University of Houston

Being bored is a state of mind. Without proper stimulation, the brain often feels obligated to tune out things that may seem important which makes one wonder what we are actually missing when we do tune out. John Taylor Gatto is a very bored instructor, or actually ex-teacher. He taught for 30 years and now he feels the need to vent about his boredom as a teacher. In this article in Harper’s Magazine he asks why is school boring. Gatto goes through the article explaining how the school system is too strict on both the teachers and the students, and does not appreciate how schools do not necessarily provide the right instruction to be a successful contributing citizen.

Gatto starts off by explaining his background, so that we can trust him and know that he is speaking with experience. He goes so far as to tell us that his motivation for being stimulated as a teacher was inspired by his grandfather. Gatto tells of how the school system does not do a good job of challenging the...