Okay, here’s the thing. Ice breakers can be awesome…but when you’re teaching a middle/high school classroom, the last thing you want to do is be:
a. lame
b. cheesy
c. boring
So if you’re looking for something different, if you’re hoping to grab your students’ attention in a way that’s fun, but still relevant to the classroom, and if you’re plain out of ideas, here’s some great suggestions from Laura Randazzo, a secondary teacher who created this fun activity for her first days.
Basically, instead of coming up with name rhymes (Ex: Miss Donnelly likes dominoes, Carla likes carrot cake, etc.) or strange facts that no one cares about, get relevant to the classroom. Have students answer this list of questions that pertains to what the classroom goals will be. Have them get engaged and take ownership of their learning from day one. And have them meet each other in a non-structured, comfortable, but still organized manner.
Try it out with your kids. What do you think?