The students now have their assigned seats and all their belongings are placed in their cubbies or desks, so what is the next step on the first day; introduction or ice breaking activities. Many students feel embarrassed speaking in front of their fellow classmates so a few activities can be voted on by the entire class. This helps to bring the class together as one unit and already begin cooperative learning from day one.
On the board, three activities are written. The teacher explains each one and afterwards asks the students to close their eyes. (Yes, there are always those students who don’t or pretend to.) Then the class will vote by raising their hands when the teacher announces the activity. The most votes will win.
The three activities could be:
1) The Name Game
2) The Bingo Game
3) A Tangled Web
The Name Game – This is a great activity for the teacher and the student to learn the entire classes name from the beginning. The student has to come up with a word which describes them and tries to make it rhyme with their first name. Then come up with a brief story which can be real or fake relating to the word.
Each student has to say the prior classmate’s silly word and name before they can begin with their own silly word and name. Usually the teacher begins the icebreaker and ends with the teacher who has to say all the names. (Don’t do this activity if you are really bad with remembering names, just a side note.)
The Bingo Game – The same idea as the popular Bingo game we all know, but this time, the spaces are questions. The teacher develops questions prior to the icebreaker and makes up boards as well. Game pieces can be anything the teacher would like to use.
A Tangled Web – This activity is used with a ball of yarn or string. The teacher begins by telling something about themselves and holds the ball of yarn. Then rolls the yarn to a student who then shares with the class something about themselves. This continues till the very last student shares. Then the class stands up together and it becomes a lesson on team work as well as meeting the entire class.
For more information on ice breaking activities, visit: