My Favorite [MTBOS Blogging Initiative Week 2]

This post is two months late.  Things got in the way of my blogging, mainly lack of motivation and an abundance of burn out, but I'm not a quitter, so here it is.

The truth is I stalled on this post initially because I have so many favorites I didn't know where to start.  I decided to just pick one of the suggested topics:  a favorite game.  (I can save my other favorites for future blog posts.)

My favorite game to review before a test is Grudgeball.  You can read all about how the game works here.  To play the game I've started taking screen shots of past Regents questions, and putting one question each on a slide in SMART Notebook.  I also write all of the answers on an index card for me to hold onto during the game.

I've changed one rule about game play.  Each question is assigned to one team at a time.  All teams are expected to work on the question because if the team that is assigned the question answers incorrectly, the question will go to the next team.  If a team calls out an answer when it is not their turn, then they lose their next turn.  Without this one rule, there is no order in the game, students are shouting out answers left and right, and it's pure chaos.

To play the game I use a Koosh ball (which is amusing because most of my students haven't seen one before we play Grudgeball) and a garbage can.  I set my desk garbage can aside at the beginning of the day so it stays clean, and use it to play Grudgeball for the day.  (I have to hide it under my desk because just turning it upside down is not enough of a deterrent for students to not put their garbage in it.  Luckily every time this has happened, the custodian had a few extra garbage bags stashed at the bottom of the garbage can.)

I LOVED playing this game in the past years.  It was something different and fresh that students hadn't done before, and they would beg to play the game.  For the first time this year though, I have students that have played the game in previous years, and by different rules.  Now when they see the x's on the board they groan about how they hate the game, or are sick of the game, etc.  And the differing rules (mainly my rule that prevents shouting out) confuses the students.  It's been a real downer.  Now I have to find another game to play with my students this year.  Any suggestions?