The first day of school is a fresh slate but don’t let it be a blank one. Let your back to school kick-off be more than just reviewing the rules and handing out free and reduced lunch applications. Get to know your students and let them get to know you. Here are some ideas.
The Question Game
Everyone loves to talk about themselves and your students are no exceptions. Hand out a list of questions or fill in the blank statements for every student. Then read their responses and have students guess which student gave the responses. But don’t pry into the depths of their circumstances which may offend and embarrass; instead chose question that lend themselves to creative responses. Some sample questions:
- If I were an animal I would be a (n) _______________________.
- If I were a flavor of ice cream I would be__________________.
- When I grow up I want to be _________________ because I would love waking up in the morning and knowing I would be _________________ everyday.
- If you could live anywhere in the world where would you chose to live? Why?
- If you could have person dead or alive over for dinner who would you chose? Why?
- What is you birth order? Oldest, middle, or youngest?
- What color describes your personality? Why?If I could sum my personality up in one word I would chose _________________.
Word Connection Activity
Every classroom has its visual learners; find yours early on with this fun and active activity. Purchase large index cards and on them paste pictures of various objects, historical figures, famous people, and popular landmarks. Place magnets on the backs of the index cards and disperse them across the chalkboard.
Come up with a series of sentences that are missing nouns. Write the sentences on the board. Have students insert pictures in place of the missing nouns.
For example:
- The _____________ is beautiful; imagine when _____________ first saw it. (Imagine if you had a picture of a pilgrim and Plymouth Rock. It certainly does not have to be that obvious a connection but that is the basic principle.)
- If __________________ would have met___________________________ would the________________________ have been built? (Gandhi, Roosevelt, and Peace Park come to mind.)
- Can you imagine the first time_________________________ ate a ____________________? (George Washington Carver and a peanut?)
Have students discuss the ramifications of each sentence and situation they have created. Encourage students to be creative and think outside of the traditional framework. This activity is geared toward middle and high school students.
Make each day of the school year count, including the first. Begin the school year in a way that resonates with these simple yet innovative activites. When the first day of school sets a pattern of open communication everybody learns more.
