First day of school barrier break down
I think we all can do a lot more then just say "Hello my name is ".
In my opinion this does nothing to break down the barriers the students bring to school. I like to think we can do this with a more creative flare.
Personally I like to open up the very first day with something funny and then tell the students about myself.
I Then put the students into pairs and they talk and get to know each other. They then introduce their new classmate to the others and share what they learned about them.
Here is a fun game........
I have done this to get the student barriers broken down with each other the first day.
I list about 10 things on the board ex. who has a pet snake , longest time to get to school, largest family size, who has been to alaska ok I think you have the idea.
I then let the entire class loose to chat with each other and try to find who in the class fits the questions I asked. This gets the entire class at a distance of personal space leading to barrier break down.
They are told to chat with as many students as they can before the allowed time has ended. I remind them to switch to keep them moving to more students. I then ask who has the answers to the questions I listed on the board. This is a great way to ingage the class ask questions and begin a rapport with them.
I hope you will give it a try or think of another way to break down barriers the first day of school.
Hi Mark,
Thank you for sharing your class opening with us. The ice breaker you laid out is interesting, fast moving and enjoyable for the students. I know this get conversation started which helps them get settled into the course.
Gary
I like your ideas of breaking down the barriers. I personally, like to introduce myself saying about my background, my culture, the country or city I grew up. I leave it open to students to stand up and say whatever they feel comfortable to share with others including hobbies, cities they have lived before, why did they choose the major, etc...
I am going to be a new instructor in February. This sounds like a fun way for me to get to know my students, as well as, getting them to feel comfortable with each other! Thank you!
Hearing from every student is helpful. Some can hold forth confidently, others benefit from an easy but class-related question they can answer. "What's your favorite park?" worked well, and it was plausible considering later field trips.
Robert,
Listening is a powerful learning tool and you are using it in a way that engages all students. This is a great way to increase the value of the course to your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
