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In the article the author quotes neurologist and educator Judy Willis’s book “Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher” as saying: Here are three compelling reasons that your child’s learning should incorporate fun:Ī telling article in the Washington Post once examined the evidence for why having fun is conducive to our brains retaining knowledge. If your child is in school, then I encourage you to look at these principles and discern whether their classroom environment fosters the type of fun that in turn fosters the best learning. If your child is not yet in school, you can begin this now in your everyday conversations and activities - you are, after all, their first and most important teacher. If we’re going to raise a generation that loves to learn, think critically, explore concepts, engage discussion, and listen to ideas, then we as parents and teachers must help them see the joy in learning. If your children - no matter their age - aren’t having fun with learning, then their chances of not only retaining today’s knowledge but also thirsting for more knowledge as they grow are greatly diminished. What purpose does Shrove Tuesday - and all of those other big and small traditions of fun and joy - serve in instilling the vital knowledge in students that today’s world will require of them? How does silliness translate into the serious business of learning? In this world of standardized tests, achievement benchmarks, and performance expectations, who has time for pomp and parades?

These images may be an odd juxtaposition against one’s notions of a private classical Christian school - especially one that values and espouses such a rigorous academic program.

All of this was in the name of celebrating a centuries-old observance that has, over time, evolved into a beloved and hilarious school tradition for which discussions and preparations begin weeks - or even months - in advance. Take the scene that unfolded a couple of weeks ago on Shrove Tuesday, where our secondary students dressed in outlandish homemade costumes, put on a parade and performance of epic proportions, and competed in a wild pancake race for an Aunt Jemima trophy and a ruffled carrot apron. You see the uniforms, the classical education model, the respect we model for teachers and administrators, and you may imagine Veritas school days as stuffy and somber. That may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with our school. We value it so much that our classrooms and hallways can get downright zany sometimes, and that goes for our high school, too!

How do we foster that spirit, capture that enthusiasm, and propel it forth into their adolescent, teen, and adult years? My guess is that many of your younger kids do find great joy in school and learning.

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All subjects that we study in school are full of wonder as they were derived from a wonderful God, and we see it as our goal to teach these “fun” truths to our students to the end that they will appreciate the natural joy to be had in all of learning. I’m talking about extracting the truly amazing, marvelous, and, yes, fun elements of all that we are learning and teaching.

I don’t mean watering down subjects and curriculum with activities simply to “add” fun. And learning, my friends, should ALWAYS be fun. We all eventually must work for our living, and we all must buckle down for the occasional (or frequent) unpleasant or difficult task.īut school is about learning. Sure, all of life can’t be fun and games. School stopped being fun, and became stressful, boring, and exhausting.ĭoes it have to be that way? Is this the best we can expect? Or, did you dread the end of weekends and summer vacation with a knot in your stomach about the drudgery of structured hours filled with instructional ho-hum?įor many of us, we may have begun in the first category in early elementary school, then transitioned into the latter somewhere in our middle school years. No really, do you remember school being fun for you? Did you spring out of bed Monday mornings, excited for all the adventures that awaited in your classrooms and beyond? Did the last day of school bring tears of sadness to your eyes (like it did for my first-grade son)?

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