“I’m Bored”- A lesson on problem solving and creativity

Originally posted FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2013

How many times have you heard a kiddo say “I’m Bored!” Whether it’s over summer break, when it’s raining and the kids can’t go outside to recess, or when they can’t use their iPod/iPad, boredom is a real problem.

Brooklyn gets bored and tends to bring me a ball or toy with her sad “play, play” eyes. She’s great about entertaining herself, but my students not so much.

This lesson is not only fun, but is designed to get our kids creatively thinking about how to solve this problem.

I did this lesson originally with K and 1st graders, but I think kids of all ages would love it. I also co-taught this lesson with my librarian, it’s the perfect collaboration.

Opening

We read the story as a reader’s theater using “I’m Bored” by Michael Ian Black.

Reader’s theatre is a teaching technique where students read aloud from scripts rather than memorizing lines for a full theatrical production. It’s often used to enhance reading comprehension, fluency, and engagement. The teacher selects a script, assigns students specific roles, and they rehearse to practice their reading fluency, expression, and comprehension. During the performance, students read their lines aloud using expressive voices and gestures. It not only helps improve reading skills but also fosters teamwork, creativity, and confidence in students. Additionally, it can be a fun and interactive way to explore literature and drama in the classroom.

Never hosted a reader’s theater? Check out this helpful article on how to do one.

Partner Work

Next, we formed teams with the students and handed each team a potato. Our challenge was for them to brainstorm all the things they could do with a potato when feeling bored. The objective was to come up with the most creative answers. During the challenge, we emphasized the importance of using indoor voices to prevent other teams from hearing their answers, as shouting would be a disadvantage.

I am always impressed by the creativity the children display while brainstorming ideas. As a reward for the student of the day, I challenge all students to behave their best.

The student with the best behavior got to take home the potato with the chart. Everyone really wanted it.

Send home a potato

After I pick a student to take home a potato, I email the teacher and parent to let them know about the activity and random potato in their backpack. Here is a sample of that email:

“Good afternoon,

Today in guidance/counseling class we read “I’m Bored” written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. In the story, the little girl is very bored and can’t think of anything to do. Then, she meets a potato who is also bored. He tells her he thinks kids are boring, too. This encourages the girl to brainstorm and imagine all of the amazing things that kids can do therefore proving to the potato that kids aren’t boring.

With summer break coming up students may have lots of free time on their hands. So we took this opportunity to talk as a class about some of the things they could creatively think of doing when they are bored.

I picked a student in class to take home a potato. Your kiddo got the potato for her great behavior and hard work. Her “homework” was to do something fun and creative with the potato now or in the summer and then share her idea with the class when they return.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy summer!”

Share about it

In the following class, during a class meeting, on the school news, or as a special show and tell, I find a time for the student to share what they did with their potato.

I have to share the tale from the first time I taught this lesson with my librarian and best friend.

After reading the story we broke the students into pairs. We had two students in that class that we had to keep an eye on. One was a behavior problem- constantly being defiant and engaging in attention seeking behavior.

The second is on the Autism Spectrum and struggles excessively with peer interaction and social skills. We asked him to not partner with anyone, but instead asked him to help us watch the teams and find them teams that were working well together. If he saw anyone fighting, talking too loud, doing inappropriate things with their potato he could disqualify them.

He took this job very seriously walking around monitoring. He was so observant I later said I would be more scared if he did my evaluation than my principal. He even spent the time coming up with his own answer- tape the potato to swing and push it.

When the teams shared their answers he was allowed to call on the students that were sitting quietly, criss cross, and listening. He took his job seriously, thinking hard to pick the best student and then calling on them (yay for practicing names).

He made sure everyone had a chance, in fact he called on one girl and said “I am confused, have you had a question before? Oh wait yes you did, so it’s the next students turn.”

The students respected him and waited patiently. As they answered he responded to each with a “good idea or oh yeah that’s great.”

He also acted out each answer. My favorite was the “make it a cup” idea. He said “yes good idea, but be careful that water will taste funny.” T

he entire class burst into laughter. One team said make it a volcano and he suggested they use hot sauce to make it look like it exploded. I was beyond proud of the social skills he practiced, it was huge.

When he called *Hank (my behavior kiddo), Hank said “my team came up with 508 answers, but *Madison (his teammate) why don’t you go ahead and share your favorite.” I literally “awww’d” out loud. Real teamwork in action. Next a student answered with a very serious face, she calmly stated “you could give your potato to a family that needs food.” I got goosebumps.

Lastly, as the other students checked out books before leaving without prompting the two kiddos of concern found the masks we had used and went behind the whiteboard. They stood on chairs and when I looked up I realized they were acting out the entire book as a puppet show. Classic!!!!

*Names have been changed to protect the adorable.

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