Icebreakers
Teaching for the first time I am looking for some resources on good icebreakers, any suggestions?
I ask the students at the start of the first class, after saying hello & intro. - where they are in there degree plan and which degree they are pusuing. I sometimes teach level 100 courses so these are more general ed (sociology) and all students must take them at some point. This helps the students identify folks who may have similar plans and goals.
Hi Cynthia,
This is a great one. Thanks for sharing it. I am sure there is a lot of action, laughter and sharing that goes on during this time. This will really get the students talking with each other and getting settled into the course.
Gary
I tried this ice-breaker on the first day of class, and students loved it! I have students go to one side of the room. I tell them I am going to ask a question with only 2 possible answers, and they are to either stay where they are if they choose the first answer or walk to the other side of the room if they choose the second answer. The questions are about dislikes/likes. For instance, "Read a book or watch TV"? Readers cross the room, tv watchers stay. Then, I ask another one "Rock music or country". I do this for a while, and then, I ask students to call out questions. This is when it gets really fun. Their questions reflect what they are interested in, and shows their interest in knowing what their peers think. Great way to get them to get to know each other in a fun, relaxed way.
Silly, but fun. I have students draw themselves doing what they think they will be learning to do in the class. The students use these drawings to introduce themselves to another student. That student then introduces his/her partner to the rest of the class and tells about the drawing.
We have crayons, markers, drawing paper, lots of groans and giggles.
This gets students to visualize why they are in the class, what their objectives are, and to break the ice and make introductions, all in one not too lengthy activity.
Hi Michael,
Here are some samples of ice breaker questions that you can use with your students. You may want to put the students into groups of 3-4 and have them cover these questions.
What is your career goal?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What experience have you had in this career field before this class?
Why did you select this career area/
Plus questions like
Where are you from?
Where is your hobby?
What is your favorite sport?
The key with any of the questions is to get them talking with each other. You can lead the class off by giving a answers to some of these questions so the students will get to know you better. This would be in addition to you giving them an overview of your experience in the field.
Gary
What are specific suggestions of types of questions that I could use for an ice breaker? Thse questions should allow the class to interact with each other and the instructor.
When doing Ice Breakers in my classroom which usually has about 12 -15 students in it in 12 week rotations I have each student write on a 3 X 5 card 3 unique things about themselves that they would not mind eventually sharing with the class. Then I collect these cards and pick one from a card and ask the class to guess who the item would belong to. If/When they figure it out I have that particular student explain/discuss it. I usually keep these cards throughout the course and pull them out every once and awhile. It gets interesting as the course goes on and students get more familiar with each other.
Hi Bethany,
Good observation about how classes "gel". Bringing in new students is always a challenge as you are trying to integrate them into a setting that has a bit of history and culture already established. By making them comfortable and welcomed they do get into the flow just as you mentioned. Well done.
Gary
This is always a challange for me. I am a night insructor at a Tech. Institute that has a 12 week rotation. I have new students every 12 weeks entering into already established students. The only thing that I believe is key is to keep things low key and comfortable. The class always finds a way to "gel" on its own with me leading just basic introductions.
Hi Brian,
Anything you can do to get the students talking with each other and sharing information will help them to feel a part of the class. I like your methods so at least when they are talking among themselves that will have an idea of the other students appearance, hobbies or pets. The personal touch is so important in online instruction.
Gary
I like to get the students up out of their chairs and moving. One activity I do is create a grid similar to how a BINGO scaore card would look. In each square I write something like...Someone who has lived in this state their whole life, or...Has 2 kids...etc. The students get up and mingle with each other and ask questions about others. When they find someone who fits the description in a square, that person signs the card. It's also a great way of helping the students learn each others names.
For online classes, I usually use the first week's discussion board as an ice-breaker with a get to know your classmates topic. Students can share their personal information. Sometimes students have even uploaded a photo of their family or pets.
Hi Warren,
I like your approach. The ad or commercial idea is a great way to get students talking because there is much creativity in marketing that lends itself to humor and excitement.
Gary
Sharing a real life experience relevant to the topic always works well and get students focused on your instruction.
This is an excellent topic as icebreakers can be an invaluable resource to get things flowing each week--but we have all seen them done poorly.
I have found that writing "best (favorite) and/or worst (like least)" questions on the board work well--especially when they are related to course content. One I use in a marketing course is to have students share their favorite ad or commercial. People enjoy sharing their experiences.
You'll want to consider how large your class is when deciding on an icebreaker. For a large class, you may want to keep it on the quick and simple side.
Hi Kristina,
I would first start by asking around your building to see what other instructors do in their classes. I would guess there are a number of great ideas right there.
On line there are a number of websites that list ice breakers for all situations. You can sort through these and select those that will best fit your situation.
When selecting an ice breaker to use make sure it fits the profile of the students you have and will work in your classroom. A simple ice breaker like name, career experience and a unique fact about yourself is often enough to get the class started. The ice breaker needs to be simple, low key and comfortable beyond that you can have as much fun as you want with the class as they use the ice breakers.
Gary
Kristina,
I do a number of different things for ice breakers. Creating games is an easy and fun way to break the ice. I bring a candy dish full of M & M's and pass it around the class. I tell them to take as much as they want but don't eat them yet. Then count how many each person takes. However many they take I make them tell something about themselves to the class. I give them examples such as why they chose the school, are they a commuter or a resident, what type of food they like (I teach at a culinary school), etc. You can play games like get to know you Bingo where they have to fill up the card with information they find out about other students. I think as long as you keep it fun and break the ice you will be successful.
Meredith
