Hi Scott,
I bet you get some very interesting stories from these life experienced students that are coming back to school in culinary arts.
Gary
The icebreaker I have used in the past is to find out why they picked this field of study, what they want to accoplish in life , what their goals are in life after the course, and where they would like to be in seven years after the course is completed
I like to have my students share what they did before they enrolled in the school, and what they plan on doing once they're finished. Many of my students are career-changing adults--I always ask them what caused them to come to culinary school, especially if they were previously in a completely unrelated field.
I've also used 2 Truths and a Lie and it can be effective, including when people already know each other.
I've also had people create their own "shield" on flip chart paper - in the different quadrants, ask them to fill in such things as hobbies, experience, what they already know about the subject, what they would like to get out of the class, et cetera.
I love these icebreakers. Ia also encourage students to share information that helps them to see that there are others in class with similar interests/situations. Students returning to school after a long absence often feel as though they are the only one in that situation, same for single parents - I want them to know they are going to find support among their peers.
Hi Heather,
Thank you for sharing these great ice breakers. They really help to get students introduced to each other and settled into the course. I know they are going to be of value to new instructors as they look for ways to get their classes off to good starts.
Gary
