Getting to Know Your Students With This Great Motivational Classroom Game!

A fantastic way of getting to know your students and your students skills, as well as creating a real bond with them while promoting new friendships and building their self esteem is by playing this fun motivational classroom game.

I absolutely love this game that I call "Three Amazing Comments". By the end of the game, your students will be smiling from ear to ear and they will feel totally terrific about themselves.

You can play this game anytime after the school year has started, but don't play it for the first few months.

Why not you ask? As you shall see, this game requires that you and your students settle into a routine that allows everyone to get to know each other beforehand.

The Game

1. Move all the students' desks or tables, forming a large open square or circle. Everyone must face each other, including you, as you are also participating. If you can't rearrange the desks or tables, find an area where you can sit in a large open circle.

2. Each person needs a pen/pencil and a 8 1/2 x 11 inch (21 x 28cm) blank sheet of paper on which they print their name at the very top. The name should be encircled or have a square around it, so that's its quite visible.

3. Instruct the students that they are to think of 3 positive or amazing facts/things about each person in the class, including you. No sentences, just a word or a small phrase and don't worry about spelling.

For example:

* great athlete
* wonderful artist
* funny
* good friend
* shares
* nice clothes
* helpful
* good in math
* prints/writes neatly
* pretty smile
* etc.,etc.,etc.

It's important to give students some examples, so they have an idea of what to print (not write, it's easier to read after).

4. To start, each person then passes their blank sheet of paper either to the person to the left or right of them. The person receiving the sheet must then print 3 positive or amazing facts he/she has thought of the person named at the top of the sheet.

The comments can be printed anywhere on the sheet, but remind your students not to print too large since each student in the class will be printing their 3 comments on the sheet (for a class of 30 students, that 3 x 30 or 90 comments).

5. Continue to pass the sheets of paper either left or right around the circle until each student has had a chance to write about every other student.

Ask the students not to read the other comments that someone else has written.

As well, some students will to able to think of only 1 or 2 comments about someone they don't know very well, that's OK too.

It's all part of the process of you getting to know your students better and them getting to know each other better.

6. Since some students will take longer to print their comments than others, some students may have some sheets piled on their desk while others may be finished. This will happen so everyone must be patient.

7. As the sheets of paper are passed, some students may get their own sheets back before everyone is done.

In that case they can start reading the amazing and positive comments that have been written about them. But, if another sheet is passed to them, they must stop reading, write their comments and pass on the other student's sheet.

8. When everyone has received their own sheet back, the game is over and you can start getting to know your students better by having students share some of their comments with you and the class.

I'm sure you can imagine, how wonderful everyone feels after reading their sheet and realizing how their peers see them as terrific human beings.

You also feel great realizing that getting to know your students better has put you on the road to creating a real bond with your students and vice versa.

This game is a real must to play in your classroom. It's a phenominal way to spend time with your students and the good feelings will last a long time for everyone involved.

I have students come back to visit me and tell me that the only thing they kept from my class was that sheet of paper (I always kept my own sheet). It meant that much to them. How empowering is that? And to me that's what it's all about!!!

Now you know why this classroom game is not only a great way of getting to know your students better, but also a fantastic way to build their self worth and self esteem!

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