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The Bull’s Eye game is one of Whole Brain Teaching's most potent resources for dealing with your most challenging students. The game is designed expressly for students who are immune to punishment. The core idea of the Bull’s Eye game is quite simple. In a brief one on one session, student and teacher, without letting the other see, grade the student’s behavior in class that day on a 1 to 5 scale (with 5 being best). If the student’s grade matches the teacher’s, then the student scores two points. If the student’s grade misses the teacher’s by a point, then the student scores one point. Points are accumulated over time for a small, agreed upon reward ... anything from stickers to a soda.
The beauty of the Bull’s Game is that students are rewarded for seeing their behavior through the eyes of their teacher. Sam had a very bad day. He knows it and scores himself a 1. The teacher agrees and also gives him a 1. Sam wins! Sam wins because he was able to objectively evaluate his own behavior. That’s a skill rare even in adults.
When the Bull’s Eye game concludes, and it only takes a minute to play, teacher and student have an opportunity to discuss the student’s behavior ... in a non-threatening, “game” context. “Well, Sam. Why did you get a 1 today? How are things going at home?” Simple questions like these can open up powerful opportunities for counseling.
A full description of the Bull’s Eye game is available as a free download on this site in both “Teaching Challenging Elementary Students” and “Teaching Challenging Teens.”
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