I’m going to share something here that is real. I have a recurring nightmare. It pops up every so often, and every time that it does, I wake up so relieved. The nightmare is that it’s my first day of 11th grade. I’m faced with having to go through two more years of high school.
Now, when I tell you this, it’s important for you to know that I didn’t really dislike school. I hated it. And I was good at it when I wanted to be, which was sometimes. School was the most unfun, boring, and mundane experience for me. And if I had to go through two more years of what I went through back in the 90s, I would definitely quit and do anything else. School for me was rarely fun.
School Must Be Fun
School must be fun. Learning must be fun. You and your students must have fun together. If you read that and disagree, and I know that potentially many will, stay with me, please.
The Amusement Park
Imagine that you’re about to take some kids on a trip to an amusement park. Before you leave, you tell them that it is going to be super boring, there will be long stretches of doing things that they don’t want to do, and if they step out of line, they will be sent home and not allowed to come back. You tell them that you know they won’t like where they’re going, but they just have to get it done. Good luck with that crew.
Now flip the script quickly and imagine telling the same group that you’re so excited about where you’re about to take them. They will get to do and see things they’ve never done or seen before, and it’s going to be an amazing experience. They will love the trip, and you’ll be along for the ride to help out if they need anything along the way.
I think that teachers get caught in the trap of saying the first thing a lot and need to always be able to say the second. You can have a blast at school every day. You have full permission to smile, laugh, love your students, and make your class that amazing adventure that everyone wants to be a part of. Creating those experiences will be part of building other Atomic Habits that I’ll discuss in the future.
The Habit: Have Fun Every Day
This Atomic Habit is to Have Fun Every Day in Every Class. Goal one is fun. You want your students to love being in your space, and you want to love being there with them. Laugh, joke, have a blast. There is nobody anywhere telling you or your kids that there’s no fun allowed. And if a leader or fellow teacher tells you something like that, ignore them. In fact, fun is required. Make having fun Rule #1 in your class.
Imagine your students walking into class on the first day, and you start to go over your rules, and that’s rule #1. You might see some eye rolls. And when you do, you tell them that you’re going to prove it to them every day. That’s the rule and the goal. Fun.
Why It Matters
Nobody wants to go to an amusement park that is not fun. Nobody wants to do anything that isn’t enjoyable. That’s human nature. And nobody wants to go to a class or school that’s boring and not fun.
Start the Habit Now
The Atomic Teaching Habit is to embrace fun. Your goal is to have fun. And your goal for your students is for them to love your space and have a blast too. This isn’t just possible, it’s the mission. How will your teaching and space be transformed if you make having fun a habit each day? Let’s embrace fun and make fun a new habit today.
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I would love to hear from you. I’m interested in learning from others and their experiences as I work to get my message out and help to make school different.
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Miles O'Shea 
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