Learning through play

Tonight after playing with my children past their bedtime, I read an article about the number of students we have diagnosed with ADHD. My four year old gets in trouble for not doing a worksheet in preschool and I cannot help but laugh at the thought of preschoolers sitting still working on worksheets. Give them sand to draw in with a finger or playdoh to form the letters. I use my own child's experience to change the way I teach. And I will admit there are things I know I could improve upon, but keeping them engaged is vital to how I view the success in a lesson. I am always looking for inspiration and I hope I am sharing something worthwhile in return. 

To engage my students this semester I have incorporated an extra credit assignment for students. I know you have had a student ask an irrelevant question in class that sent you straight to google during your planning in search of an answer. I have decided we need a random question box. I will filter the questions and then post them on the back wall. Students can read the questions, then pick a topic to write a research paper for and turn in for extra credit. The papers will then be posted under the question. As public educators we get called out for limiting what students learn. Why not change that and possibly learn something along the way? Not to mention the benefits to writing as a cross curriculum along with learning about all other topics in math. Feel free to post pondering questions here or try it in your own classroom. If you do, I would love to hear some of your favorites.  My children learn through experimenting at the age of two and four, let's keep kids asking and trying in high school.