Topic: Young Learners | Riddles and Critical Thinking
Presenter: Panoraia Balali
Presentation details
Let’s discover how classic riddles, moral dilemmas, and brain teasers can be transformed into powerful classroom tools that boost language skills, foster critical thinking, and spark student engagement. This interactive session explores practical ways to integrate logic-based challenges into everyday lessons to promote collaboration, creativity, and ethical reasoning. Participants will leave with ready-to-use ideas and activities for both physical and digital classrooms.
In this highly interactive and engaging workshop, educators will explore the potential of riddles, conundrums, and ethical dilemmas as learning tools in the EFL/ESL classroom. Participants will begin by solving classic riddles together, manipulating the power of metaphor and leading into a discussion of how such puzzles promote abstract thinking, language development, and logical reasoning.
We will then dive into 'The Bridge Riddle', a classroom activity based on Alex Gendler’s logic puzzle. Attendees will be assigned roles (e.g., intern, professor, janitor) to collaborate and make decisions under pressure; an activity that fosters problem-solving, speaking practice, and group dynamics.
The session also introduces thought-provoking ethical dilemmas such as 'The Chocolate' and 'The Martian' conundrums that promote emotional intelligence and respectful classroom debate. Digital tools like Padlet will be demonstrated for inclusive student participation.
About the presenter
Panoraia Balali is a passionate educator and teacher trainer with extensive experience in Greece and the UK. She has served as Teacher Coordinator and Director of Studies at international educational institutions, and currently teaches at the British Council in Athens, Greece.
A certified Cambridge Speaking Examiner, she also mentors novice teachers during their TEFL practicum. Being an active TESOL Greece Board Member she presents at conferences and contributes to ELT journals.
She holds an MA in Applied Linguistics/TESOL, is a DELTA student, and she is Trinity CertTESOL certified. Her professional interests include Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Multimodal Literacies.