Today I wrote up my next critical and ethical thinking class, on the topic of Boredom. And this evening ran the first three classes. I think this is a good topic – defined as one where I have plenty of questions and they’re open-ended ones that get the kids talking and discussing reasons rather than just giving short answers. Samples:
- Is boredom the same as having nothing to do? Is being busy the same thing as not being bored?
- Why do you think some people get bored more easily than others?
- Do you think people in the past (before phones, TV, or video games) were more bored or less bored than we are today?
- Is boredom the fault of the person being bored? Or is it just something that happens to them?
- Can boredom ever be useful?
- Do you think animals get bored in the same way as humans?
- What if, in the future, robots or AIs get bored?
I also did a science class and an essay writing class with two individual students. And in between I took some time to go for a walk outside, in the warm weather. It’s a nice change from the winter cold, but it feels too early in spring for weather this warm already.