"Just Like Me" A quick classroom "pick me up" that lasts all year.

Continuing on in our spring wiggles energizer series, “Just Like Me” will become one of your most popular activities that will deepen connections between you and the students and the kids themselves while providing a much needed “brain break” from academics.

Video link from a “Just Like Me” game with my students:   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJjSXmFiEBY

Directions:

• The students write down four unique things about themselves on a card.  

• Place all cards in a bowl
• All students stand up  while I pull a card.
• One at a time, I start listing the items written in a general way moving towards a more specific.  For example, if a student wrote "I hate spiders,” I would start with "This person hates something small."  
• If the students agree they yell, “Just like Me” and stay standing; if they disagree, they sit down and stay seated for the rest of the game.
• Continue to get more detailed (ex:  “this person hates something small that can bite you”)
• Keep going until you eventually read the card as is.  There should be one last student standing and that, of course, is their card.  
• If there is more than one, show them the handwriting and comment on how much these last kids have in common!  Twins separated at birth?

For example, I pulled the card of one of our shyest girls in class.  She rarely speaks but written on her card was “I’ve eaten kangaroo meat” and “I’ve eaten green ants.”  She had gone on a trip to Australia the previous summer but we would have never known that had we not given her this opportunity.  The students asked her many questions and she was animated and lively in her responses.  Since that day, she has now started to speak up more in class discussion and become more a part of the group.  This made her feel special and allowed a window into her life that the other kids would not have seen otherwise.  In this case, the kids were intrigued by her because of her unique experiences, but almost more powerful is when they start to understand that they have more in common with each other than they think.  All of a sudden the “gangster” sees that he has similarities to the “cheerleader” across the room.  

The unspoken power of connection makes this game a favorite activity of the students, and they will beg you to do it over and over again...trust me!