Criss-Cross 2

Eric Robinson

PROCEDURE:

1. Wait for JTE to finish writing new vocabulary and translations on the board.

2. Using empty board space, write down A, B, C, D in a column.

3. Add one rule per letter to the board. These can be simple pictographs.

4. Proceed as normal asking the students to select A, B, C, or D instead of the normal 縦 or

横.

5. Refrain from using any 銃 on yourself until after the JTE has released you from class.

NOTES:

If your situation is anything like mine then you have at least one JTE who teaches the same

lesson plan every single class. We’re talking straight on down to the worksheets. These lessons

are incredibly easy to pinpoint as they don’t just bore the students, they bore you as

well!

• “Oh really, Mr./Mrs. JTE? Are we doing that again? Did we even need this pre-class

meeting?”

If your JTE is anything like mine then you use Criss Cross every single class to “warm up the

students,” veritable zombies though they may be:

JTE Okay, everybody stand up, please.

STUDENTS grooooooaaaaaan

ALT gro- Brains -oan

But Criss Cross doesn’t have to be boring! Take it from me, you can get a student or two to

crack a smirk with the following rule changes!

First, write ABCD on the board vertically. Next to each letter you will add a new rule. These

can be complex but I recommend starting with very simple rule changes (your JTE will more

than likely refuse to play along if you ask the students to do anything remotely challenging).

Take the following example:

The Rules break down thusly:

A) The normal Horizontal.

B) The normal Vertical.

C) NEW! Make one person sit down.

D) NEW! Make one person stand up.

Any student who answers a question correctly gets to select A, B, C, or D. The corresponding

action is then taken. A and B in the example above are the same rules from Criss Cross 1.

Criss Cross 2 adds rules C and D. In my experience, rule C is generally used by a student on

him/herself. Rule D, on the other hand, is frequently used amongst friends (generally the

more rowdy boys) to get someone who just sat down to get back up.

The modifications are simple but add a great depth to the game. Students can suddenly “aim

attacks” at their friends, bringing some gentlemanly competition into the loop and breaking

the monotony of what would be an otherwise mind-body-soul numbing class. The rule changes

are also incredibly easy to implement, meaning that your JTE should have very little objection

to your suggestions.

Lastly, experiment with new rules! Find ways to encourage that gentlemanly competition and

get the students active! Remember, happy students = less crazies-in-the-head for us ALTs.