From the Assistant Principal

If You're Bored, Then You're Boring

Now, I won’t go as far as fully agreeing with Harvey Danger in their 1997 power pop post-grunge hit Flagpole Sitta, but the lyric if you’re bored, then you’re boring is an interesting one to consider in a classroom setting. Most parents have probably heard from their children that maybe there have been one or two times that they have been bored at school - I mean, of course, all of us adults went through school too and can almost all recall those days where nothing seemed to happen. When whatever the teacher was explaining to us didn’t connect with anything in our lives, our thoughts wandered, and that unsatisfied feeling of meaninglessness overcame our consciousness.

At its core, boredom is your brain’s way of saying, “I need something more - something interesting, challenging, or purposeful.” I remember how I reacted to boredom when I was at school (here goes Mat on another tangent with his personal stories from his apparently troubled youth): 

I turned to distraction. 

Not being a distraction, but being easily distracted by those around me (I feel like I’ve written that comment in a number of end-of-semester reports for students I taught). In Year 11 Maths, I was finally put into a class with my best mate - for whatever reason, we’d been separated from each other since Grade 3, learning buddies we were not - and by the middle of Term 2, I had found myself incredibly out of my depth in terms of knowing what I was supposed to be doing. Boredom led to distraction, which led to coding ice hockey games on our graphics calculators… which led to failed tests. Eventually, I got back on track - all it took was engagement.

It might sound simple - stay engaged and you won’t be bored - but cognitive science backs this up. Engagement isn’t just about making lessons fun or exciting. It’s about making sure that students are thinking, processing, and making connections in ways that keep them learning - actively participating in their learning rather than passively sitting through it. And that’s where cognitive science comes in.

There’s a concept called Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) that helps explain why some lessons leave students fully engaged and learning, while others leave them zoning out, staring at the clock, or - in my case - figuring out how to randomise virtual ice hockey game results on a $300 calculator. CLT suggests that our brains can only handle so much information at once. If a task is too hard - full of unfamiliar concepts with no support - students quickly become overwhelmed and check out. If it’s too easy - repetitive, with nothing new to think about - they get bored. The sweet spot is where learning is structured in a way that stretches thinking without overloading it.

This is where Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) comes in. EDI isn’t just about standing at the front of the room and talking; it’s about breaking concepts down into manageable chunks, checking for understanding, and guiding students through practice before expecting them to work independently. It’s teaching in a way that aligns with how our brains actually learn best - reducing unnecessary cognitive load so that students can focus on learning, rather than trying to figure out what they’re supposed to be doing.

At NLPS, our approach to teaching is informed by these ideas. We know that engagement doesn’t come from gimmicks or endless hands-on activities that lack direction - it comes from well-structured, purposeful lessons that help students move from not knowing to knowing in a way that makes sense. When students understand what they’re learning and why, they’re less likely to be bored and more likely to succeed.

And really, boredom in the classroom isn’t about a lack of fun - it’s about a lack of meaning. It’s that stuck feeling, like your brain is spinning its wheels in a lesson that doesn’t connect. And when that happens, the natural response isn’t always to lean in - it’s to check out, to daydream, to start, I don’t know… coding ice hockey games on your calculator instead of actually learning algebra.

We want every child to come to school with a sense of purpose - something to do, something to challenge them, something that matters. Whether it’s publishing zines, raging against machines, or simply diving into a new learning with an open-mind - the best teaching captures that energy and directs it. It turns restless frustration into real learning.

Because the truth is, kids who are bored aren’t boring. Their curiosity is boundless. It’s our job to make sure the way we teach is grounded in the best-informed practices so that every student stays engaged, challenged, and ultimately learning. 

Have a brilliant week,

Mat Williamson

(oft. distracted) Assistant Principal