Are We Entertainers?

In Does Your Classroom Inform, Inspire, and Entertain? from @DavidGeurin Blog by David Geurin states,

“But I think all three are important, including an element of entertainment. It's probably more true today than ever. In fact, edutainment is a thing. Look at TED talks. They are extremely popular because they inform, inspire, and entertain. The most popular ones do this extraordinarily well.”

Yes, I believe as educators, we are also entertainers.

I can’t tell you how many professional development sessions I’ve been in but I admit that the best ones are the ones where I felt entertained. It put me in a positive mental attitude where I was more willing to learn. I believe I was more focused and engaged when I was entertained.

Since I know this, how can I not do the same thing for my students?

If my lessons aren’t interesting to teach, why would they be interesting to learn?

Maybe teachers used to call this something different and didn’t use the word “entertainment” but I believe that teachers have been entertaining since the beginning of time.

Now teachers have to find different ways to make learning entertaining. Teachers are competing with television, video games, and even virtual reality games!

Maybe I need to look at the characteristics of those things that seem to appeal to my students and then try to incorporate them into my lessons.

I believe teachers do that when they try to have new themes in their classrooms. Year ago when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came out, every classroom found a way to use them in lessons. Lately the Marvel Comics Super Heroes are the big thing and if you look around, almost every school has this as a theme in one way or another.

They are doing this because they know it appeals to their students. This is one way to make learning entertaining.

So, to all of those who are resistant to this idea of entertaining, I have to say that unless we figure out a way to be entertainers, we will have trouble engaging our students.

What do you think? Are we entertainers?