Who says teachers can’t have fun while learning? San Diego Unified teachers got together at Morse High School to explore different ways to give feedback to their students. They experienced how to effectively communicate while using LEGO to build structures. Pairs of teachers sat back-to-back and one teacher built a structure using six pieces of LEGO. This teacher had to communicate to his/her partner how to build their structure without looking. The room was buzzing with teachers giving instructions like “Put the green piece on the blue piece horizontally.” “Make sure your two yellow rectangular pieces aren’t next to each other.” Some teachers wanted to peek at their partner’s structure because they were frustrated with the kinds of directions they were given. Other teachers commented that their partner’s directions were very clear. Teachers had a good time comparing LEGO structures at the end of the activity and reflected on the importance of effective communication! Teachers commented that building a matching structure was much easier when their partner used specific details and when they were able to ask questions to clarify what they needed to do next. We are pretty sure teachers will be trying this activity on with their students in order to show the importance of effective communication for feedback. As the lyrics to the theme song of the LEGO Movie say, “Everything is awesome - - when you’re part of a team!”
