Playing
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." --Proverbs
How important is playing? Extremely. Playing frees up the mind in order to just have fun. Play can allow one to find things they were not originally seeking. I've used challenges and team building activities in the classroom, which is a sort of play. In our science classes, we are always trying to teach students how to solve problems. For me, the answer is not always the lesson; it's the process by which students can find the answer. As most educators know, there can be many ways to achieve the end result. I feel that team building activities and challenges can help students effectively learn how to tackle different problems. Once students understand how to approach different problems or challenges, they are transformed because, hopefully, they realize they can take this understanding and apply it to different aspects in life.
One of my favorite activities is the Electric River. I love putting students in groups and then explaining to them the challenge of getting across the building with only a few stones or logs. If any member of the group falls off the stone/log, then they die/lose/fail (however it ends up being phrased at that particular time). It's extremely interesting to watch the dynamics of groups unfold.
Play is necessary to relieve some of the pressures in students' lives. It helps students get energized. Play can help sharpen reflexes and release emotions. Who doesn't feel better after a spirited snowball fight? Play also allows students to have unlimited imaginative time to be free from the constraints of reality. They can be whatever they imagine! In my classroom, I've experimented with different types of brain breaks, which could be classified as play. Because I'm in a science classroom, I like to try to make it something that could be applicable to science. I've used styrofoam cups and had students build a piece of artwork or a building. I've had students make playing card houses and bridges. When I've used these brain breaks, I give students about ten or fifteen minutes to "play" before returning to our current topic.
Neurologically, play can help stimulate brain activity. The brain is always working, and it needs nourishment. Where does this nourishment come from? Oxygen. By having students play at something as seemingly mundane as keeping a balloon in the air, they increase their heart rate which will in turn increase the supply of oxygen to the brain. Once the brain has more oxygen, students become more alert. What teacher doesn't want his or her students to be more alert in class?
How important is playing? Extremely. Playing frees up the mind in order to just have fun. Play can allow one to find things they were not originally seeking. I've used challenges and team building activities in the classroom, which is a sort of play. In our science classes, we are always trying to teach students how to solve problems. For me, the answer is not always the lesson; it's the process by which students can find the answer. As most educators know, there can be many ways to achieve the end result. I feel that team building activities and challenges can help students effectively learn how to tackle different problems. Once students understand how to approach different problems or challenges, they are transformed because, hopefully, they realize they can take this understanding and apply it to different aspects in life.
One of my favorite activities is the Electric River. I love putting students in groups and then explaining to them the challenge of getting across the building with only a few stones or logs. If any member of the group falls off the stone/log, then they die/lose/fail (however it ends up being phrased at that particular time). It's extremely interesting to watch the dynamics of groups unfold.
Play is necessary to relieve some of the pressures in students' lives. It helps students get energized. Play can help sharpen reflexes and release emotions. Who doesn't feel better after a spirited snowball fight? Play also allows students to have unlimited imaginative time to be free from the constraints of reality. They can be whatever they imagine! In my classroom, I've experimented with different types of brain breaks, which could be classified as play. Because I'm in a science classroom, I like to try to make it something that could be applicable to science. I've used styrofoam cups and had students build a piece of artwork or a building. I've had students make playing card houses and bridges. When I've used these brain breaks, I give students about ten or fifteen minutes to "play" before returning to our current topic.
Neurologically, play can help stimulate brain activity. The brain is always working, and it needs nourishment. Where does this nourishment come from? Oxygen. By having students play at something as seemingly mundane as keeping a balloon in the air, they increase their heart rate which will in turn increase the supply of oxygen to the brain. Once the brain has more oxygen, students become more alert. What teacher doesn't want his or her students to be more alert in class?