How to choose an icebreaker
The incoming students are anywhere from 17-70, how do you choose an icebreaker for all?
Hi Melissa,
Great idea! Community building is a plus. Great way for students to bond, build relationships, and feel comfortable with each other.
Patricia Scales
I get tired of regular introductions. I was glad to read through this thread, and gather some new ideas. They are all great! I may schedule a community building activity each class meeting for the first couple weeks :-)
Kat,
I have a similar situation in where the students are ages 18-60. I find it best to have the students introduce themselves, and tell everyone why they chose to pursue a career in the filed that we teach at the school. A lot of the time, students find that they have a lot in common with the other students, no matter what their age is.
Hi Linda,
This particular icebreaker also serves as a bonding exercise. Students have a lot of fun with this exercise and find out people who have things in common as they do. Best of friends have been made from this one exercise.
Patricia Scales
I usually give them several questions to ask at least 3 different people.
1. Name
2. Where they grew up
3. Why they chose this course of study.
Or I ask students to find out 3 different things about 3 different classmates. Classmates cannot give the same information out twice. As each person stands up, whoever asked them questions gets to tell the class what they've learned.
Great way to learn a bit about students history and gives some insight as to personality.
Hi Kenna,
This is a great bonding exercise. Students really develop close friendships by doing this activity.
Patricia Scales
Hi Wendy,
Nursing students typically grown a tight bond with each other due to the complexity of the program. They definitely utlizie each other's brain.
Patricia Scales
Have the students pair up and ask each other simple questions. Then have each one introduce the other in front of the class.
In nursing you can ask the students to group by geographical location based on where they live. Once they have done this it has been found that this is the group they form study groups with because of proximity which is vital for nursing students to form study groups.
Hi Sharyn,
Wow, I even learned something...horses. I can see how this little icebreaker can serve of great interest and excitement to students.
Patricia Scales
As an instructor in the massage department, I always like to get an idea of why the students are there. One of the ways I getinto their heads is offer a questionaire. One section of the questionaire has 20-30 different pathological conditions and demographics (special populations) and I ask the student to mark the ones that he/she feels massage would be indicated for.
In actuality, ALL of the choices are indicated, but the ones they choose, let me into their heads a bit. If they only choose athletes, or cheerleaders, and not someone who's 88 years old and in a wheelchair... or a horse even... then I know that they have very little knowledge as to the wide range of massage therapy opportunities. It always makes it fun to introduce them to all the different faces of massage. :)
Hi Mike,
Students like it when we make it known to them that we geniunely care about them. This icebreaker lets students know that you care.
Patricia Scales
I sometimes ask students to tell me the best and the worst thing that happened to them during the past week.
Hi Kat,
Just do a simple introduction of name, major, and why they decided on your school. This always works well.
Patricia Scales
