MEET THE CREATOR & AUTHOR OF THE CITY GAME
Amanda Zanette, author of The City Game, has long harbored a passion for teaching. Her journey began with balancing full-time work as an assistant manager at a fast-food restaurant while completing high school and university. This hands-on experience in managing diverse challenges and people laid a solid foundation for her classroom management skills.
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Since becoming a teacher in 2007, Zanette sought to make education more engaging and relevant. She developed a classroom game that incorporates incentives and clear expectations, mirroring real-world scenarios. While pursuing her Master’s in Education, at SFU, back in 2013, she applied research to assess the game’s impact. Zanette found that it helped students make informed choices about their learning and fostered respectful communication.
The demand from the community led her to write The City Game in 2016 during her maternity leave, with the book’s color inspired by her son's birthstone. With 17 years of experience using the system, Zanette now shares her insights through videos to assist teachers in implementing the game. She remains dedicated to demonstrating how the game promotes financial literacy, respectful dialogue, and personal growth, believing these skills benefit students into adulthood.
Amanda Zanette continues to teach full-time at the Burnaby School District in British Columbia, Canada where she lives in Coquitlam with her son. Her goal is to inspire as many educators as possible, fostering a classroom environment that allows students to reach their full potential through engagement and fairness.
What inspired you to create videos for your book?
For the past 17 years, I've implemented this game in my classroom, and I am aware at how daunting it can seem at first glance—it's a lot to take in! Yet, it helps students truly feel seen, valued and supported, especially diverse learners and those who challenge our current education system. The game thrives because, as "Atomic Habits" teaches, lasting success comes from systems, not just goals.
Believing that all good things require work, I was finally convinced to step out of my comfort zone to create these videos, hoping to guide more teachers through the process. The first six weeks are intense, but the payoff is clear: students take charge, collaborate, and grow, making the classroom a more dynamic and enjoyable space for everyone.
~ Amanda Zanette