Day 355: The Cure-All

In Korea there is a cure-all which can quickly and effectively solve any problem or disagreement that may arise. And this magical remedy is known as Rock Scissors Paper.

You would be amazed at the power that one can yield with this game. Here in Korea this game is practically worshipped, and its results are always trusted and never challenged, and so English teachers use it all the time. Two kids will be fighting, and that could be two Preschoolers over a crayon or two of my Grade 5's over who gets to read first in class, and all I gotta say is "Alright kids! Rock Scissors Paper!" and SHAZAM! it takes care of itself. The loser always just accepts their loss, and rarely with anything more than a slight grumble. No more fighting, no more arguing, no more yelling. Regardless of the outcome, the kids ALWAYS accept it right away and move on. It really is *that* easy!

This has been absolutely beautiful for classroom management because not only does it solve the problem in mere seconds, but there's no repurcussions and no resentment from the kids. The risk of a potentially 'unfair decision made by the teacher' in the eyes of the kids is non-existent, and all the blame is taken off the teacher's shoulders. It's all just left to the randomness of the game and so everybody wins. It's awesome!

There's variations of this game here, using Korean words instead of English ones, or doing 'Best of Three' or 'Best of Seven' rounds, but for the most part it's just the classic version you're familiar with. And it's ubiquitious across the country - every kid in every classroom is familiar with it and accepts it as a means to solve disagreements. I wonder if this game is this effective/popular in other Asian countries? Or what would happen if I tried to use it in a classroom back home? haha!