We had a penalty game. Students need to talk without stopping for a minute on a given topic such as my favourite vacation, my hobby or my ambition.
If every student can speak for a minute without stopping, I will receive a penalty of 20 push-ups. If the students can’t talk non-stop for 60 seconds, they get a choice to do five push-ups or sing in class.
Obviously, everyone became very united and I had to fulfill my punishment, which I happily accepted.
The logic of this game is simple.
1. There’s team-building since everyone is working towards a common goal i.e. to get me punished! haha
2. Using this game, they let their guards now and are less shy/more confident when they are speaking to an audience.
3. They get to prepare for their oral examinations. The oral segment of the exam is easy to score and can help to improve the overall grade so we shouldn’t neglect this segment.
Indeed, they may not be coherent when they try to churn out stuff to say in a minute. However, at least they are trying. Many students stare at the examiner during oral examinations and just give one word answers.
To be able to continue talking about a topic for a minute is a remarkable start. We can always work on the content in the weeks to come.
A thousand miles always start with a single step.