In 2011, an elementary school teacher named John Hunter gave a TED Talk about his World Peace Game. In only a few minutes of speaking, this teacher managed to convey the essence of the great importance of teaching and creativity; as a future teacher I have often wondered how I will meet my students' needs in a way that will engage them beyond normal learning. In the talk, Hunter spoke of the teachers who came before him: the teacher with class and professionalism; the teacher with love in her eyes; the teachers who were his parents. He said that he stood on the stage not alone, but on the shoulders of those who had shaped his future. I thought about my own experiences with teaching and I see that I have also been standing on the shoulders of those who have supported me over the years.
Hunter talks about a game of his own creation, involving a series of pieces of ply board and plexiglass. Placed on these boards are a number of countries with various resources; each country has a leader and chooses his own cabinet. A class of fourth grade students is given fifty problems to solve - problems that society faces on a daily basis - and on a small scale, these students are able to solve the problems that society cannot. The game is won when all problems are solved and each country is wealthier in assets than it was at the start of the game. Hunter spoke of a few individual experiences with his students, each one touching and thought provoking in a different way; I only hope that I will be able to achieve the same relationship with my students. The World Peace Game is an engaging way to encourage young minds to open up to the world in its flawed beauty, to interact with others, and to leave the world better than it was as it was left to us.
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