FinalReflection

Research Question: In what ways can "play" be incorporated into the Grade 5 Curriculum to best support student engagement, learning, and growth? 

This year, I set out to explore this question by finding more intentional ways to bring play and choice into my fifth-grade classroom. I wasn’t exactly sure what it would look like—especially with the pressure of covering so much content—but through our CRG work and my learning around the Pedagogy of Play, I began to see that play isn’t just about having fun; it’s about creating space for curiosity, agency, and deeper thinking. I began experimenting with playful learning across several different units. 

In math, I designed station-based studios that incorporated activities such as recipe scaling, park design, and shipment packing—all tied to our work with fractions and decimals. These tasks connected academic skills to real-life situations, providing students with opportunities to collaborate, problem-solve, and express their thinking in creative ways. They were moving, talking, and fully immersed in the work. It was playful—but also purposeful. 

I saw a similar shift during our President Biography Project. Instead of a traditional report, students took on the roles of historians and artists, sharing their research through both written and hands-on projects. Their sense of pride and ownership was clear, and it reminded me how powerful it can be when students are given the chance to make meaningful choices about how they learn and what they create to express that learning. 

One area I didn’t get to implement—but am really excited to try next year—is the Narrative Studios I developed. I created a menu of creative options for students to express their stories in various formats, but due to time constraints, we were unable to launch it this year. Still, designing it helped me think differently about how to make writing instruction more engaging and more reflective of student interests and strengths. 

This inquiry into play has shifted my approach to teaching. I've come to see that incorporating playful learning doesn’t mean sacrificing rigor—it means inviting students into the learning process in ways that feel relevant and exciting to them. It means offering choice, honoring their voices, and trusting them to take the lead.