ONE TEACHER’S ALPHABET

B is for Boring

Recently, a colleague asked me (jokingly, I think) whether I purposely choose boring books for my students to read. (In my 8^th grade class, we are currently reading Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, which at this point is not exactly gripping my students, and I think a few of them quietly shared their lack of interest with this colleague.) We had a laugh over it, but later I gave his statement considerable thought, and I began to wonder whether I, somewhat subconsciously, do choose books that have more of a dull than brilliant shine to them. I began to wonder if I actually find it easier to teach the students how to examine the inner workings of a book if the book is not immediately mesmerizing. Perhaps it’s similar to finding it easier to appreciate the subtle beauties of the ocean when it’s a relatively calm (‘boring’) day than when a spellbinding gale is blowing. When a book is instantly gripping, we want to race through it, just as we would race across the bay in our sailboat on a thrillingly windy day. While reading a breathtaking book, probably none of us wants to linger over the pages, searching for delicate nuances and hidden undertones. With page-turners, we simply want to turn the pages. When, however, a book appears to have a somewhat dull plot, perhaps it offers a teacher a chance to slow the kids down and get them poking around a bit in the pages.

Hmmm, I thought ... maybe I do purposely choose books that present an initial dullness and dryness, like an ocean cove presents on a calm, cloudy day. Perhaps this gives my students a chance to discover excitement instead of having it thrown in their faces, as happens on a bright, windy day or in an exhilarating book. Perhaps initially ‘boring’ books allow my students to slowly and thoughtfully uncover treasures where they never dreamed they would be – and wouldn’t any teacher be happy with that kind of activity? In the Harry Potter books, my students know there are treasures as soon as they start reading; in the books I choose, a lengthy, strenuous, but potentially rewarding treasure hunt is involved – and wouldn’t most young people enjoy that kind of activity?