When I first came across the idea for the Catastrophic/Positive Bingo activity over the summer, I was excited to bring it to my staff. I decided to roll it out at our first staff meeting. The goal was simple: offer them a fun way to both laugh at and prepare for the inevitable challenges of a new school year. But as it turned out, not everything goes according to plan or in our case, it might.

The first month of school hit hard. There were more curveballs than any of us expected, and each time something challenging happened, a few staff members would joke, “Maybe we shouldn’t have done the Bingo game!” Some even wanted to burn the cards (and plan to at our bonfire at the end of the month). I couldn’t help but wonder—did the activity actually contribute to our rocky start?

Reflecting on the experience, I realized that the purpose of Catastrophic Bingo wasn’t to bring on the challenges—it was to help us acknowledge them without letting them have too much power over us. The idea was to take the sting out of the unexpected. When a situation happens, you simply check it off the list and move forward.

What’s funny is, while some were unsure about it, others completely embraced the idea. A colleague I shared it with tried it out with her own team, and it worked wonderfully! Her staff found it helpful to approach the school year with a balance of humor, realism, and optimism. It reinforced my belief that no matter the initial reaction, giving teachers the space to process both challenges and positives is vital to creating a resilient mindset.

While the Bingo game didn’t resonate with everyone in the way I’d hoped, it’s a reminder that not every idea will…. and that’s okay. Sometimes, we try something with the best intentions, and it just doesn’t land as we expected. What matters is that we reflect, adapt, and keep moving forward—without letting fear of the worst overshadow the potential for great things.

So, would I recommend Catastrophic/Positive Bingo? Try it at your own risk.

Catastrophic and Positive Bingo Game

Objective: Encourage teachers to acknowledge potential challenges and anxieties, while also focusing on the positive outcomes and successes they can look forward to throughout the school year.

Part 1: Catastrophic Bingo
Preparation:

• Give each teacher a blank 5×5 Bingo board.
• Ask them to reflect on potential challenges or catastrophic events that might happen during the school year (e.g., fire drill during a test, technology meltdown, behavior issues, etc.).
• Have them write one challenge in each square of the Bingo board.

Play:

• The facilitator calls out school-year challenges, and teachers mark off the corresponding squares.
• First teacher to get five in a row calls out “Bingo!”
• Open up a discussion where the winner and others share how they would handle such situations.

Part 2: Positive Bingo
Preparation:

• Hand out a new blank 5×5 Bingo board.
• Ask teachers to fill in squares with possible positive outcomes (e.g., student “lightbulb” moments, heartfelt thank-you notes, amazing class projects).

Play:

• Facilitator calls out positive outcomes, and teachers mark off the corresponding squares.
• First teacher to get five in a row calls out “Bingo!”
• Discuss what teachers are looking forward to and how they can foster these positive experiences.

Wrap-Up: Reflect on how balancing the recognition of challenges with expectations for positive outcomes can help approach the school year with a more balanced mindset. Encourage stress management and celebrating victories to keep enthusiasm alive.

This activity may not always go as planned, but it does help in shifting perspectives, creating resilience, and embracing both the hard and good moments of the school year.

About the Author 

Spike Cook, Ed.D., Principal, RM Bacon Elementary, Millville, NJ. In addition to being a Principal, Dr. Cook published two books through Corwin Press (Connected Leadership: It’s Just a Click Away; Breaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader). He is the co-host of the popular PrincipaPLN podcast and a regular on the Unlock the Middle Videocast. His blog, Insights Into Learning, was recognized as a finalist for Best Administrator Blog by the EduBlog Awards. Spike earned his Doctorate from Rowan University and is an Adjunct Faculty member in the Masters of School Administration Program He is featured in Twinkl’s 30 Education Influencers You Need to Follow and Klear’s Top Ten Middle School Influencers. Dr. Cook is also on the Education Advisory Board for Whole Health Ed. Connect with @drspikecook via Twitter, YouTube,  LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.