The Learning Power of Chocolate
Everything I need to know about decision making I learned using chocolate.
No, seriously.Ā Chocolate.
You see, one of the classes I help to teach involves decision making and knowing how to make good life/situation choices.Ā Every year I have this unit--I like to call it the āWhat You Are In The Darkā unit-- that focuses on how to make good/rational decisions, even if you think no one is watching you or you think you wonāt get caught.
Fact:Ā When you think no one is watching (or that you wonāt get caught), you WILL attempt (or be tempted) to try to pocket things that donāt belong to you.Ā Doesnāt matter what that āthingā is:Ā money, food, some item you may possibly want.Ā If you think no oneās watching, chances are youāve tried to sneak off with it.
Fact:Ā If you think someoneās watching (or thereās someone with you upon point of discovery), you will try to get the āthingā to its rightful owner if possible.Ā
These points have been illustrated time and again by my students.
But Corie, youāre thinking, I know you mentioned āchocolateā up there.Ā How does THAT work?
When the students have left the room (gone to lunch, left for some meeting, whatever), I slip in a box of chocolate bars.Ā It is also a proven fact that if you use food in the classroom as a teaching tool, the lesson sticks longer. :-)
When the students return, thereās a box of chocolate available that no oneās claiming.Ā The question is, how will the students respond to the idea that thereās chocolate available thatās not theirs, but the owner is an unknown?
Every year, it depends on the students.Ā Iāve had several (though they are in the minority) that are insistent on finding the rightful owner.Ā Iāve had a few that fully believe in āfinders keepers.āĀ But mostly, I find that they genuinely want to find the rightful owner, and if that fails, they believe they should eat it--because chocolate going to waste?Ā Egad!
Itās a great way to show students that itās hard to make good decisions--especially when everyone in the room wants to be heard, and thereās a clash of personalities to contend with.Ā
What You Are In The Dark, indeed.