A Discussion panel in the classroom

Speaking in the classroom should not have to rely solely on students answering questions posed by the teacher. Teenagers can speak for themselves and if they are guided and given the proper “ammo” they can run their own panel discussion and talk things out, based on research and facts. Using role-play, students could end up standing up for a view opposite to their own which leads to something very important: they can understand and empathize with the opposition. Such a valuable lesson, especially in today’s polarized political environment, marred by tribalism.

Quiz Night

The amount of preparation for quiz night is tremendous. It is definitely one of the highlights of summer school. Every time it ends with kids laughing and cheering out of joy, you know it was worth every minute.

What is the country with the most natural lakes? Where is the smallest bone in your body? How many languages are spoken in Asia? No, you don’t get to ask Siri or Google. Actually, all smartphones are collected before the show even begins. So, gather around a table with the rest of your house mates and get ready for Quiz Night.

Geography, video games, sports, film pantomime, charades, famous people and general knowledge. If your team is diverse enough, you stand a very good chance of winning, but you don’t only have to be knowledgable, you also have to be quick.

At the end of each round, there was a music question to get the players to listen and then dance to the song. Besides, moving and getting the blood flowing helps you think better, right? Oh, and bonus points for the best dancing…

All three teams (houses) were amazing and the two forerunners had only one point difference. They all deserve a big round of applause.

Finally, no-one even wondered where their phone was all this time. By keeping teenagers engaged in well-designed and fun activities, we can tap on their creativity and team spirit, without the need for technology.