If everyone was as adventurous as they are with food, the world would have some pretty worldly people in it. Breaking something down to the simpleness of food–it’s not that far-fetched. Why wouldn’t that work in any situation?
I don’t believe teachers like trying new things. They already have binders, and packets, and pre-made lessons, and cds that sync up with the daily stuff, old quizzes, old tests, old prompts. We love our stuff. That’s why you should invest in storage facilities. I get it, though, because I have too much stuff AND a storage facility space.
It gets scary enough when the old-time (that is not an age reference) teachers don’t want to change and just keep trotting out the dog-and-pony show, no matter how antiquated it is. What’s worse is when students don’t want to. A movie they’ve never heard of? Heck no! An album that isn’t on the radio’s constant commercial rotation? Nope nope nope. TV shows? What are those? Well, unless you count binge-watching what everyone else is binge-watching. Dude, I just finished the 6th season of Grey’s Anatomy. Don’t tell me what happens in Season 7. No spoilers.
Spoilers ruin surprises. We like surprises. So try something new. That was my assignment to all my classes recently–try something new. My students looked at me like I had another rip in my pants when I suggested such silliness. What? Are you never going to try something new again? Come on. Live on the edge and try a new radio station, walk home a different way, read a book (HA!), watch a movie your parents suggest. The list goes on. It will be presented in class, right down each row, with me asking what they did and, maybe, why; kids will hear what others have done, kids will speak, we’ll laugh, maybe wonder about some people. It should be okay.
I’ve never done this assignment before, so it is my example of trying something new. It may fail miserably, though, which will not be something new.