Chess Club starts at Franklin

This week Chess Clubs started at Franklin. We are holding two Chess Club sessions per week this year. Students could choose to attend one or both. Its great to see students of all ages and experience levels interested in developing skills in the game.

We started with an overview of Chess Club so that students know what to expect each session. We'll begin each day with a strategy lesson. This gives students something to focus on during their games. This may be an opening strategy to try, strengthening your check mating abilities, or a strategy a student requests to learn more about.

After that students will have the remainder of the session to play against a partner. I encouraged them to choose different chess partners regularly so that they can experience different openings and strategies.

Next we worked to develop a set of norms. These are things that are agreed upon by the group, that are needed in order to have a safe and successful chess club. Students created a list then signed it. Some of the norms they added were: to be good sports, respect materials, keep volume almost silent so we can concentrate, have grit, and be patient with your opponent. This was a great way to make sure students were in the drivers seat for developing the expectations for Chess Club.

Lastly, we had a community circle. First students shared their name, grade, and their experience with chess. Second time around, they shared which chess piece they would be and why. There were lots of interesting and thoughtful answers. For example, Castor said he would be a pawn because of the option to be promoted to all of the different pieces. He said he also likes a challenge.

Next week we will hold our first strategy lesson and have a chance to start playing!