Rehearse stations beforehand, emphasise encouragement over winning, adjust tasks for youngest pupils.
“Everyone could shine somewhere!” – younger pupils loved the dance, older ones felt proud as leaders. Discipline issues dropped to zero when 6th graders were in charge. Teachers noted improved cross-grade friendships and requests for monthly mini-Olympics.
Obtained a wooden panel to serve as a wall on which to hang the parts of speech.
Then wrote some words that fell into the various categories on large strips of paper, obviously without showing them to the students.
Two children (captains) were asked to form two teams, without influencing their choices.
The two groups then chose a name for their team and stood in a circle to begin the game.
Each correct answer earned a star (one point), while each incorrect answer lost one.
The teacher shows the two groups one word at a time, and the team member chosen for that turn must quickly compare notes with their classmates and reach the teacher to attempt the answer. For each correct answer, that word is hung on the wooden wall in the appropriate category, and the game continues.
At the end of the game, the teams’ points are tallied, and both are congratulated for their excellent work and for their ability to collaborate together.
The students expressed satisfaction at the end of the activities proposed to them; in addition to the fun they had during the game, they were able to work as a team and understand the importance of collaboration to achieve a good result. They also stated that they didn’t feel alone in times of difficulty because they knew their friends would help them.
As teachers, this strategy allowed us to better understand peer dynamics and, when forming teams, to understand their selection strategies (based on friendship or skills). It was interesting to note how certain established groups actually opted for different teammates. We believe these activities also developed a greater awareness of their own abilities and therefore helped boost our.
