Imagine a high school science classroom where the teacher refuses to hand out a rubric. Where students roll a 20-sided die (D20) to see if they can get five extra minutes on a quiz. Where the curriculum isn’t a rigid checklist, but a quest driven by the students’ own curiosity.
In this episode of Dragonfly Conversations, host Kevin Matteson chats with Michael Haughwout, a high school science teacher and Project Dragonfly graduate who has spent his 18-year career challenging the status quo. Michael shares how he uses Dungeons & Dragons mechanics, local fieldwork with diamondback terrapins, and a radical “no rubrics” philosophy to keep the spark of inquiry alive in his students.
If you’ve ever felt like your students have stopped saying “I wonder,” this episode is your guide to bringing the adventure back to biology.
3 Ways to Bring Adventure to the Classroom
- Ditch the Rubric to Raise the Ceiling. Michael argues that rubrics often act as a ceiling rather than a guide. When students are given a checklist for an “A,” they rarely go beyond it. Instead, Michael asks students to produce work they are genuinely proud of. He notes that since removing rubrics, the quality of work has skyrocketed because students are no longer mimicking a standard—they are creating based on their own potential.
- Follow the “I Wonder” (Even if it goes off-road). The curriculum shouldn’t kill curiosity. Michael starts the year by asking students to list 5 things they are interested in—regardless of the subject. He then helps them synthesize those interests with scientific inquiry.
- Real-world example: A group of students interested in a local forest fire pivoted from the standard curriculum to study fire ecology. They collected pine cones to study serotiny (how some seeds release only in response to fire).
- By allowing students to investigate their own questions, engagement levels remain high even during dense topics like osmosis or active transport later in the year.
- Gamify the “Failure” and Advocate for the Student. Drawing on his love for Dungeons & Dragons, Michael integrates gaming concepts to make the classroom a lower-stakes, high-engagement environment. He keeps D20 dice on his desk, allowing students to “roll for persuasion” regarding deadlines or quiz times. This playfulness builds a rapport where students feel safe admitting they are stressed or need help. The goal is to teach students that, much like an adventurer in a game, it is okay to make mistakes and try again.
Hidden Gem: The Dragonfly Sleeve
Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear the story behind Michael’s unique tattoos. He views his body art as a travel journal of his Master’s degree journey. From a sketched, abstract whale shark representing his start in Baja, a cheetah from his trip to Namibia, and a hyper-detailed marine iguana representing his finish in the Galápagos, Michael explains how he memorialized his Earth Expeditions on his arm—and why he keeps a “Solar Oven Award” plaque from 1998 in his classroom to remind him to never discourage a student.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Check out the full list of podcasts on our Dragonfly Conversations page.