I opted out of cheesy ice-breakers and get-to-know-you games today.
It. Was. Worth. It.
Why? Because I did this fun activity I found by Laura Randazzo on Teachers Pay Teachers, it kept the students engaged all class hour, and I overheard several “this is fun” statements. I had to modify it a little bit because I’m at a small school.
Basically, I offered several sentence starters that they finished on sticky notes. Then they walked to the board and read their responses to the class and stuck the sticky note to the board. When everyone had their notes on the board, they worked together to organize the responses into groups.
The great part? I learned so much about them and what they want to see in a classroom from me and from each other. I took notes the entire time they were talking. Most were so engaged, they didn’t even notice me jotting thoughts down.
They want a teacher who will listen, understand, care, get them. They want classmates who will work, respect others, have fun, but stay focused.They want to earn their diplomas so they can go to college, make their families proud, prove their former teachers wrong.
Conclusion: Deep down, they care, they really care, about learning. My job: to be the teacher they need in the classroom so they can learn. #OnIt
How do you engage with students early on?
Right Click Classroom 