Working in public schools now versus attending in the 90s and early 2000s, you see many differences. Every student has an iPad or Chromebook to complete their work; Scantrons are a thing of the past. When you mention writing two to three rough drafts before starting a final essay in English class or how teachers used projectors for notes instead of Notability or Canvas, your Gen Z students look at you as if you’re telling folklore from years ago. But nerd culture will always be timeless.
Forming meaningful relationships
If there is one thing I’ve learned working in education as a nerdy gal, meaningful relationships with my students have been more impactful when I embrace my nerdy interests. It’s not a distraction from learning but an opportunity to help students connect with lessons and make learning fun. I remember when I first started working in a high school setting supporting special education students. I worried I wouldn’t support my students the way they deserve. When I was told I would support a Biology class, my first remarks were, “Oh, those babies are gonna fail if I help them.” For the first couple of weeks, that is how I navigated my new role: with a lack of confidence and fear I would let my students down.
Then one day in a Geometry class I support, the students were learning the distance formula and completing an assignment. I remember the deer-in-the-headlights looks from a group of boys I was helping. I took it as a sign to give up on my dreams (Levi core) until I naturally said, “Look at it this way: If Nami has to get the Straw Hats to point B and they are at point A, what is the difference between them if we know their coordinates are XY for A and XY for B (the points are irrelevant, FOCUS, my math nerds who want to solve the problem)?”
The room filled with a boisterous roar as the boys got excited, realizing I knew what One Piece was. As my students started to grasp the concept and I moved to the next group, I realized I had a superpower I hadn’t thought to use: my nerdy interests.
Learning from nerd culture and animated teachers
Koro Sensei once said, “All of the connections we encounter in this world serve as teachers who nurture us.” This made me realize my connections to manga, anime, and other nerd culture. Lessons from stories like Bleach, Sailor Moon, Shaman King, Pokemon, Tokyo Mew Mew, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Cardcaptor Sakura, and more nurtured and prepared me for this moment. I could take their lesson plans and apply them to my students, whether helping with assignments or giving advice. My own experiences and academic knowledge also play a role in that success. Still, we sometimes forget that as educators, we have leverage to connect with students. We have to make learning fun by incorporating our interests into lessons. We also do ourselves a disservice when we go through long workdays with students and don’t let the nerd in us out.
With Gen Z students, it doesn’t matter if they’re athletes, in marching band, or love art. Most have an interest in Japanese culture, comic books, or video games. At the end of the day, we were all kids once. Embracing the thrills of a comic or manga, playing a Legend of Zelda game, or watching a Godzilla movie. One of my favorite high school teachers taught necessary lessons but made them fun. He incorporated elements he bonded with students over into his lessons. He is why I still love The Great Gatsby today. Not because of Daisy crying over beautiful shirts, but because he included his and our interests in his lessons.
What educators can take away from nerd culture
So, this is for my fellow teachers, professors, staff members, and administrators. As we gear up for the next academic year in August or September, I have a challenge for you. Incorporate your nerdy interests into your lessons, classrooms, work attire, and how you build relationships with students. Remember your child-self in school. Feeling the excitement of running home after a long day of boring lectures to escape into your favorite cartoon, game, or book.
Take that feeling and apply it to the new academic year whenever you can. You don’t have to wait for the next campus dress-up day to dress like the next Hokage. Or wait for library day to let students know you share the same nerdy interest. Do it on day one when they nervously walk into your classroom with anxieties about the year. From kindergarten to college, nerd culture is a universal learning design that can change how students learn and retain information.
