Читать книгу Assessing with Respect - Starr Sackstein - Страница 16

This icebreaker can be done in a number of ways. Students can interview their classmates to find out which items apply to them and have them sign or initial the item, or the items can be presented as a Bingo grid. Depending on the age of the students, you can adjust the specifics to things that they would likely have done.

Find someone who …

1. Traveled this summer

2. Loves to read

3. Knows what they want to be when they grow up

4. "Lives" on social media

5. Watches sports on TV

6. Plays a sport

7. Plays a musical instrument

8. Loves to eat

9. Is into fitness

10. Loves baseball

11. Travels by public transportation to school

12. Is a morning person

13. Loves coffee

14. Is an only child

15. Has a pet

16. Saw at least two movies this summer

17. Watches reality television

18. Plays Candy Crush or Trivia Crack

19. Has attended a sporting event

20. Has been to another country

21. Has a job

22. Loves the beach

23. Knows what college they would like to attend

24. Likes vegetables

25. Has a best friend in this class

26. Knows how to ride a bike

27. Writes a blog/considers themselves a writer

28. Wants to change the world

29. Is interested in politics

30. Has read a classic novel

31. Loves technology

32. Knows how to use phones for learning

33. Can work with their hands

34. Lives with extended family

35. Can speak another language

Of course, the first week of school isn't the only opportunity you will have to make an impression and build relationships; it's just the start. Remember to stay consistent but flexible as you get to know your kids better. Pay attention to body language and who students spend time with. Become aware of which students are more assertive than others, and find classroom roles that will allow them to feel like leaders without dominating to the point of excluding other voices. Notice which students are inherently quiet, and engage in conversations to understand why this is so. Don't allow students who are somewhere in between to sit patiently while others carry the weight. Talk with individual students on their way in and out of class, asking about their day or weekend and expressing genuine interest in their answers.

During the first month of school, conduct a learning assessment that allows students to share how they learn best. Various websites include surveys that students can take to help them articulate how they like to learn, such as EducationPlanner.org. Surveys such as these can be a starting point for students who may have trouble articulating their learning preferences.

Regardless of the content you teach, ask students to write a short piece or draw a picture about themselves or an experience they have had that they think will help you better understand them as a person and a learner. Note what they share, and ask clarifying questions. As a model, share something you've written yourself that tells them what you want them to know about you as a person and a teacher. You don't need to share too much personal information, but the more open you are, the more students will open up to you.