Classroom games

I did not have a strong repertoire of games to play with my classes. That was in the beginning. It was clear that just playing hangman and tic-tac-toe was not going to cut it. So, I asked other teachers and the students themselves what they liked to play. Then I asked them how to play them. I still don't know that many games, but my ability to make things entertaining has increased ten-fold.

Of course, there were games I just forgot about. Like charades, pictionary and bingo. Then I learned of others, like snake, stop the bus and hot seat. There is no point in telling you how to play these games or what they are about. Today I learned a variation on hangman that makes the game a hundred times more exciting, especially when played with kids.

Instead of just playing and having nobody ever die as per usual, one of the kids came up and put another kid's name on the board and drew an arrow to the noose. Everyone's energy picked up when they knew one of their own was on the line. And it was fun to try and draw the kid's likeness when the guesses were wrong. And to see the kid slither down in his chair and put his book over his head in despair. I enjoyed seeing him writhe in discomfort.

That's who I am I guess. A prick. Then, the aforementioned kid got his chance. He put the other kid's name on the board and started calling out X and Z and J amongst other seldomly used letters. He knew what it was all about. The other kid narrowly avoided being hanged and the kids got a kick out of either trying to save or trying to send their fellow student to their demise.

Finally, it was my turn. The kids put up some dashes up on the board and I played the fool guessing X and J and Y and Z and Q and G and whatever I could to generate the most body parts under the noose without actually getting X's for eyes. It was a good time and quite heartwarming to see these kids blatantly yelling me the answer not wanting to see their new teacher die.