For years, I was known as the Harry Potter teacher. I loved Harry Potter. I had posters in my classroom and action figures on my desk. I used to create grammar exercises and tests with Harry Potter characters’ names and plot situations.

Then J. K. Rowling revealed her transphobia, and this “thing” that I loved suddenly felt wrong. I admit I felt betrayed because the message of those books is anti-bigotry. I couldn’t enjoy Harry Potter anymore. I used to re-read the books every year. Now all I see are troubling hints at Rowling’s feelings that I overlooked before. I certainly can’t share my enjoyment of Harry Potter with students, knowing some of them are members of the trans community.

On the other hand, I also know having a “thing” can be powerful. It gives your students something to talk with you about and a point of connection. Case in point: yesterday, one of my colleagues who likes Taylor Swift told me at lunch that two students who were in her class last year told her about Taylor Swift’s engagement the other day—she hadn’t heard the news yet, and they knew she’d be interested.

I struggled for a long time to figure out what my “thing” was. I used LEGO Stormtrooper minifigures in my learning management system for probably about a decade, but I wouldn’t say that Star Wars or LEGO are my “things.” I just happened to think the photographs were fun.

Clint Smith shared a post on social media years ago about how he still thought it was wild that Beyoncé didn’t win the Album of the Year Grammy for Lemonade. I had heard a little bit of the album, but his post made me decide it was time to seek the film out. I was blown away. I saw immediate curricular connections and started integrating the album into my AP Literature course. Still, it took me a few years to become a real fan. I believe my students over the last few years would probably say that my “thing” is Beyoncé. I realized this was true when my students started seeking me out to ask me about Beyoncé-related news. When I got concert tickets for the Renaissance tour, I shared the news with my students.

I decided to embrace it entirely. I put a new Beyoncé poster I made in Canva over my office door. I am decorating my LMS with Beyoncé images this year. Beyoncé is unquestionably my “thing.” In the years since I lost interest in Harry Potter and discovered Beyoncé, I admit I felt a bit adrift. While students are not our friends, and maintaining professional boundaries is critical, it can be fun to share your interests with students. It allows you to make connections and relate to each other, even if you don’t like the same things. Knowing their teachers have personal interests can increase students’ engagement in the class. Certainly my interest in Beyoncé has enhanced my curriculum. It shows my students that I will take their interests seriously, too.

What’s your “thing”? Do your students know?

Check out these articles for more:

• How Teachers Can Use Their Hobbies to Boost Student Engagement | Edutopia
• It Is All About You! Bring Your Personality and Interests Into the Classroom | NEA Today
• 5 Examples of Personal Interests to Share in the Classroom | The Art of Education
• Sharing the Connections That Students Value | Edutopia

*AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this website.