Ice Breakers
I am preparing to teach for the first time and would appreciate some examples of “ice breakers” for the first day of class. I am particularly interested in ways to get the students talking and comfortable with each other and the class environment.
Hi Cassandra,
For my smaller classes I use a case study as a class opener. The students read the case and then develop possible solutions based upon their life experiences. It is amazing how quickly everyone gets to know more about the other class members when they are working on a common problem. It takes the place of the general question format but we still learn about each other through the activity.
Gary
Do you have any suggestions for smaller class sizes, say between three and five?
I spent some time telling about myself and then asking students to do the same, but it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. I remember college classes doing exactly the same thing, and I always dreaded that "first day of class."
I'd like to come up with something that really makes students relate to one another without the traditional, "Here's my name, major, why I'm here and one interesting thing about me."
I think that these ice breakers are great for students to start feeling more comfortable in a pre-set intimidating environment. having the ability to "break the ice" is not something that every facilitator has the ability of doing. utilizing these types of games can do a variety of things for not only you but also the students as well. they can get a feel for the environment that the teacher is setting and vise versa for the facilitator
Hi John,
Great idea. The focus on graduation makes it a goal rather that some blurred event far in the future. I will try that. I might try and vary it a bit and ask what famous person(s)in the hospitality industry would they invite to dinner.
Scott
Hi Andy, one method that I use continually is to have the students pair up and interview each other. Typical interview questions are their name, program, and interests. I usually toss in one other 'offbeat' question that might distinguish them from other students even more (and help me to remember them faster) like 'what was your first injury?' or 'what was your first concert?'
Hi John,
This is a great ice breaker. You are right about it not being too personal yet is revealing in terms of how the students look at their selected career area. I can only imagine who their select as their dinner guests.
Gary
Since I teach the first in a sequence of culinary classes I always feel it is important for everyone to get a chance to meet everyone. So I have developed a great opening ice breaker. I ask everyone to stand up and give their name, their city of residence, and list three guests they would like to invite to dinner the night of their graduation. It is very interesting and very revealing without being too personal on the first day. It also gets them to thinking about graduation which always is a positive.
Hi Ana,
Good use of ice breakers and name recall to get the students settled in and learning about each other. I like these type of activities because they let the students learn about each other and you in a low stress setting.
Gary
I usually begin with my introduction. Then, I proceed to the front row and have one student introduce him/herself and they have to say my name and their name. The next person has to add their info and repeat the previous names.
It adds up pretty fast! The students seem to relax and I can see some different learning styles, as some of them will take notes or look at the faces, etc.
Hi Bruce,
Yes the introductions can be a great ice breaker plus humorous. The past experiences of students plus their uniquenesses can certainly bring a laugh to the class.
Gary
I like to get my students to give some back ground on why they are in the course and what they expect and then have the rest of the class something unique about themselves. This last piece of inforamtion can be very funny.
What I do might not be right, but there are some things I do when I am meeting the class for the first time and I want to "break the ice", what I do is as the class is arriving, I hang around the front of the room, say hello to arriving students and just kind of chat with them as they arrive. I like to ask and see what they may have done over the weekend, just kind of loosens up the air and opens communication. Just to show the class that I am just a normal person, that I am no diffent than they are, I just have more experience in what they came to learn from my class.
Hi Teresa,
You are right about needing to have a variety of ice breakers available for your use. You can as you say use different approaches for the different classes thus meeting individual needs better.
Gary
Having different ideas for "Ice Breakers" is a good idea, so that you can use a different approach with each class. If you have some of the same students again, they wont get bored and tired of the same routine.I am going to try different approaches in the future!
Andy - if you teach an online course a very simple icebreaker activity is to have your students post their bio. In addition to learning about your students I noticed that they also pique each other's interest in a specific IT field. I frequently have students who justify their career choice (IT specialization) very well and suddenly we have small conversation starting on that topic. For instance: why go into web design instead of network security? It's interesting to see how well the students can support their choices not just with personal opinions but well-researched facts.
Hi Andy,
Welcome to the teaching profession. I hope you have most rewarding and long career as an educator.
There are many different kinds of "ice breakers" you can use and I will suggest several very simple ones.
The first class meeting if possible have the students seat themselves in a horseshoe shape or circle with you as a part of the circle. Start off with your introduction. Give your name, a bit about your experience and a significant fact about yourself. Such as that you really enjoy golfing or that you just returned from a trip to China. Something that is not directly related to the class.
Your introduction is the model that the students will use. Then have each student do the same. In addition though ask the student to tell why they are taking the course. This exercise won't take long and you will be surprised at how much you learn about your students. This ice breaker also lets the students get settled in and comfortable with each other.
If the class is large say 45 to 50 students use the "inner circle, outer circle" model. Have students make two circles of chairs with one circle being directly outside of the other. Make sure each chair/desk is directly in front of another. Then have the students introduce themselves to each other. When they are finished in about two minutes they move in rotation to the next seat where they will be seated with a new student and the process is repeated.
Hope these suggestions will get you off to a good start. If you have any questions let me know and I will be glad to help you out.
Gary
