Gaming in the Classroom
How to make a class period both you and your students will enjoy
Welcome to From the Teacher’s Desk, where we take turns further reflecting on our episodes and applications to the classroom.
Many of my former students will tell you I know little about sportsball, but I’m a huge fan of classroom games. Even when the most chaotic teaching schedule is thrown my way, I still try to make room for at least one day of play somewhere in each unit I teach students.
But when we already have to cram so much into a semester, why do I make this a priority?
A lot of my reasoning is reflected in the movie Free Guy (which Sarah and I already lovingly discussed in a previous episode).
Why games?
There’s a lot of philosophizing I could share about the importance of gaming in the classroom. Because it’s not just about competition. Board games and video games and classroom review games all give students a safe space to be curious and explore - while also reminding people of all ages that learning can be fun.
And if we think about it, most early childhood education revolves around games. Why do we have to lose that as students get older? Games emphasize puzzling and collaboration, crucial real-world skills that we all have to master before entering the workforce.
And especially near the end of the semester, it’s one less thing you have to worry about getting into the grade book before finals.
Think of this quote from Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (a great allusion to Shakespeare’s Macbeth in that title, by the way): “To allow yourself to play with another person is no small risk. It means allowing yourself to be open, to be exposed, to be hurt. It is the human equivalent of the dog rolling on its back - I know you won't hurt me, even though you can. It is the dog putting its mouth around your hand and never biting down. To play requires trust and love.”
Which games?
If you’ve never tried to incorporate games into your classroom work, here are a few of my favorites that I’ve downloaded and adapted from Teachers Pay Teachers:
Trashketball - This one is a great review option for the end of a unit or before a major assessment. It gets your students out of their seats, and it could lead to some great discussion as you go over specific characters and plot details from a text. Maybe even a physics lesson as you talk about the velocity of a crumpled piece of paper?
Coloring - I’ll never forget when, in the face of a school tragedy, we teachers were advised by a mental health counselor to just let our students color. Coloring can happen while other learning and exposure is happening around students. And did you know there are free coloring pages you can download and print from Crayola’s website?
Virtual icebreakers - Miss G is still one of my favorite teacher creators on the internet. If you don’t yet, follow her on Instagram for some great daily inspiration. But I specifically like this set of icebreakers because it can naturally get students talking. One of the best results of play is that it helps students build relationships with each other. It doesn’t always have to be about assessment.
Classroom Marshgammon - This is 100% my brainchild inspired by the early 2000s show How I Met Your Mother. Marshall is the goofy giant from Minnesota that kept me watching the show to its end (it definitely wasn’t Ted’s long list of girlfriends). And the whole point of Marshgammon is that it combines the best of every board game ever. No really - I promise it’s fun. And this one can be educational too if you want.
Your turn
What do you think? How do you use games and opportunities for play in your secondary classroom?
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