Review Game Success

One day I was observing, Ms. A had the students take part in a review game.  The game was based off of escape rooms that can be found all around Denver.  In an escape room, you have one hour to complete a certain task and in order to complete it, you must use the clues that can be found within a room.  When you go into the room, you are allowed to tear the place apart searching for clues.  Although the students were not going to be tearing the room apart, they were solving clues (math problems) to get pieces of a puzzle that they had to solve as their ticket out of class.  Lucas's involvement in the game was as follows: 

The third class of students are Ms. A’s block students.  These kids have been put in this class because they did not meet seventh grade math standards for the beginning of the year; they need extra help in the subject to fill some of the gaps they have.  Ms. A welcomed the students and told them about her experience in escape rooms just as she told the other classes.  When she began to explain the instructions, Ms. A took a little bit more time and even asked the students to repeat back to her what she had said.  (OC: Several of the students in this class have behavioral issues, so it is imperative that she sets the expectations for them very clearly.  She needs them to understand not just hear the directions before she turns them loose to show what they know.)  In his group, Lucas was the runner.  As soon as the role of the runner was explained to the class, Lucas was whispering to his group, “I call being the runner.”  (OC: This role seems to be very attractive to those who like to get up and move around the room, like Lucas does.)  Lucas was one of the students who was running, not just walking, around the room to get the clues and find the problems.  He was asking his group what they thought the answer was before they could even begin solving the problem.  He was writing in his notepad while sticking his tongue out.  (OC: A sign of concentration I have found.)  He was encouraging his team members saying, “Hurry,” “How are you guys doing,” “Let’s go, we only have one more to go.”  (OC: This made me smile.  Lucas was so invested in finishing the puzzle.)  After class I expressed this to Ms. A and she told me that Lucas loves puzzles.  He loves putting together the pieces and seeing what can be made so it was no surprise that he was enjoying this game.  (OC: This made me think that on some level she was doing this game to reach the kids who do learn in a different way, who like puzzles and like to get up and run around the room. As a teacher, it is important to know and figure out how your students learn best early on so that you can teach to those strengths.)

During third hour, before the game had finished, Lucas’s group was the closest group all day to finishing the puzzle.  They were on the last clue and moments later a second group was also on their last clue.  (OC: Although part of this is due to the fact that Lucas and his group were working so hard, being a part of the block hour, they had two class periods to complete what the other two classes had to finish in one.)  When the second group went to the front of the room to get their final clue, Lucas called out, “No! Are you guys on the last clue? Come on guys, we need to hurry!”  (OC: The competition was one of the aspects that motivated Lucas.)  During the second hour of the class, Ms. A was going to give the students time to start their test.  Right after the bell, I thought she was going to call everyone to clean up the game and pass out the test.  This did not happen, however, she continued to walk around the room and help students with review problems.  She smiled at Lucas when he came up for his last problem and encouraged him to keep working after the second group got their final clue as well.  (OC: Ms. A was holding off on starting the test so that Lucas and his group could finish the entire activity.  One key aspect of getting students to work hard and do their best, is getting them to feel successful.  If a child is constantly failing, the motivation to try harder will never develop.  Ms. A was holding off on starting the test so that Lucas could finish the game and feel a sense of accomplishment by solving the puzzle and being the first group all day to finish.)

I was so excited to see Lucas's excitement and interest in the activity.  I think that incorporating more games into the class would be very beneficial for Lucas as he was not only engrossed in the lesson for one day, but I think he also learned something about himself and his abilities.