as something that makes us laugh, but that’s only part of the truth. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, humor is “a light or jocular attitude or comment that enables one to enjoy life, or something, seriously.”
An example of this would be a teacher, while explaining a lesson, making a funny remark about something that relates to the lesson. The student finds the comment funny and learns from it, while the teacher shows that he is capable of having a humorous standpoint.
Humor can also be something that makes us laugh, but that’s not always the case. When we’re taught to fear or be suspicious of laughing, we lose out on a lot of the humor in our lives. As humans, one of our number one defenses is our instinct to laugh at things—especially when we’re nervous or afraid. Our body language and voice inflection can all play a role in whether or not we laugh at something, so it’s important not to be afraid to laugh if you find something funny.
With that in mind, let’s have a look at how to bring the fun back into our studies.
Bringing the Fun Back into Our Studies
It’s important to note that while it might be difficult to do so, it’s not impossible. With a little bit of ingenuity and planning, it’s possible to bring the fun back into our studies. Here are a few ways to do that.
Look for the Joke
If we want to have some fun during our studies, it’s important to know where to look. Why? There are a lot of opportunities for humor in textbooks, lecture notes, and even the teacher’s voice. Students need to be aware when their teacher is trying to be funny, otherwise it can come off as insulting, especially if the students aren’t used to their teachers joking around during lessons.
Sometimes it might be difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when the teacher or your textbook is trying to be funny, so it’s helpful to have some signs. One of the best things about this approach is that it enables the students to engage with the material in a more enjoyable way. They’re no longer forced to listen to a dull lecture or stare at a book, but can instead laugh together as they work through the material. This is especially important for kids, since they learn better when engaged in fun activities. It doesn’t have to be a joke about the material, but it does have to be something that relates to the subject matter. For example, if you’re teaching about history, why not learn with a sense of humor? There are lots of funny anecdotes and historical figures that you can teach about, not only will this make the lessons more interesting, but it will also make them more memorable. If nothing else works, you can always go the old-fashioned way and write an actual comedy script!
Play Some Games
Games are a great way to both stay connected to the digital world while also having fun with your studies. There are a variety of educational games out there that can be used for this purpose, from trivia games to connecting letters to words, or even brain teasers!
While it’s important to study the right way and not goof off during classes, having some fun with your studies is okay. There are definitely some games out there that are better suited than others for that purpose, so it’s important to find ones that your school will allow you to play. Some schools might not permit the use of certain games because they think that playing games will distract students or damage their focus – but that’s a mistake. We know that games can be a great way to both engage with students and help them understand the material better. It’s all about finding the right combination of games and teachers!
Try Out a Few Habits
Having some fun during your studies doesn’t mean that you have to do whatever your classmates are doing. You can always opt out and do your own thing, even if it’s not what everyone else is doing. This might sound impossible, but it’s very possible to have fun without going outside of your schoolwork. Why? There are a lot of distracting apps and platforms out there, but if you take the time to find the ones that work for you, you can limit the damage that they do. It’s not always easy to find this middle ground, especially since you don’t want to be too restrictive with your time, but if you set your mind to it, it’s definitely possible!
For example, if you want to have some fun this week, then why not try out online multiplayer matchmaking games on your phone? These types of games are all the rage right now, and they’re a great way to both socialize and learn at the same time. You don’t necessarily have to play alone, and you can often find people with whom you can share strategies and compete against. There are also a variety of trivia games out there, like Pictionary and Scrabble, that you can play with friends to improve your vocabulary and increase your brainpower.
There are a variety of ways to both educate and entertain children (and adults!) in a way that is beneficial to them. It might be difficult to find the right balance, but with a little bit of planning and common sense, it’s definitely possible to have fun during your studies. Why? Because having more fun does not mean that you’re wrong and they’re right, it just means that you two are on different pages!