Education & Dungeons & Dragons

Education & Dungeons & Dragons

This post is a bit more personal, tying together two of my biggest influences: teaching and Dungeons & Dragons.

I’ve always believed that teaching is about more than just lesson plans and grading papers. It’s about connection, communication, and finding creative ways to spark curiosity. And as it turns out, so is running a D&D game.

Before I was a Dungeon Master, I was a classroom teacher. I spent five years teaching elementary school, and even longer teaching martial arts. Those years taught me how to manage a room, adapt to different learning styles, and create an environment where everyone feels welcome.

The funny thing? I think playing D&D as a kid did just as much to prepare me for that role.

Being a Dungeon Master taught me how to tell stories and keep people engaged—skills that translated directly to the classroom. It taught me how to enforce rules fairly, adapt when things didn’t go as planned, and collaborate with others to create something bigger than any one person could.

And just like teaching, running a D&D game means you’re always learning, always adjusting, and always trying to make the experience better for everyone involved.

In this video, I dive into the ways teaching and D&D overlap—from managing a group to nurturing creativity. I also talk a bit about how those early D&D games helped me find my voice and build confidence—skills that I carried into every classroom I stepped into.

If you’ve ever been a teacher, or if you’ve used D&D to teach or mentor others, I’d love to hear your stories. Let me know in the comments how these two worlds have intersected for you.

Cheers,
Brian