Laugh a Little

Every day in morning meeting, the Herons play a "juego" or game for four to five minutes.  Often, we play theater games like "Smile if You Love Me," "Alibi" and "Your Grandma's Big Fat Toe."  Sometimes we play camp games like "Frogger," "Name Tag," or "Ten."

At first glance having a game every day may seem frivolous or, to the more cynical, a "waste of instructional time."  But these games have a hidden and crucial purpose that maximizes the effectiveness of our instruction.  They help children loose their fear of goofing up in front of one another.  When we laugh and play, we learn that we can trust one another.  We establish group norms for risk taking.  We make connections.

A child who has fallen on his knees to plead with another child to "smile if you love me" does not feel inhibitted when it's time to raise his hand and take a guess at how to solve a math problem.  That willingness to risk translates into a willingness to engage with the questions and the conversation in the classroom.  Without a safe environment, instruction falls on deaf ears and closed minds.

We talk a lot in class about the awkwardness of learning and the necessary frustration of confusion.  But I could tell them they should celebrate being confused until the cows come home and they would not let themselves struggle if they felt they would be laughed at or made to feel stupid.  Games help to weave a support net -- we've all seen one another look silly and we know it's not a big deal; everybody does it (including me.)

Here are some snippets from a recent game:

 

Comments

[j. hirsch]

Best game ever! I can't think of a better way to start the day.