11. Joy and Play in the Classroom

Starting class with a homemade board game or thinking about a healthy game of ring toss to liven things up? Doing something fun in the classroom can do a lot for students’ engagement with course content, whether or not the actual activity is related to the class. It is about reducing stress and building interpersonal connections so that students can come back to the class energized and refreshed.This week is a reprisal of Amanda’s presentation from our summer teaching and learning conference. She is doing her favorite thing in this one – not being a serious person. Amanda talks about how it felt to ask 30+ adults to play a trivia board game that she made up and the duo unpack what it is that games can bring to your next class. Also, find Amanda's geology students on Instagram @ monroe_cc_geology!Let’s get into it!