Never Have I Ever

Never have I ever…

Thought of using this game in a professional setting with colleagues (including our school’s principal).

I’m not going to elaborate on the usual context of, “Never Have I Ever.”  Suffice it to say that when my friend, Angelique Lackey (@lackeyangie), suggested we play it during our next Professional Learning Community discussion, I had a difficult time fitting my head around including this activity into what I have always defined as a “meeting.”

Angelique’s re-mix of the game did involve red Solo cups – but they contained gummy bears.  Her directions were simple: we would each share a personal professional development goal that we haven’t achieved yet, and anyone who had already accomplished it would eat a gummy bear.

I’m not sure if it was the presence of gummy bears or the absence of other refreshments that made this Never Have I Ever game experience more productive than my past ones.

By playing the game, a few of us vocalized goals that we had never shared with our colleagues.  For me, this made my own goals more resolute.  It also helped me to learn more about the other staff members.  In addition, I ended up adding some of their ideas to my ever-growing list of goals.

Another interesting by-product of this activity was discovering people who were eager to help us to achieve our goals.  For example, I mentioned that I had never taught a college class.  My principal instantly invited me to substitute for him one evening teaching undergrads.  And, just like that, a goal that has percolated in my head for more than a few years, is on the road to being accomplished.

To recreate the “Never Have I Ever” Professional Goal-Setting Experience™, I would recommend that you do it in a small group of no more than 8 people who have already developed relationships that support taking risks.  Prepare the group in advance so they can think about what they want to share.

And don’t forget the gummy bears.*

*According to Mrs. Lackey, the gummy bears should be organic.  If there is accidental (or intentional) ingestion of artificially colored gummy bears during this activity, we cannot be held responsible for any inappropriate behavior that occurs as a direct or indirect result of playing the Never Have I Ever Professional Goal-Setting Experience™.

**Regardless of gummy bear ingestion, we cannot be held responsible for any inappropriate behavior that occurs as a direct or indirect result of playing the Never Have I Ever Professional Goal-Setting Experience™.

***We haven’t really trademarked the Never Have I Ever Professional Goal-Setting Experience™.  I just figured out how to access special characters in my blog and thought it would be fun to add the ™.