Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Turn off the TV and Get a Life Week

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Oh man, is it that time of year again already?

What is up with this? It seems that every time I turn around that dratted Teachinfourth is challenging us to be kind to others, leave comments on people’s blogs, or something else...but now he’s asking me to surrender TV? What’s this guy up to?

Yeah, I can almost hear some of your thoughts oozing through the computer screen.

Well, if you’ve been a follower of Adventures & Misadventures of Daily Living for the past few years then that above ad will look awfully familiar to you, and this challenge might be one you’ve already taken part in. You see, every year I challenge my class; I challenge them to turn off their TVs sets, video games, and all gaming systems along with abstaining from attending movies for one full week. In the place of these electronic diversions, I challenge them to spend more time with others: playing outside, reading, writing, and enjoying the company of their friends and families.

We call this the “Turn off the TV and Get a Life” challenge—an idea I picked up a long time ago from speaker, John Bytheway. This will be the 11th year of my class taking this challenge, and the great thing is that this has since spread to the entire fifth grade at my school.

However, what I’d like to know is if you’d like to take part in the challenge with us.

Would you do it?

Could you do it?

One full week devoid of video games, gaming apps, Youtube, movies, and all forms of television?

The challenge begins when you wake up on Friday the 20th and ends when you wake up on the following Friday exactly one week later.

Sounds kind of like torture, doesn’t it?

Now, I’ll be honest with you…there are a few day when I come home from school, beaten and tired – wanting nothing more than the brainless eye-candy of the tube, but for this week, no matter how badly I want to watch a movie, I won’t.

Those students at my school who are successful with this endeavor, we will celebrate their accomplishment on Friday next week with a par-tay. So, what IS the party? It will be afternoon fraught with board games, teamwork activities, and things one can do without the aid of a television or any type gaming system.

If you are successful, you are more than welcome to join our entire fifth grade at our celebration; whether it is with us physically in our classroom—or from afar in spirit.

So, now comes the really big question…will you do it?

I hope you’ll join us.

P.S. If you have any good ideas of what to do in lieu of television and electronic games for entertainment, let us know...you just might persuade someone else to take part. (*Remember that Blogging is READING and WRITING and Facebook is all about making connections with others...but not playing Farmville).

13 comments:

Tracy P. said...

You just validated my entire existence. Blogging and Facebook are my TV. I don't play games on Facebook. Whew! What about taking pictures?! I like to take the kids exploring places and give them a list for a photo scavenger hunt, or a bingo board of things to find.

Seriously, I probably need to ditch the computer and do some of this stuff anyway. :-) Great challenge!!

Teachinfourth said...

Tracy, I think that photography would be a great idea...and with your kids as a scavenger hunt? I love it!

Thanks for being willing to do this.

The funny thing is, my class (when in the midst of it) will start to talk about how much extra time they have to do other things. Some of them say that they don't know what to do with all of their free time.

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a great idea. I'm already on board because we don't have TV anymore. When the nation made the digital switch a couple of years ago, we just didn't switch. The channels were phased out one by one until all we had was snow. Now we rent the occassional video to watch on our computer, but TV in general is a part of our past. Once you go without it for awhile, you really wonder why you were so hooked on certain shows to begin with. I think this is a good thing! It's changed our lives for the better.

Kim Stevens said...

Hmmm, I never have the TV on during the day, I'm either at the beach, playing with fire at my metals class, or draining the battery in my camera...I probably only watch 2 or three shows each week at night so it shouldn't be that difficult, right? And the only electronics I use is for blogging, whew, safe there! Okay, I'm in....

Teachinfourth said...

S - I know what you mean about there not being very many shows out there worth watching.

I'm glad that you're in.

K - Wow, it sounds like you have quite the schedule! During the school year I'm pretty slammed with things as well...summers are a little but more open.

Thanks for joining us!

Cheeseboy said...

You have inspired me to have my class do this next week! So excited. My students have no idea what they're in for.

Mindy said...

I love this idea!

Maybe I'll throw out the idea on a school level... (Make it part of our Words of Wisdom or something....)

Just one question though.... Words With Friends is exempt right?
(It IS vocabulary building, right???? I mean... It's totally Scrabble on steroids... lol)

Catherine Grace Life Photography said...

I love this idea~! Thanks for sharing it!

Karen M. Peterson said...

Hmmm...I'd love to do this, but Revenge JUST came back from hiatus...

Rachel said...

Normally this isn't a hard challenge. We do this anyway. Until... except..... YOU WOULD have to choose this week of all weeks. The week the two boys get their tonsils out. The week I'm supposed to keep them quiet and down so I am yes, using electronics!!!

I'm going to have to figure out how to make this work for Henny Penny...... how about a deal? Since she lives this anyway, how about you cut her some slack. :D (Big cheesey hopeful grin from her mommy!!!) Please help the already sleep deprived giving her kids meds every 3 hours around the clock mommy a break!!

(Sits shaking her head in her hands..... moaning).

Anonymous said...

Couldn't we have done this last week before new episodes of Revenge started again????

And don't you dare drive Rachel to eating chocolate -- I mean go ahead and drive Rachel to eat chocolate.

Rachel said...

Intervention here..... Kathy wants me to succumb to chocolate because then she wins the bet that I am going to win.......

Dear Mr. Z,

Desperate Mom begs you to let us do this another week but still let Henny Penny participate in the activity next week.

Thank you,

Rachel who if you say no is just fine with that. You can expect me to drop my boys off at your house this afternoon. I'll pick them up in two weeks.

Anonymous said...

It's a lovely idea. And not hard for me, because I don't watch TV. When I was a child we had ony 4 stations to watch and then a cable TV came and there were more stations to watch, but now there are so many stations and ther is nothing for me to watch. Nowadays I only watch a film a month or so. And when I am asked by my pupils if I saw this or that and I tell them that I don't watch TV, they can hardly believe me. I think I will start with that project of yours next year when I'm returning from my maternity leave. THanks for the idea.

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