It is a trick I learned from a colleague a few years ago.
Whenever we give standardized exams, students may not use any electronic devices until the test session is over. That policy leaves lots kids with not much to do. Of course, we wish they would read, but even with hundreds of volumes at their fingertips, the number of students who actually pick up a book these days is in the low single digits. (But that is a lament for another day.)
To occupy their extra time, I usually print out a variety of high-interest coloring pages and puzzles. It's mystifying to me, but word searches are always wildly popular, and here is where that colleague's tip pays off. Make-your-own puzzle sites are easy to find, and so, once students settle into their task, I create a word search with the names of everyone in the room.
It only takes a few minutes, and it's so worth the quiet smile of delight they give me every time they look at the list of words and realize the significance.
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