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IcebreakersPagecreatedbyLauraTilleryIcebreakersarediscussionquestionsoractivitiesusedtohelpparticipantsrelaxandeaseintoagroupmeetingorlearningsituation(Dover,2004).Teacherscanuseicebreakerswithintheirclassroomstocreateaconnectedandcomfortablelearningenvironmentfortheirstudents.Icebreakersarenecessaryforasuccessfulclassroom.Icebreakersallowforastudenttobecomeemotionallyconnectedwithschoolandincreasesmotivation(Kelly,2004).Therearemanyimportantitemstoconsiderwhenworkingwithicebreakers:Teachersneedtolearnwhaticebreakersworkoutbestaccordingtotheagegroupandnumberofpeople.AccordingtotheStressandWellnessSpecialistsasuccessfulicebreakerneedsstep-by-stepinstructionsandthenneedstobedemonstrated(InstantIcebreakers).Icebreakersaremosteffectivewhentheyarethoughtout,practiced,andhaveclearinstructions(“Beatthesummerheat,”1998).Notallstudentswilllikeorwanttoparticipateinicebreakers,butitisimportanttokeepinmindthatmostpeopledolikethemandnottobediscouraged.Teachersneedtoreadtheirclass;ifsomethingisnotworkingtheteachercanadjustortryadifferentapproachtoanicebreaker.Specialistsstressthatateachershouldmakesuretheroomissilentbeforespeakingsothattheyhavefullattentionoftheirstudents.Ateachercanuseanoisemakerlikeadrumorawhistletogetthestudent’sattention.TherearetwotypesofIcebreakers:FacilitatingIntroductions:Areusedtohelpparticipantseaseintotrainingandhelpstheparticipantstolearneachother’snamesandinformation(Dover,2004).TopicLead-ins:Areusedtoidentifyneedsandgoals,shareinformationandresources,and/orsurfaceresistance(Dover,2004).FacilitatingIntroductionsTheintroductionicebreakersarebestusedonfirstdaysofschoolwhentryingtolearnstudent’snamesandalittlebitaboutthem.HerearesomeexcellentFacilitatingIntroductionIcebreakers:TPSurpriseTheteacherwillwelcomestudentsatthedoorholdingarolloftoiletpaper.Studentscantakehowevermanysheetstheywantandtheteacherwillexplainwhatitisforwheneveryonegrabssome.Whenclassbeginsthestudentswillhavetowriteoneinterestingthingaboutthemselvespersheetoftoiletpaper.Whentheyarefinishedtheyintroducethemselvestotheclasspersheetoftoiletpaper(Kelly,2004).PeopleFinderSheetMakealistofqualificationsforyourstudentsforexample,“Whocanspeakanotherlanguage?”or“WhowenttoArizonathissummer?”Withthelistofquestionsthestudentsneedtoseekoutthesepeoplewiththequalificationsandhavetheminitialthesheetuntilitisfull.Theycanonlyuseastudent’sinitialsoncepersheet(“BeatingtheSummerHeat”1998).Birthdayline-upStudentshavetoline-uparoundtheclassroominorderoftheirbirthdates(Kelly,2004).Thisactivityforcesstudentstomovearoundandcommunicatewitheachother.AccordingtotheStressandWellnessAssociatespeoplelearnbetterwhentheyareactivelyinvolved(InstantIcebreakers).NameChainIntroduceyourselftothegroupaddingawordthatdescribesyoubaseduponthefirstletterofyourname.Forexample,“IamSmartSarah,”or“IamJumpingJack.”ThenIntroduceyourself,andthepersontoyourright.Thepersontoyourrightrepeatspreviousintroductions,andintroducesthepersontotheirright.Continuewiththenextpersontotheright,untilallnameshavebeenrepeated.Thisactivitywillhelpstudentslearneachother’snames(Dover,2004).TopicLead-insThesewilldirectthestudentintothecontentthatwillbetaught.Theicebreakerscanbeusedtogenerateinterestinatopicandactivatethestudent’spriorknowledge.TopicLead-inswillencouragethesharingofinformationandresources(Dover,2004).MultipleChoiceTests&True/FalseQuizzes(PriorKnowledgeCheck)Givingmultiplechoicetestsortrueandfalsequizzesbeforeintroducingatopicorreadingengagesstudents,activatesastudent’spriorknowledge,andwillencouragethesharingofinformationandresources.Theteachercandiscusstheanswerswiththeclassbeforeandafterthelessoninordertofocusontheimportantpartsofthetopicbeingtaught(Dover,2004).WordTreeTheteachergeneratesalistofwordsrelatedtoatopictobetaught.Thestudentsthenhavetosuggestwordsrelatedtothetopicwhiletheteacherwritesitontheboardandclustersisbytheme(Dover,2004).PersonalizeitTheteacherwritesthetopictobetaughtontheboardandthentalksabouthowthetopicrelatestothembyusingapersonalreferenceorstory.Thestudentsarethentofigureouthowtheycanrelatethetopictoapersonalreferenceorstory.SomeGreatIcebreakerLinksIntroductionIcebreakersThiswebsitehassomegreatfirstdayofschoolicebreakersusedinhighschoolclassrooms:::::(2004).Breaktheiceinclassroomsandmeetings.Icebreakers.RetrievedSeptember24,2004.from.(200