Tip #14 - Have Fun with Your Students

This Thursday, students will return to school for their final semester of this school year, and I can't help but reflect on the first half of this year, particularly the last day of first semester. It's been a while since this so-called veteran teacher posted a teaching tip, so here's a reminder on how to have fun with your students...



With so many standards to teach, so much testing, so much testing (did I already say that?), and so little time, it's easy for teachers and students to get stressed out. But on the last day of each semester, after final exams are over, take some time, get to know your students more, and have fun with them.

With hardly any prep time and by using materials already in my classroom, here's what we did, rotating each activity for about ten minutes or so...

Conversation Starters.  I googled "conversation starters for middle schoolers" for my kiddos and found a gazillion questions. I printed them out, cut them up, put them in a pretty little box, and using an online random name selector, the first student picked a question and answered it.  I would do several rounds of this before going on to the next activity.  The great thing about these questions is you can use them with your own family as a great way to start a conversation at the dinner table. They are also great for get-togethers (I used them at family gatherings during Christmas) and even on double dates! Shout out to my friend Amanda who gave me this idea!

Mini white board Pictionary. Again, I googled "Pictionary printable word lists." There are lists for every occasion. Print and cut the words from the list, and assign students into four groups. Each group gets a mini white board and a dry erase marker. One student from each group draws the clue, and the first group to guess correctly earns a point.  The first group to ten (or whatever you decide) wins. Students take turns drawing so that everyone is involved. Students get super competitive, and everyone is highly engaged.

Spy.  This is by far, the best game because my students said so! Change the name of this game to something cool or whatever suits you. Get a pack of playing cards; you only need one card per student. Students sit in a big circle, and one card, including the ace of spades, is distributed to each student. Whoever gets the ace of spades is the "spy," and he/she has to wink at other students to get them eliminated from the game. This is a silent game, mostly with students looking (and laughing), and discreetly winking to get others eliminated. If you are eliminated, you place your card face down on the floor to show that you are out of the game. If you have not been eliminated, and you think you know who the spy is, you may declare that. If you are wrong, you are also out of the game. If you successfully wink and eliminate everyone, then you win.

And if all else fails, just take a couple of selfies with your students, or do the Mannequin Challenge (I'm sure this will be old news soon if it isn't already). I did it with my kids, and they loved it!