Okay everyone, let’s go around the room and everyone will say their name and one interesting fact about themselves.
Did anyone else get heart palpitations just reading that? As a self-proclaimed introverted extrovert, there is nothing more anxiety-inducing than waiting for your turn to seem interesting and approachable to a room full of strangers. Swap out “strangers” for “teenagers” and we’ve unlocked an entirely new level of fear.
Don’t put your students through this type of torture! Teenagers spend a lot of time hiding the most interesting parts about themselves. It’s going to take a little time and a lot of trust before they reveal their passions and personalities. And it’s definitely not going to happen on the first day of school. There are better ways to facilitate engaging conversations and foster meaningful connections with your students.
50 Icebreaker Questions for Teenagers
This list of 50 icebreaker questions for teenagers is guaranteed to pique student interest and ignite meaningful conversations. This list is a great mix of questions that are easy to answer and questions that encourage reflection. Students can be as vulnerable as they want to be. Sparks will fly and illuminate the potential friendships and collaborations among classmates. Your students will be engaged and that’s magic in itself!
I have found that the best way to facilitate the answering of these questions is to present them as a slideshow. Give students a handout that includes the class roster and space for recording answers next to each name. Display one question at a time on your Smartboard. For each question, students will find a classmate to converse with. Once they’ve paired up, students will take turns answering the question and record the other’s answers. With each question, students will repeat until they have had a chance to converse with every classmate. This method limits students from linking up with only their friends and prevents repeat questions. Everyone is up and moving and conversation is flowing. The best part is, you can get in the mix as well! Perfect for a low-pressure, high-engagement first day of school activity!
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