Improvement of Moral Character
Evidence that EnTeam Games can be used for moral education is seen by an experience involving high-school students, their science teacher, Kristin Rheinheimer, and Tom Evans, an EnTeam facilitator. Tom was working with Kristin during her first-year of teaching with seniors in High School. These students had been in class together as juniors, and brought strained relationships into their senior year.
Two African-American girls were accused of bullying two European-American girls by belittling their achievements and making fun of their focus on school work. The principal sat in on the class twice a week in response to the complaints from the parents of the two European-American students to the point where expelling one or both African-American students was under consideration.
In facilitating an EnTeam game, Tom paired the four girls together to play Enteam Dominoes — a game that keeps score of improvement in communication. During the games, all girls needed to work collaboratively. As a result, they grew in respect, communication, and cooperation skills. When debriefing between rounds, they identified the causes of their mistakes and the improvements that could be made in order to be a more effective team. In the 3rd round, the scores improved dramatically.
Debriefing between the games sparked an important conversation that inspired staff members, EnTeam facilitators, and students alike. The girls spoke about the importance of respecting others even if they are not best friends. Relationships can be improved and you can work alongside anyone. In the following weeks, the bullying dropped off and the two African-American girls put more of an effort in their academic work.
Kristin reported that their harmonious relationship continued for the remainder of the school year. She states that “I definitely [have] seen positive results from the EnTeam activities because the girls who could not get along prior, were working together and achieving good scores by the end of the sessions. I see this as a definite benefit because they will have to work with people they don’t necessarily like in the industry!”
Whether or not the four girls became close friends, they developed a productive and peaceful relationship and the class returned to a functioning environment. No one was suspended, and Kristin was grateful for harmony in her classroom.