December’s blog is a last minute plea. It’s a plea to nonchess teachers to add some extra magic into the last few weeks of term. A gift to take home. I know most teachers are counting the days to the Winter break. There’s so much to do and our energy levels are low. Our final weeks include a normal timetable with a school bazaar, nativity, plays, end of term parties, book checks and more.

Curriculum overload or creativity?

When I first started teaching years ago I remember having more opportunities to build lessons around the children and the freedom to go fast or slow. It feels different now, so prescriptive, so rigid, timetables are packed. There was more creativity, more freedom, more ownership of your craft. I speak as a London teacher. I wonder what it’s like around the world. One thing I do know is that being a chess teacher has kept me in this profession. I love being a LogiqBoard teacher.

Successful learners

I think of everything going on in the world and the purpose and priorities of education today. If we strip it all back, what are the priorities for my daughters? I want children to be good people, feel safe, be kind, show gratitude. I want them to be happy and enjoy the small things they have. They can have big dreams, be the best in their field but I’m equally proud of them to have a quiet life, a life of small steps where their impact is on the lives of those around them. Success isn’t making millions, for me it’s being an honest, good person. Be brave, think critically and live with purpose.

We have to hold onto the things that make us human and that begins with the social connection. This time has to be treasured. Valued. Taught and nurtured. The smiles we give and the smiles we help create with those around us. So where do you come in? My plea is simple, I’d love for you to find 15 to 30 minutes this week to play a strategy game. Do this next week and the week after. Try it over Christmas with a friend or family. That’s all I want for Christmas! I want you to enjoy the social connections games give us.

Use LogiqBoard as a demo board and play on the big screen. Book the school computer suite or laptops. You can of course use chess boards and counters, double sided maths counters work well. You can also print off chess boards.

What game shall I start with?

Start with Fox and Hounds then Halma. Visit logiqboard.com , click on ‘games’, ‘strategy games’ and scroll down. Try draughts/checkers later! Read the instructions on the left. If you want to dig deeper into problem solving then check out my power point below and Fusion magazine article in the next post. It shows you how we can develop children’s reasoning skills through game based learning.

Play games with a small group first.

Don’t over think it, try it tomorrow, ask for some volunteers to trial a new game. Just like maths investigations, it works better when you run through it yourself. How easy is it to grasp the moves? What errors might come up? How easy is it to win? Where is the strategic thinking? Play with someone at home if you can too. It’s always fun!

Problem solving through games

Game based learning is discovery learning. Teachers are facilitators guiding. A short intro, a little play, class comes back together to go over rules and moves and then they play again. Questions on strategic play are thrown in at the right moments. Sometimes the children have the ‘aha’ moment other times you guide them towards it. In problem solving sessions we praise the way they think critically, the way they formulate ideas. I look for children who have noticed, discovered and are hypothesising. If they lost how can they develop?

To finish, I’ll leave you with some food for thought. The next few weeks you’ll have some free time, choose glitter and crafts some days, a class movie or choose games. In the new year however you might consider a lunch club or a games after school club. As a school you might be brave and consider a time for problem solving and game based learning. You might even consider the gift of chess.

What I will say is that I never replace maths lessons with chess and never have done. As a maths intervention teacher chess takes place in clubs, before school, lunchtime or after school. Maths investigations linked to the theme of chess can take place in maths. We mustn’t confuse the two different types of tasks. A poorly written article from a phone interview may say otherwise! Chess is often used as clickbait in England and I don’t see it in other countries. It’s a shame. Today I’m promoting the social benefits of chess but there are many others to chess and strategy games.

For homework choose from one of the following options:

A = Read the blog + Fox and Hounds Power point

B = Read the blog + Halma Fusion article (check out the next post)

Don’t forget to share LogiqBoard with parents. Children can enjoy playing strategy games at home. I’ll be playing games with my parents. My dad is more of a backgammon player than chess so we meet in the middle with Halma and mini-games. Quick to learn and so much fun!

Enjoy the final weeks of term. We can do this!!

Hari x