The Strategy of Games: A Teacher's Strategy to Create Community
My students need strategic games like Dimensions and Kingdomino to help them develop their ability to use strategy, explain thinking patterns, and build community in our classroom.
Middle school can be challenging both academically and socially but my students are supportive and understanding of each other’s different backgrounds. They push each other to do their best and hold each other accountable. 8th graders are learning how to understand different world perspectives and listen to each other’s different ways of problem solving. In my class, students are great at asking each other for help outside of school and love to use Snap Chat to ask each other what their homework is, as well as sending goofy snaps. In general, they love any technology or additions to the classroom that help make their environment more welcoming and supportive of their personal learning styles.
My students are dreamers, thinkers, learners, and go-getters.
Their determination to succeed is what keeps myself as their teacher going every day. I know that I can't change their struggles outside of school, but I pride myself in helping them overcome them in the classroom. I strive to make sure at the end of the day they have all of their tools in their tool belts to be successful in life.
My Project
There are two things I have realized this past year of teaching. One: Students get bored taking notes and want more fun activities. Two: Many of my students struggle with explaining mathematical thinking and looking at problems from different ways. My solution to both of these realizations is strategy games.
Games of strategy such as Dimensions and Kingdomino are a great way to help students practice strategy, develop the ability to look at problems from different points of view, and build community within the class.
The games of this project are short 15 minute games that are easy to explain and pick up right away. Students will be able to play these a couple of times each quarter after tests along with other extension activities.
While students are having fun, they will also be gaining critical math reasoning and communication skills (shhhh... don't tell students they are learning while playing games). My hope is that this project will help my students improve in their reasoning skills while also creating an enjoyment of playing board games. Both of these project aspects will help nurture successful and joyful lifelong learners.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Tiernan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.