3 First Days of School Icebreakers (Games)

So many emotions exist during the first days of school and it doesn't really matter if it's kindergarten or senior year. These variety of emotions also are evident with teachers as well but what will often determine the remainder of the school year depends on relationships built between teachers and students and students to students. Icebreakers are used with first days of school as well as in professional environments to ease social anxiety. Some traditional icebreakers are where I would need to be creative to come up with my spirit animal that begins with the same first letter of my name. First of all, Monkey Matt can actually describe my willingness and ability to climb but, let's be honest, I am not in the mood to be creative the first day of anything. Here are some non-creative, yet informative Icebreakers you can try your first days of school. 

*For upper grades with students who will roll their eyes once you say "Let's do an icebreaker", call it a game instead. Pretty much everyone likes games. 

This or That

How to Play

Have your students to stand and choose a location in the classroom based on their preferences from the questions. Once the students have chosen their side, then they can have a brief discussion with the others in that group as to why they chose it. For example, if the question asked was "Do you prefer dogs or cats?" These discussions do not require speaking in front of a large group but even shy students can find individuals that are like-minded and, perhaps, instant friendship. Most importantly, YOU, the teacher need to play as well!

Sample questions for This or That:

• Would you rather live in the jungle or the North Pole?
• Which is worse: a broken arm or a broken leg?
• Would you rather be blind or deaf?
• Which is better: Playing sports or watching sports?
• Would you rather have 8 brothers or 8 sisters?

Blobs and Lines

How to Play
In this icebreaker, students are prompted to either line up in some particular order (by birthday, for example) or gather in “blobs” based on something they have in common (similar shoes, for example). What’s great about this game is that it helps students quickly discover things they have in common. It’s also ridiculously easy: Students don’t have to come up with anything clever, and they can respond to every question without thinking too hard about it. This game keeps students moving and talking, and it builds a sense of belonging and community in your classroom.

Here are some sample prompts you can use for this game:

• Line up in alphabetical order by your first names.
• Line up in alphabetical order by your last names.
• Gather with people who have the same eye color as you.
• Gather with people who get to school in the same way as you (car, bus, walk).
• Line up in order of your birthdays, from January 1 through December 31.
• Line up in order of how many languages you speak.
• Gather into 3 blobs: Those who have LOTS of chores at home, those who have A FEW chores at home, and those who have NO chores at home.
• Gather with people who have the same favorite season as you.

Concentric Circles

How to Play
This icebreaker has students arrange themselves in an inside circle and an outside circle, the inside facing out, forming pairs. Pairs discuss their answers to a getting-to-know-you question, then rotate for the next question, forming a new partnership. This game gives students the chance to have lots of one-on-one conversations with many of their classmates and helps them quickly feel more at home in your class.

The possibilities for questions in this kind of configuration are endless; be sure to use more open-ended questions that can get students talking, rather than those that simply ask for a yes or no answer. Here are some sample questions:

• Do you play any sports? If so, which ones?
• Do you consider yourself shy or outgoing? Why?
• What was the last movie you saw? Did you like it?
• Describe your perfect dinner.
• What would you do with a million dollars?
• What is one thing you’re good at?

5 Rules for Being An Amazing Educator

This week, many new teachers began their teaching careers by first, becoming introduced to their school districts and their expectations and policies. Teachers are provided training on professionalism, technology and many other key components of becoming an effective educator. In my district, I have had the honor of presenting on many of these topics over the past few years at these induction meetings. This year, I had the opportunity to share "Why I Teach" with these beginning educators. I chose to use Robin Sharma's Rules for Being Amazing to outline how my parents were amazing examples for me that led to be amazing for those students who do not have those type of role models to inspire, motivate, and invest in them. Here's just a small piece of what I shared:

Robin Sharma, a #1 bestselling author of "The Leader Who Had No Title", is well-known for his Rules for Being Amazing. I first heard of these rules from my friend, Ann Marie Taylor, who spoke at a state teachers conference. 

Sharma's quote registers 29 verbs that anyone can reflect and implement into their lives. I have chosen just 5 of those for today's post as challenges for me to think about how I operate each day professionally this upcoming school year.

1. Love- Love your students. This is different depending on each teacher. For me, especially being a male in elementary, love means building intentionally positive relationships through small actions such as playing football at recess. Nicolas Ferroni says "Students who are loved at home, come to school to learn. Students who aren't come to school to be loved." Love your profession. What other profession can say that they teach all other professions? Our job is so important and not just anyone can do it. Many think they can and may even belittle the profession. It's our duty to speak positively and when asked what we do, we say, "I am a teacher! And I love what I do!" It's these small phrases and beliefs that make us amazing for both our students and profession. 

2. Deliver More Than Is Needed- The first days of school, teachers are given duty schedules, the committees they are expected to commit to, and many other day-to-day responsibilities. For one, just being hired is filling a need for a teaching position. But to deliver more than just what is needed means finding ways to make that duty or position something that doesn't just meet the need, but exceeds it. It takes absolutely no talent to smile while doing tedious, yet mindless tasks. Here are some more talent-less skills that are qualities of amazing individuals:

3. Inspire Others By Your Bigness: As mentioned earlier, to be a teacher is a BIG deal! When students walk into a teacher's classroom for the first time, seeing their teacher for the first time can create many emotions that prove a teacher's bigness. But simply being "big" is not enough in order to be amazing. Inspiring others through your bigness requires following what I call, wearing the CAP. C stands for Consistency. Who you are is the easiest person to be. Don't try to be the teacher down the hall or even your mentor. My cooperating teacher while I was student teaching was loud and bubbly. Me? I am fairly quiet and reserved. I could not be her even if I tried and thankfully I don't have to be. 

I couldn't think of an "A" word to go with CAP so A stands for "And" (Mind Blown!)

P stands for Persistence. Teachers who inspire continue even when faced with trials and troubles. Students and parents will test patience and when you believe in what you're doing is right and can work means being persistent.  

4. Transcend Your Fears- All of us have fears. After 6 years of teaching third grade, I have become accustomed to a high-pitched squeal that occasionally is heard on my hallway. That scream is in response a colleague encountering a spider in their classroom. It's that scream that has immediately required my attention and help to take care of that pest. What my colleagues do not know is that I, too, am afraid of spiders. My fear is not eliminated, I have transcended it, or moved past it. Most individuals, educators included, are most afraid of FAILURE. They fear trying something new and then experiencing the embarrassment. Amazing people transcend, not eliminate, their fears. 

5. Act Now, Don't Stop- To be an amazing educator is not an 11-year plan. It's possible to be amazing right now! The key is when you start. Begin developing your mindset with each conversation, new relationship, or any current perspective. Be amazing because someone needs you to be! Many of you had/have people who have impacted you whether it's a teacher, coach, parent, or friend. They were amazing to you. You know who they are. Our students may not have anyone to be amazing to them. It's up to us to be their Amazing!

So I ask you, Why Do You Teach?