Ensuring Good Behavior in Your School Gaming Club
Running a school gaming club offers a wealth of educational and social benefits. Tabletop roleplaying games (RPGs), board games, and other group activities help students develop teamwork, problem-solving skills, and creativity. However, to maximize these benefits, it’s essential to maintain good behavior within the club. A positive, respectful environment encourages participation, collaboration, and learning while minimizing distractions or conflicts.
This post will explore how to ensure good behavior in your school gaming club, with practical tips for creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive atmosphere. These strategies are particularly helpful for educators who are starting or running tabletop roleplay gaming clubs.
Why Is Good Behavior Important in a Gaming Club?
Gaming clubs are inherently social, and how students interact with one another can have a huge impact on the overall experience. Ensuring good behavior is critical for the following reasons:
Positive Learning Environment: Good behavior fosters a space where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and trying new ideas.
Inclusive Participation: When students are respectful, everyone has a chance to participate and feel valued in the group.
Conflict Resolution: By establishing norms around good behavior, you can prevent or quickly resolve conflicts before they escalate.
Focus on Fun and Learning: A well-managed gaming club stays focused on the games and the educational or social benefits they offer, rather than being distracted by disruptions or negative interactions.
Steps to Ensure Good Behavior in Your School Gaming Club
1. Set Clear Expectations from the Start
One of the most effective ways to ensure good behavior is to set clear expectations from the very beginning. Before your gaming club even begins, take time to communicate rules and guidelines so that everyone understands what is expected of them.
Create a Code of Conduct: Develop a simple code of conduct that outlines acceptable behavior. This should include respecting others, taking turns, avoiding disruptive actions, and handling in-game conflicts maturely.
Hold an Introductory Meeting: During your first meeting, spend time going over the club’s rules and expectations for behavior. Make it clear that everyone is responsible for maintaining a positive environment.
Use Positive Language: Frame the rules in a positive way, emphasizing what students should do rather than what they shouldn’t. For example, instead of saying “don’t interrupt others,” say “allow others to finish speaking before sharing your ideas.”
Essential Rules to Include:
Treat everyone with respect.
Take turns speaking and playing.
Respect in-game decisions and the Game Master’s rulings.
Handle disagreements respectfully and calmly.
2. Model Good Behavior
As the leader of the gaming club, you play a vital role in setting the tone for behavior. Modeling good behavior helps reinforce the expectations you’ve set and encourages students to follow your example.
Respectful Communication: Demonstrate respectful communication by listening to others, being patient, and avoiding interrupting. This shows students how to engage in conversations productively.
Handling Conflict: If a disagreement arises during gameplay, model how to handle it calmly and with respect. This could mean encouraging players to discuss the issue and come to a mutual solution or intervening when necessary to prevent escalation.
Inclusivity: Make an effort to include everyone in discussions and games. This sets a precedent that all voices matter and encourages students to support one another.
Tips for Modeling Good Behavior:
Stay calm and collected, even when conflicts arise.
Use clear, respectful language when giving instructions or feedback.
Acknowledge good behavior in others to reinforce positive actions.
3. Foster a Culture of Collaboration
Gaming, especially in tabletop RPGs, is inherently collaborative. By emphasizing the importance of teamwork and collaboration, you can create an environment where students naturally support each other and reduce competition-based conflicts.
Team-Based Games: Use cooperative games that require students to work together toward a common goal. Games like Pandemic or Forbidden Island encourage collaboration and teach students to rely on one another.
Rotate Leadership Roles: In RPGs, you can rotate the role of the Game Master or team leader, giving each student the opportunity to lead and collaborate with the group. This fosters a sense of shared responsibility and empathy.
Problem-Solving Together: Encourage students to solve in-game problems as a group rather than individually. When players combine their ideas and skills to overcome challenges, they practice teamwork and reduce the focus on individual achievements.
Collaboration Strategies:
Focus on cooperative games that reward teamwork rather than individual success.
Encourage students to discuss strategies and make decisions together.
Celebrate group achievements to emphasize the importance of working as a team.
4. Address Conflicts Early and Effectively
Despite your best efforts, conflicts can still arise in a gaming club, especially in competitive settings or games where emotions can run high. The key to maintaining good behavior is addressing these conflicts early before they escalate into larger issues.
Stay Neutral: As the club leader, avoid taking sides in conflicts. Instead, act as a mediator to help students resolve the issue respectfully.
Encourage Open Communication: If two players have a disagreement, encourage them to talk about it openly and respectfully. Make sure both sides have the opportunity to share their perspective.
Use Time-Outs: If a conflict is disrupting the flow of the game, it might be helpful to take a break or pause the game for a few minutes. This gives everyone a chance to cool down and return with a clearer mindset.
Reinforce the Code of Conduct: Remind students of the club’s rules regarding respect and handling conflicts. If necessary, refer back to the expectations that were set at the start of the club.
Conflict Resolution Tips:
Remain calm and neutral when addressing conflicts.
Encourage students to talk through disagreements rather than ignoring or escalating them.
Take short breaks if necessary to allow emotions to settle.
5. Recognize and Reward Good Behavior
Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for encouraging good behavior in your gaming club. By recognizing and rewarding students when they exhibit positive actions, you reinforce the behavior you want to see and motivate others to follow suit.
Praise Positive Actions: Acknowledge when students demonstrate good sportsmanship, collaborate well with others, or resolve conflicts respectfully. This could be as simple as saying, “I really liked how you worked together to solve that problem.”
Use In-Game Rewards: For RPG clubs, consider using in-game rewards to encourage positive behavior. For example, you could give players extra experience points or items when they show leadership, teamwork, or kindness during the game.
Establish an Awards System: If your club meets regularly, consider creating an awards system where students can earn recognition for displaying good behavior over time. This could include certificates, badges, or small prizes at the end of a campaign or school term.
Ideas for Positive Reinforcement:
Verbally praise students when they exhibit good behavior.
Use in-game rewards to encourage teamwork and leadership.
Establish a “Player of the Week” award to recognize students who exemplify positive behavior.
6. Encourage Reflection and Self-Regulation
A great way to help students take responsibility for their behavior is by encouraging reflection and self-regulation. When students are given opportunities to think about their actions and how they contribute to the club, they are more likely to adjust their behavior on their own.
Post-Game Reflection: At the end of each session, have a brief reflection period where students can talk about what went well and how they contributed to the game. This encourages them to think about their actions and how they impacted the group.
Self-Assessment: Encourage students to self-assess their behavior after each session. This could involve asking them to reflect on how well they worked with others, handled challenges, or followed the rules.
Goal-Setting: Allow students to set personal behavior goals for future sessions. For example, a student might aim to communicate more respectfully or include others in their decision-making. Check in on these goals regularly to help students track their progress.
Reflection Strategies:
Hold a short reflection session at the end of each meeting.
Ask students to assess their own behavior and how they contributed to the group.
Encourage students to set goals for improvement and check in on those goals regularly.
Conclusion
Ensuring good behavior in your school gaming club is essential for creating a positive, inclusive, and engaging environment where students can thrive. By setting clear expectations, modeling good behavior, fostering collaboration, and addressing conflicts early, you can maintain a respectful and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone involved.
Through positive reinforcement, reflection, and a focus on teamwork, you’ll encourage students to take responsibility for their actions and contribute to a thriving gaming community. With the right strategies in place, your gaming club can be a fun and rewarding experience where good behavior is the foundation for creative play, learning, and growth.
