What would you do if you wanted to win the first round you played of a new, tricky game? Say you’re playing Settlers of Catan or Scrabble or poker, never having played before. With complex games, I think losing a few rounds is a great way to learn how to play – but what if you wanted to win immediately? Here are the things I would do before I sat down to play.
- Study the rules very carefully.
- Watch others play the game, paying attention to strategy.
- Discuss the game with others, especially experts.
- Try out gameplay in other situations, or test things out with other players.
- Think, a lot a lot, about the game.
Whatever the first day of school will look like in your school district – robust virtual, masked up, classes in unfamiliar spaces, etc. – you want to succeed from day one. You want to be an outstanding educator and you want to do it playing a game you’ve never played before.
It’s why it’s imperative that your school district give you the rules of the “game” as soon as possible, so you can start with the above strategies.
You will never teach another year like this one, and you want to be successful. It’s a big ask, but it’s possible.