Comments on: Stump the Teacher http://readingcoachonline.com/stump-the-teacher/ Learn to read. Read to learn Sun, 18 Mar 2012 02:35:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ana http://readingcoachonline.com/stump-the-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-1512 Ana Sun, 18 Mar 2012 02:35:01 +0000 http://www.readingcoachonline.com/?p=96#comment-1512 @Jesse, Thanks! Yes, it is really cool how people can come up with the same ideas :). I was teaching third grade in Orlando, Fl (around 2001) when I first played this game with my students. I came up with the idea one night when I couldn't sleep and was planning the next day in my head, lol. I was trying to come up with a motivating way for my kids to really think about what they were reading and decided to make a contest out of it. As a competitive person , I would often pit my kids against me (challenging, I know ;)) and found that they really enjoyed trying to beat me at things. For example, during whole group word work activities, I would challenge them to create a detailed sentence out of our focus words. If I found their sentence lacking and had to urge them to expand, I would get an m&m...but if they came up with a great sentence on their own, they would get the m&m. Their sentences became amazing within a few sessions...and we applied that strategy (minus the candy bribe) to their writing with awesome results as well! The candy was the first motivator, but it soon became about besting me...their know-it-all teacher. So that's how Stump the Teacher (my version, at least) was born! @Jesse, Thanks! Yes, it is really cool how people can come up with the same ideas :) .

I was teaching third grade in Orlando, Fl (around 2001) when I first played this game with my students. I came up with the idea one night when I couldn’t sleep and was planning the next day in my head, lol. I was trying to come up with a motivating way for my kids to really think about what they were reading and decided to make a contest out of it. As a competitive person , I would often pit my kids against me (challenging, I know ;) ) and found that they really enjoyed trying to beat me at things.

For example, during whole group word work activities, I would challenge them to create a detailed sentence out of our focus words. If I found their sentence lacking and had to urge them to expand, I would get an m&m…but if they came up with a great sentence on their own, they would get the m&m. Their sentences became amazing within a few sessions…and we applied that strategy (minus the candy bribe) to their writing with awesome results as well! The candy was the first motivator, but it soon became about besting me…their know-it-all teacher.

So that’s how Stump the Teacher (my version, at least) was born!

]]> By: Jesse http://readingcoachonline.com/stump-the-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-1273 Jesse Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:31:23 +0000 http://www.readingcoachonline.com/?p=96#comment-1273 Awesome game. A reading professor taught us this same game in a graduate level course this past summer. She didn't take credit for it, so I'm not implying that you are not the creator at all, but out of curiousity, where do/did you teach and when did you create this game? I find it interesting how teaching practices diffuse across space and time... Anyway, thanks for sharing! Your explanation had a few wrinkles that I hadn't heard before... Awesome game. A reading professor taught us this same game in a graduate level course this past summer. She didn’t take credit for it, so I’m not implying that you are not the creator at all, but out of curiousity, where do/did you teach and when did you create this game? I find it interesting how teaching practices diffuse across space and time…

Anyway, thanks for sharing! Your explanation had a few wrinkles that I hadn’t heard before…

]]> By: Melissa http://readingcoachonline.com/stump-the-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-175 Melissa Sat, 09 Oct 2010 23:39:22 +0000 http://www.readingcoachonline.com/?p=96#comment-175 When I taught third grade I would have the kids play baseball. I would either use sight words, months, days of the week, spelling words, or math problems etc. I would divide the class into two teams, on 3 x 5 cards I would put first base, second base, third base, and a couple of home run cards. The batter up would have to either read the word, spell the word, or do the math problem. Then when they had answered correctly, they would draw a card to see what base to go to (bases were around the room just like a baseball diamond), if they missed (strike) 3 times they would have to go back to the back of the line. Someone would keep score and the students would do the game until all the word or problem cards were gone through, or each student had had two or three times at bat. They really enjoyed the game. When I taught third grade I would have the kids play baseball. I would either use sight words, months, days of the week, spelling words, or math problems etc. I would divide the class into two teams, on 3 x 5 cards I would put first base, second base, third base, and a couple of home run cards. The batter up would have to either read the word, spell the word, or do the math problem. Then when they had answered correctly, they would draw a card to see what base to go to (bases were around the room just like a baseball diamond), if they missed (strike) 3 times they would have to go back to the back of the line. Someone would keep score and the students would do the game until all the word or problem cards were gone through, or each student had had two or three times at bat. They really enjoyed the game.

]]> By: Ana http://readingcoachonline.com/stump-the-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Ana Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:26:59 +0000 http://www.readingcoachonline.com/?p=96#comment-116 See, that's just another great example of using a game to improve kids comprehension skills in a really fun way! Plus you get to cover several subjects at the same time. Thanks for sharing, Amy! See, that’s just another great example of using a game to improve kids comprehension skills in a really fun way! Plus you get to cover several subjects at the same time.

Thanks for sharing, Amy!

]]> By: Amy http://readingcoachonline.com/stump-the-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Amy Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:31:33 +0000 http://www.readingcoachonline.com/?p=96#comment-115 My kids love to play Jeopardy. We take all the subjects and I create answers and we use money from the Life game and they ask for a catagory and $ category and are rewared if they get it right. We add up all the money (math again) to see who won. Actually, I made it that they had to get past a certain $ amount, like $5,000 to qualify for a prize. I put in Daily Doubles and everything, they love it! My kids love to play Jeopardy. We take all the subjects and I create answers and we use money from the Life game and they ask for a catagory and $ category and are rewared if they get it right. We add up all the money (math again) to see who won. Actually, I made it that they had to get past a certain $ amount, like $5,000 to qualify for a prize. I put in Daily Doubles and everything, they love it!

]]> By: Ana http://readingcoachonline.com/stump-the-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-114 Ana Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:41:50 +0000 http://www.readingcoachonline.com/?p=96#comment-114 Rebekah, you'll definitely have to try this with them...they really will love it and so will you! Rebekah, you’ll definitely have to try this with them…they really will love it and so will you!

]]> By: Rebekah http://readingcoachonline.com/stump-the-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Rebekah Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:29:48 +0000 http://www.readingcoachonline.com/?p=96#comment-113 What an awesome idea. When my daughters get a little older I am going to have to try this with them at home. Thanks for sharing! What an awesome idea. When my daughters get a little older I am going to have to try this with them at home. Thanks for sharing!

]]>