While most teachers stick to pacing at the front of the classroom, Todd Holmberg teaches his lessons on the move, turning the hallways into a crash course on folkways, mores and social norms with every glide and spin in his black and blue rollerblades.
Since 1993, Holmberg has been more than a typical history and anthropology teacher at Naperville Central; he’s been a lesson in motion, literally rolling through the halls to challenge students’ perceptions of normal behavior.
“I [rollerblade in the hallways] a couple times a year, and the reason why I do it is because it’s breaking a social norm,” Holmberg said. “In both [history and anthropology], we talk about folkways and mores. Mores are strong norms, folkways are weak norms. The day we are learning folkways is the day I rollerblade around the second floor. Sometimes I’ll even wear an odd shirt.”
For his students, these lessons are anything but forgettable. Sophomore Shreya Kumar, who has taken both world cultures and anthropology with Holmberg, finds his teaching style both engaging and effective.
“He’s really funny, but when he’s teaching us about serious topics, he teaches us in ways where I actually learn,” Kumar said. “He wears a crazy outfit every year to help us understand [folkways and mores].”
Holmberg believes that people rarely stop to consider the unspoken rules that govern their daily lives until someone breaks them.
“We usually have these biases for our own culture,” Holmberg said. “It’s only when people break a norm that you really think, ‘Oh, that’s weird, why is that?’ We don’t really think about walking in the hallway or walking on the right side of the hallway, but when we see somebody rollerblading around, that catches our attention.”
Rollerblades are just one of the many creative ways Holmberg brings his lessons to life as he nears his retirement after the next school year.
“I’m sure every teacher’s got a gimmick or two that helps kids latch on to [the] information we’re trying to teach,” Holmberg said. “Another thing I like to [teach] during that lesson is proximity and getting too close. Other things I’m not gonna share because I need to keep some secrets for my last year.”
Holmberg’s unique teaching style has left a lasting impact on his students, shaping the way they view both the classroom and the world around them.
“Mr. Holmberg is one of my all-time favorite teachers,” Kumar said. “I feel lucky to have had him in class. His lessons don’t just stick with you, they make you see the world in a completely different way.”
