Educators engage in professional learning.
Educators engage in professional learning and reflective practice to support their professional growth. Educators recognize and meet their individual professional needs through various learning opportunities. Educators develop and refine personal philosophies of education, teaching and learning that are informed by research, practice and the Professional Standards for BC Educators.
I have been very fortunate to have worked in the Quesnel School District since the spring of 2019. I have attended many Professional Development and Non-Instructional Days, like the Indigenous Focus day held in Quesnel on November 25, 2022. The formation of my pedagogy has been moulded by inspirational educators like Sandra Herbst, a leader in Assessment for Learning; Kevin Lamoureux, contributing author of Ensouling of Schools, educator and expert on Truth and Reconciliation; Clayton Gauthier, local Indigenous author, artist, musician, and healer; and many BCTF workshops on a variety of subjects. However, I believe that even the small local professional development opportunities that might not be pedagogically forming are just as crucial to our development as practitioners.
On October 21, 2022, I had the opportunity to attend a district-wide Professional Development Day held at the local high school. There were many sessions to choose from, and I decided on a lovely BCTF workshop in the morning on Classroom Management, but it was my afternoon session that I learned so much more from. My afternoon session was a presentation by a local teacher who I had been a TTOC for last year. I covered her class for one week while she was away. I chose the session because it was titled “Teaching Through Tabletop: Using Dungeons & Dragons in the Classroom.” This is precisely what she had assigned me to start with one of her classes, and I have been curious about how it worked out ever since!
Her advertisement read: “You don’t have to be a wizard to use tabletop role playing games with your students. Dungeons & Dragons has become increasingly popular in recent years, and can be a powerful tool for increasing student engagement, exploring collective story telling, developing socio-emotional skills, and learning in a non-traditional way. Even folks with zero D&D experience will feel ready to slay dragons after this introduction to teaching with tabletop roleplay games. Level up your classroom experience and get a +1 to your wisdom – join us in the adventure of learning!”
The first significant difference between the two workshop sessions was the relaxed atmosphere between a BCTF retired teacher from out of district to a local teacher with whom most of the teachers had an existing relationship. Of course, the topic was light and fun, but it was nice to learn from a closer peer (just like students working in groups).
The local pro-d session also was built around practical applications and less about overarching ideas. Everyone in the room wanted to know how to use this tool, and the presenter knew that’s what she wanted to give us – something real and tangible to use in our classrooms.
It was her first time presenting this tool to other educators, and she had only tested it once in her classroom. Interestingly, as she started presenting, I became part of her presentation, as I had taught what had ended up being the first week of her Dungeons and Dragons test unit. It was great being able to contribute to the conversation and add what had worked well about the lessons I had taught on her behalf.
I learned a lot about how tabletop games can be applied in the classroom that afternoon and how they don’t have to play “Dungeons and Dragons.” She shared the many different cross-curricular opportunities and how you can design other tabletop games to be short lessons or units on almost any topic. If you can weave a story and a quest into the subject – you can make a game!
At the end of the presentation, we were able to help test run a Social Studies 9 game that she had been developing. We had some great laughs, and I understood the rules of play better. Now I know why my scouts were so obsessed during our last summer camp!
I am grateful that I chose this pro-d opportunity. I love having tools to put into my toolbox, and I know this will be one I will use and likely very soon!
EDUC 491 PRACTICUM – A cross-curricular ELA unit on TTRPGs Gr 7
