“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw

I’m leading a rebellion within my school.

Okay, there’s only two people who teach here, me and my boss. And it’s only with one of my classes.

But still. I REFUSE to be silenced!

Okay that might have been dramatic.

But my boss seems to think that kids should sit silently in their seats and only respond to direct questions by the teacher. They shouldn’t get excited. Or laugh. Or, you know, have fun.

Be kids.

The students I teach attend international schools in the city I live in. All of their classes are taught in English, which is NOT their native language. They are pushed academically all day long, then attend academies in various subjects after school and on weekends. It’s not unusual for them to be in classes 12 hours a day. Sometimes more – my last class usually ends at 8:30, and my boss has classes until 10pm some nights. School usually starts at 8am, sometimes 7:30am.

It’s horrible and heartbreaking and I absolutely hate it. It’s one of many reasons I’m leaving the profession.

But while I’m here, I want my students to have a good time while they’re learning with me.

I want them to feel free to make mistakes with me.

I want them to laugh and have fun while we’re reviewing grammar and language mechanics.

Education experts the world over say over and over again that children learn best when they’re playing. 

But it’s more than that.

People of all ages learn better when they’re having a good time.

Play is important. At every age.

We should play at 5 days old, 5 months old, 5 years old, 50 years old, at every age. (Did you know there’s an academic journal called The Journal of Play in Adulthood? )

I always say that I am a lifelong learner. But just as important, I want to make sure I’m a lifelong player.

I want to be goofy in the grocery store. I want to dance out in public because there’s a good song playing in a store I’m passing. I want to sing because there’s music playing in my head.

Most of all, I want to laugh, always.

I want the kid inside me to always remember to laugh.

I wrote these affirmations to help us all to remember the importance of play.