Ice Breakers 101 by Taylor Dougherty https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv Describe icebreakers that you know/believe are/would be successful in a middle school/high school ELA classroom. Or, if you know/believe an icebreaker to be ineffective, write that, too! Include a brief description, rationale, and your name. Don't forget to link any resources that would help the ice breaker go smoothly! en-us 2022-01-09 22:14:32 UTC 2023-01-09 22:42:12 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f976.png Successful Icebreakers taylordougherty https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/1982702105 -Describe it
-Say why it's great
-Link any necessary resources
-Leave your name]]> 2022-01-09 22:24:00 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/1982702105 NYTimes Icebreaker https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438506855 NYTimes published 36 Questions that lead to love in their Modern Love column a while ago. If you repackage them outside of the love framework, they are very good discussion questions that can be used in a variety of ways. They work well in pairs answering a bunch, in small groups answering a few, big groups answering one or two, and so on. They are really just questions that lend themselves to introspection and vulnerability.

Icrebreaker: use these 4. In a small group, have everyone answer them all, or answer two. 

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

]]> 2023-01-09 22:07:54 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438506855 https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438508240 Create a collage of pictures that describes yourself - then, have the other people in the class try to guess what each one means. Not a one day thing, but fun (plus it helps teach inferencing skills)
- Jeremiah]]> 2023-01-09 22:10:03 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438508240 Ice Breaker https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438510297 Line yourself up by age!

This one can get pretty messy and it will take a while to get going, but once it does it is a good way to people to introduce themselves and laugh. I’ve never once seen a younger group get it right on the first try.]]> 2023-01-09 22:12:54 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438510297 Michaela's post :)) 2 truths and a lie. https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438510810
Im Michaela. LTR resident/grad student and Teach 11th grade at Waggener. 

I think this one would work with middle school because they are still silly and young and they can easily make up stuff


This one would work with highschool however- the lies would have to be 100% sus. However it could be challenging to think it through which could be a lie. 
 ]]> 2023-01-09 22:13:41 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438510810 Ice Breaker https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438511151 The “classroom countdown” is what I hear it referred to as. A class of 20 students would start at the number 1 and try to count to 20. Only one student can say a number. If two or more students say the same number the class must go back to zero.
-Nakiah]]> 2023-01-09 22:14:15 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438511151 Successful Icebreaker https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438511322 Would you Rather

Teacher asks "would you rather . . ." and students have to choose between two things. You can have the students move to different corners or sides of the room. They can then share out why they made the choice that they did. Students find this to be very fun and they like to explain their choice. They are also often surprised about who chose what and they find that they have more in common than they realized. 

A few downfalls of this 
1. Students don't like either choice
2. Can get very noisy very quickly
3. Students are too shy to choose

This is sometimes better a little later into the year when you have a little better feel for your classes. 
Allison

]]> 2023-01-09 22:14:28 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438511322 Snowball Icebreaker Activity drfraz02 https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438512810 Have students take out a sheet of paper and write three interesting facts about themselves, then crumble the piece of paper up to create a snowball. After each student has crumbled their paper and has their snowball, they will throw their snowballs toward the opposite side of the room. Once all snowballs are thrown, the teacher will allow the students to go pick up a snowball and figure out who it belongs to. After the student discovers the owner of the snowball, they will introduce that person to the rest of the class and share the facts they learned about them.

This is a great activity to allow students to be active physically and to interact with one another. It allows them to feel inclusive and throwing snowballs are fun!

-Dee-Dee]]> 2023-01-09 22:16:42 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438512810 Never have I ever (Appropriate) https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438513681  I've only played this game at social parties but I think it could translate well to a general classroom setting.

For this icebreaker game, students will begin by holding up a set number of fingers (group-size dependent) and take turns saying the phrase "Never have I ever ..." and filling in the blank with something they have yet to do in their life. Group members that have engaged in that activity or had that experience are to lower one of their fingers. The last person to have a finger(s) raised wins the game although it should be emphasized that the game is about getting to know one another. Example phrases: "Never have I ever broken a bone", "Never have I ever seen Titanic", "Never have I ever had such and such as a teacher/professor."

Garrett Lee]]> 2023-01-09 22:17:58 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438513681 One interest fact about yourself https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438514315 Icebreaker: After saying your name and introducing yourself, give an interesting fact about yourself. 

I’m putting this one mostly because I feel I have experienced it the most! I sort of have a love/hate thing with it. On one hand, it has been useful for me in the past because I have been able to associate names with peoples “facts,” making it easier to remember them. Though on the other hand, I have often not liked this icebreaker because I’ll think too hard about what my fact could be (lol)or I won’t know right away what fact about myself is “interesting.” 

So it has certainly given me a bit of anxiety in the past, BUT that might have been more related to being in new/uncomfortable environments rather than the icebreaker itself. Who knows!

Riley Wooldridge]]> 2023-01-09 22:18:57 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438514315 https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438514739 Inside/Outside the circle. Students create a circle in the room. Have prepared questions for students, if students relate to the question, they take a step inside. Students rejoin the outer circle after each question. 

This icebreaker allows flexibility for the teacher to ask a variety of questions on a wide spectrum. Students can opt to not answer and stay outside of the circle if a question feels too personal/outside of their comfort zone. This ice breaker allows for students to get to know one another and visually see the similarities they may have with their peers around them. 

This could work with any grade level as questions can be customized to each demographic. 

Brianna (:]]> 2023-01-09 22:19:42 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438514739 Icebreaker: This or That This icebreaker is great for introducing the art of the argument. How it works: Scholars go to the left or right, depending on their choice. They then will go back and forth stating why they made their choice, with the opposing line rebutting. This will continue until all Scholars have stated their argument. For each successful point that they make, I will move towards that side. https://cardmaillouisville-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/regrun01_louisville_edu/EV1uLAomZnBFmRFQZewLUrMBFXN4YGhXd88f-P_HQcTUAA?e=R078YJ Robyn E. MillerAvatar of %{name} https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438517952 2023-01-09 22:23:46 UTC https://padlet.com/taylordougherty/k5d748ujwv96q3kv/wish/2438517952