Icebreakers
Do ice breakers really help motivate students?
I think icebreakers are a great way to make people feel comfortable. If the activity is fun and even funny (laughter is the best medicine) it allows people to let their guard down and participate.
Ice breakers can ease the tension of being in a new group of people while starting a new class. It can also help students and instructors identify strengths and weaknesses.
i think they work great, even if its soething as small a personal experience story, I think it helps students realize everyone has to start somewhere and that we are all human
Yes, April, I think ice breakers are very useful. An ice breaker puts everyone on the same playing field for learning. The other part is that it helps students get to know the instructor and that reduces stress for students.
good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I think icebreakers allow students to feel safe. The first day of a class for students who do not know one another is a vulnerable experience for them. Ice breakers reassure them that they have made the right decision and that it's a safe place to learn, explore and share their opinions.
I think icebreakers do motivate student learners. It allows them to lower their own defenses and are then able to understand, retain, and explain what they have learned. They become more suseptible to information. It lets them feel more comfortable and then they can focus more and look forward to the information. Mitchell Becker
Icebreakers are great! It does help soften the barriers to ease tension to create a learning atmosphere that is less threatening.
With common icebreakers most students give the same carbon copy answer. I am from... I am a ..
I have x amount of kids, etc.
Try to get more of an involved student. Trying to get them to answer more questions each week on themselves.
in some cases they do help motivate students. However, others feel they are silly or a waste of time. It partially depends on the nature of the activity.
Yes Icebreakers help motivate students, because they learn something new about other students in their classroom that may be similar to them, and they motivate the students to want to come to class and learn, and maybe get to know other student with the same Degree plan in which they are pursuing.
i would not say motivate but it sets up a comfortable environment to start with, you just have to be carefull about yout audience it can backfire on you
They can be beneficial, in the sense of creating a more welcoming feeling in the classroom. I like to find out what attracted them to this career path and have them share this information.
I think they need to be short and sweet.
Donna
connection is a key for adult learners...
it also helps them to get them out of their comfort zone...need to do ealry on --first class
and build upon it each meeting.
Yes they do--they make people feel more comfortable especially if the activity is fun!
I teach at a career school,with new students coming in every month.On the first day of class I use this with every one.For the older students I ask them to share some thing that nobody knows about them yet.
Hi Lynnette!
I'm not sure that "motivate" is the best term, but I do think that ice breakers can help connect students to their environment and the people in it. I see ice breakers more as team builders.
What do you think?
Good question - keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
