Today, my Name Game question was simply, “What’s going well for you?” You’ll find that people begin celebrating small victories, reporting good news, or talking about personal breakthroughs. Soon, the room feels happy.
What’s going well for you? It’s a great question to get students primed to learn, to open their minds to possibility, and to move them from any hopeless, discouraging thoughts to a more learning-conducive brain state. It’s true! You can read the research about the connection between happiness and learning.
You can try this question with your children or in your own learning environments. Try it before your business seminars or meetings. You can revise the question for younger audiences by asking “What’s something that’s currently making you happy or recently made you giggle?” See the effect it has! Technically speaking, the activity raises serotonin and dopamine levels that help the brain build complex connections, remember information, and foster creativity.
You can also play cheerful music, watch a comedic video clip, or tell a funny story in your educational settings before you begin class, but I find that this question raises the mood best.