Slice of Life is sponsored every Tuesday by Stacey and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers. For the month of March we are challenging ourselves to write a Slice A Day.
Today I stumbled upon this interview with John Green:
Aside from just being happy to watch a 24-minute video with him, there were
several things he said that I was really struck by. Towards the end of the
video Mark Bazer asks John about the word “nerd” and wonders whether it is a
positive description.
John says this:
John says this:
(The word nerd is)…new enough that
it’s still changing.
The definition is malleable.
What I like about the idea of
nerdiness is the idea of unironic enthusiasm.
It’s ok to love stuff …in a
genuinely enthusiastic jump up and down on your seat way.
He goes
on to say…
…I generally like seeing people
excited about things. This is the only opportunity that we are likely to have
to experience human consciousness and are we seriously going to spend that
entire time being like mrrrrr. (Shrugs shoulders.)
It’s incredibly exciting to have
the ability to marvel at the universe and to make stuff for each other and to
enjoy the stuff that other people have made for us. That’s such a privilege and
it’s so exciting to me. That’s what nerdiness is to me and that’s worth
celebrating. That’s worth getting enthusiastic about.
I love
that he shared this. I remember when Donalyn, Colby, and Cindy first began
Nerdy Book Club people commented on the use of the word “Nerdy.” I love that
groups like the Nerdy Book Club or Nerdfighters are helping to reframe what
people think of when they hear the word “nerd.”
What do I
envision when I think of “nerd?” Something similar to Green’s view. Someone
passionate about a topic they like. Someone that enjoys learning. Someone who
embraces life. All qualities I work towards exemplifying and encouraging in my
students.
I’m sure
most educators have heard the same message I have – we are preparing our
students for jobs that don’t exist yet. How do we prepare students for the
unknown? I’m convinced one way is to make them curious. To help them enjoy
learning for the sake of learning. To help them discover the love of reading –
by reading widely they will be more knowledgeable of people and the world
around them. And I think the best way to lead my students to this mindset is to
model it. I love learning. I love reading about teaching reading and writing,
of course, but I also love learning just to learn. I watch videos from John and
Hank Green to learn more about history and science. I read Mental Floss
magazine to brush up on random knowledge. I am currently reading What the Dog Saw by Gladwell because
someone told me about a random fact in the book and I wanted to know more. Yes,
I am quite ok being considered a nerd – Book Nerd or otherwise. That is a badge
I will wear with honor.
