Today was my first day teaching at high school and I didn’t want to have the popular awkward ice breaker activity. I tried this and it worked like a charm. THANK YOU 🙏🏼 for sharing.
I’m not a teacher, but I was a youth summer camp counselor for 4 years, and we played a lot of name games and get-to-know-you games. The vast majority were definitely awkward, and I realize now that some of the more introverted kids may have even dreaded them. This is really great advice, and even though I haven’t been a summer camp counselor for years, I’m imagining ways camp counselors could adapt these ideas to their situations.
Tried this today during our first day of school as an 11th grade chemistry teacher. My students loved it!!! The students seemed to like the effective teacher and helpful classmate prompts. I added in a prompt asking students what the most important classroom community rule is. A great discussion followed about respect in the classroom. Thank you very much for the idea!!!
Thank you! I am fresh out of student teaching and just landed a social studies/ELA position for 7th grade and this is exactly how I want to start the first day!
Laura, I have been teaching for 15 years and have never enjoyed an opening day more. Thank you for this great idea. I modified it for math, by the way. Super
@@michellezuniga7590 she probably appreciated this from the first teacher, by the third she was like can I just run to the first teacher and make a photocopy of my previous answers plz. But I'm still doing it because the first day of school is rough
Tip for teachers: if you want to see the types of kids in your class, assign the worksheet for homework, but tell them that it won't be a grade. You'll quickly learn which kids exceed expectations when given the opportunity.
Congratulations on your new adventure, Giaffir Arturo! Get your students up and talking on the very first day - this stations idea will work for your Spanish classes, too. Other advice? Overplan so you avoid dead pockets of time in class. Get to know your students as people first, students second. Have fun and don't be surprised if you reach an entirely new level of tired in the first month. Don't worry, though - that bone-tired fatigue will (eventually) pass. :)
Definitely using this next week! This is exactly the type of set-up that I love, and the kids love even more. Thank you so much for this! You saved me precious time in the lead up to back to school!
Thank you very much - it worked really well and made the kids interact and speak to each other at the beginning of term. I used it in an English class where the kids have known each other for a couple of years and I have also taught them for a while. I will continue using the method in other situations where sentence starters will get the kids talking about a topic, e.g. at the beginning of a new topic that we deal with in class (for example when discussing a novel that the students read or as an introduction to a topic like "immigration" to have the students exchange their ideas about different issues). Thanks again for sharing - very inspiring and fun to do :)
After starting with the sticky notes activity in my Year 11 (similar to Junior Year) last September we "revisited" the sticky notes today in our last lesson to reflect on what everyone had written. I had taken pictures of them and now put them on a "padlet" for them to comment on. Having spent the past three months in distance learning (we are at a school in Turkey), the students have not been able to meet apart from video conferences and it was very special to go back to the things they had written on their first day of the school year. We talked about their thoughts and reflections in our Zoom class and I felt it was as much a good ending and "closure" of the school year as it had been a good start in September. So thank you very much again for this inspiring idea - I will keep on praising and using it :)
I did this activity last year, and it worked really well! I tweaked it a little for my middle school kids, but it still worked great! Thank you so much! I am doing it again this year!
Elka Adams I adjusted the number of stations based on the number of groups I produced. Instead of strengths and weaknesses in English class, I changed it to their most favorite and least favorite activities in English class. That was it. It was a great activity for them!
Elka Adams It took most of our 77 min block but they did have a little time to work on the handout. The kids liked moving around and I got to move with them and meet them on a smaller level and learn about their thoughts
You are just so awesome! Thanks, for this resource. My new school has PBIS activities for the first three days, but I still have to connect with my homeroom class several times throughout the day. This is perfect.
As a student, freshman, I find this a very nice icebreaker! I love it, and only hope my future teachers do something along these lines. I also find this very appealing, because I would like to be a future ELA, Social Studies, or Human Anatomy teacher. So, it’s awesome to think someday I may be having to plan stuff, like lessons and icebreakers. Thank you.
I think it would be great to have you in our profession, Love and music Draws. I mean, a freshman who's already watching teacher videos? I think you might've found your path. :) (Sorry it's taken me so long to respond, but it's finally summer and I finally have time to catch up with all of these RUclips comments.)
This is wonderful! Was just sitting down today to think of what to do with my classes on the first day, and everything I thought of just didn't seem quite right. I will definitely be using this! Thank you so much, Laura! xx
As a high school student, here are my two cents. The sticky note questions are good for the teacher to know, but I can easily guess the most common answers. If my teacher did this I would feel it is too similar to other questions teachers ask and I'd be bored all hour. Second, I'm usually against those get-to-know-you worksheets, but this one is cool. Only 1 over-used question, and overall a good resource for teachers.
Thanks for watching and for your thoughtful feedback, Shelley. I'd love to know what other sentence starters could be added/changed to make the activity even more dynamic? Teach me! :)
Love this! I did something simiular in the past, but I did all of the analysis/synthesis behind the scenes. Kids do all of the work your way. Thanks for sharing.
I have watched this video before and found it very interesting. However, I didn't have the confidence to use it in class. This school year, I 'll be using it for the first time. I'm both excited and nervous! 😃😬
Laura, I have enjoyed watching your videos! Tomorrow begins my teaching career! I will be teaching 7th-grade science and a 6th-grade science encore for my first year! I have planned to use this activity for my first day. Wish Me Luck!!
Just downloaded your resources of TpT. Thanks!!! Going to use this next week for my grade 9-12's! Way better than awkward cliche icebreakers that put kids on the spot. You're awesome. Much appreciated!
Starting my second year of teaching tomorrow, and this looks great! I'm gonna try it and I hope the students like it. I just had freshman day and they were all a little quiet and awkward, so hopefully it'll be better when everyone's there.
I'm just now seeing this. School starts in 3ish weeks and I want something different. Since I'm a math teacher, I'll change it up a bit. Looking forward to trying this.
🔥🤣‼️🤣“You’re here because you don’t want to be lame on the first day of school and I wanna help you not be lame.” How did you know????‼️‼️THAT’s EXACTLY WHY IM HERE ‼️‼️
Thank you for sharing this! I have been trying to figure out what to do for the first day other than reading the syllabus! I usually give an about me survey as homework so this will also to help them voice their concerns to each other and building community within the classroom.
Hi Laura! I just found this video for the first time! I love this idea! I’m a freshman in college, studying to be a high school English teacher. I totally don’t want to be that teacher doing awkward icebreakers or rattle if off the syllabus to my students when I become a teacher. Thank you so much!
Great job, Laura. Thanks for sharing the link. Note to teachers - be protective of your voice for the first full day back. You haven't spoken for this long for almost two months in some cases, so make sure you're not talking all day - you'll have no voice for Day 2.
@@laurarandazzo1158 I knew I was middle-aged when after a long day's teaching in London the stylish Italian brogues on my feet were killing me. I went into Clark's Shoes - famous for their ugly but soft leather shoes - and I bought a pair to wear home. My fancy leather brogues were put in the box and stayed there. I haven't worn stylish dress shores ever since. Clark's shoes aren't sexy, but I never wear anything else.
thank you so much for sharing this idea! i plan to modify and use it with my upper-elementary students. GRATEFUL for a great alternative to the usual (dreadful) ice-breakers!
sure! haven't finalized my plan, but here are some ideas - The most helpful teachers are the ones who ___________. The most helpful classmates are the ones who __________. The thing I most excel at in school is ____________. One thing I want to get better at in school is ____________. In order to do my best writing, I need ____________. In order to really understand what I’m reading, I need _________. In order to do my best work in math, I need ___________. By the end of fifth grade, I hope to ____________. One thing I wonder about fifth grade is ____________. One thing I hope to learn more about in fifth grade is __________. One thing I hope will happen in fifth grade is ____________.
I love how silly and playful you are! I also love your "realness". I watched the video fully and pulled up another tab to check out your website. I also love the fact that you said $FREE.99 for the worksheets and that you are GENUINELY willing to help. I subscribed and am about to check you out fully. I am sure I won't be disappointed!! THanks so much for being you, and helping us to be better US!
Here you go: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-of-School-Stations-Activity-Icebreaker-Middle-High-School-FREE-3254153?st=d38132b83ceb155774bb9337f6de60f2 :)
@@laurarandazzo1158 Thank you! I'm a middle school English teacher of 20 yrs and now a high school English Teacher of only half a year ... which started during a pandemic. I need all the help I can get from veteran high school teachers. Thank you.
This is a neat idea. I did stations on the first day of school, but it was content related. We are nearing the end of the fall semester and I am wondering about how I want to start the spring semester once we return from winter break. Thanks for sharing!
What do you do when students can’t synthesis…I work with special education students and this would be very difficult for the groups I have had in past years, but I love this idea for students who can discuss and interact freely and stay on task. It also helps them self moderate their goals for learning!
I just had my freshmen orientation yesterday and they made us do icebreakers. It was so awkward!! I made people laugh but I wish they did this idea instead :)
Jelly Bellie Ah yes, Jelly, I'm afraid 'tis the season for icebreakers. Like you, I always play along but look to score some laughs, too. Congrats on launching your freshman year!
Thank you for sharing Laura! I had been looking for an activity like this for my high school students and I love this activity!!!! I’m definitely using it!!!
I got you! Everything you'll need is here as a free download (you will need an email to set up a free account, though): www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-of-School-Stations-Activity-Icebreaker-Middle-High-School-FREE-3254153?st=f2faba1f74e0d4030b0662a69b125446
I would love to know how you fill out the rest of the week! Even just a super general overview would be so helpful. When do you start content. Any useful ways to learn names?
Hi, Breeanna, thanks for watching! Great questions. On Day 2, I use my meme-based syllabus lecture, talk about SSR, and launch into real content with our first round of Mechanics, Usage, and Grammar (MUG) Shots. Here are some links to learn more: laurarandazzo.com/2014/08/01/meme-me-up-scotty/ laurarandazzo.com/2016/08/09/making-ssr-work-for-them-and-us/ www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Full-Semester-of-Grammar-Proofreading-Lessons-to-Quickly-Improve-Teen-Writers-501662 Also, I use name card for the first two weeks and covertly quiz myself on their names while they're doing small group work and/or reading quietly. After week 2, I give a kid a lollipop every time I mess up his/her name. There is no mental peace till I know all them all! :)
I float this year. Sharing 3 classrooms! Trying to figure out how to use this with limited time for set up and take down. When your room isn't your own and you are not going to be in one room for all your classes...tough. So love the idea though. Laura is always amazing!
Ugh, Monique. Three classrooms?!! Yeah, that's going to be an extra challenge all year long, I'm afraid. I'd actually ask the kids for help in setting up and tearing down activities like these stations. Be straight with your classes and tell them you need a little grace and a little help. Take the first two minutes of class (I'd even set a timer and turn it into a race/game) and have the kids set up the eight stations. Then, get on with the show. You're going to be dealing with this situation all year long, so you might as well acknowledge the set-up problem on Day 1 and enlist their support. Keep on rollin', my friend. :)
Oh wow! You replied to my comment! I have chosen 4 questions and will have them take their sticky note answers to the white board (divide the board into 4 corresponding sections) and then we will discuss as a class! Your suggestion with the timer and their help, I will use throughout the year. See the added difficulty is 1st day our classes are 17 minutes long. Second day 20! But I got this, lady! Oh by the way, you are my teacher hero! I love your enthusiasm and your TpT store.
Well, of course, Monique! Helping my teacher peeps is what I do. :) And, yes, that schedule is w-a-c-k-y. I mean, what can we really do with only 17 minutes? That's just silly. Hang in there! Things will level out soon.
Thank you so much for this video!!! Such great advice. I'm in my sophomore year as an education major and will be going to my first field placement in a couple of weeks!! I'm really excited but a little nervous too. I always remember the painful ice breakers in my schooling and I'm pretty shy so it was always uncomfortable. I will definitely use a lot of your suggestions for first day activities!
I hear you, Z.G. I'm thinking the stations could be turned into a slide-based small group discussion activity, but I'm really not sure. I haven't ever launched a school year online so I don't have the nuts-and-bolts experience to know how to do this smoothly, but I'm hopeful others with online teaching experience will step up with their ideas/plans. Until then, I'm sort of like everyone else, just holding my breath waiting to see what happens. Sorry I can't be more helpful this time around. Hang in there! :) Laura
Maybe try a nearpod with the option to put the sentence starters at top and students complete the sentence in a "sticky note" there. I think breakout rooms might work if you give less than 8 sentence frames and adapt to fit what is relevant now: To be successful in an online only classroom I will need to... sentence frames like that might work. If you assign the students to breakout rooms that may also work to facilitate discussion, but you would need to provide the PDF to each group and let them work through at their own pace. You can send instructions to each group at the same time when the time to switch to the next sentence frame. I think this could work.
I think they should put all of their stickies at the appropriate # at the beginning. I just can’t imagine an entire class of kids with each student walking around with 8 sticky notes waiting to put them up.
They just put them on the cover of their binder or notebook. I appreciate your idea of just having a pack of stickies at each station, but I prefer to have kids think a bit and write their answers on their own before seeing other people's answers. That way, they aren't swayed by others right from the start. Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you're here with me. :)
@@laurarandazzo1158 Ok, well sticking them on a binder is so much better than my original thought of kids trying to keep 8 sticky’s stuck on their fingers while writing and and walking around. That idea looked like a nightmare. Haha….. Thanks for clarifying that.
@@laurarandazzo1158 Actually, my idea wasn’t to have a pack at each station. But rather to allow the kids to write all of their answers on their own and then go ahead and place the sticky notes at each station on their own and then place them in their groups. That way, each group will see all the stickies as they go around the first time. But thank you so much. I will ABSOLUTELY use this idea. 😝 On one hand I hate that I started strategizing for August at the beginning of June. But on the other hand, I’m so grateful to have this time to reflect and prepare.
I am going to be teaching a sophomore, algebra two class in September. I am very familiar with the material, but have been perseverating on how to do that first day introduction. They say you don’t get a second chance at making the first impression. Your list of conversation starters is fantastic, and only needed to change a few words, of course, to make it Math instead of English. If every teacher had your personality and your enthusiasm, the education system in this country would be quite a bit better off.
YES! I You get it! I was a secondary ed major in social studies and substitute taught for a year but unfortunately my life had different plans for me, as you can see by what my RUclips channel is about, but I hope one day if I am healthy enough again that I could go back to it.
Sara Ringer One of the great things about teaching, Sara, is that there will always be a job waiting for you. Take care of yourself. Get healthy and whole and then conquer the world! :)
Oh this is so great! You speak to my style of teaching so much! I think I'll change out the first question, but I love everything else about this! I teach French for grades 1-8 and I think my older students would really enjoy this.
So smart, C Russell. Yes, the first time teens see this in their first day of classes, it'll be cool. The second time? Not so much. Staffs should definitely collaborate and let one department or grade level call "dibs." :)
Great question, Purple Rose. I know stations are not the right move for an online class and I haven't loved the digital versions of stations that I've seen. Anyone out there have something they love?
Absolutely, Chris! Take this idea and run with it. I use this same technique sometimes when we're working through a short story or article, too. Stations are a great way to add energy to a class period. Elementary teachers use 'em all the time, but the strategy still works great in secondary classes, too. I'm excited, too, to realize that my awkward little video made it all the way to Korea. Awesome!
My original plan was to teach high school English after graduation, so I've been following your advice and tips all throughout my internships in college. Plans change, but I still love your content!
I like this idea. Wondering how it could be modified for lower grades. Like, elementary students might need more help to figure out 'themes" or how to group the sticky notes. Maybe I could make the sentence starters more simple like "my favorite candy/vegetable/tv show is..." WYT?
Stations are definitely appropriate for younger students, too, but I'm not sure about using them for a first day of school activity. I'm credentialed only for 6th through 12th and try to stay in my lane by advising only on what I know. So, any elementary folks out there? What do you think? How would you modify this for the younger set?
Today was my first day teaching at high school and I didn’t want to have the popular awkward ice breaker activity. I tried this and it worked like a charm. THANK YOU 🙏🏼 for sharing.
I'm so happy to hear this, Nadia! ❤️
I’m not a teacher, but I was a youth summer camp counselor for 4 years, and we played a lot of name games and get-to-know-you games. The vast majority were definitely awkward, and I realize now that some of the more introverted kids may have even dreaded them.
This is really great advice, and even though I haven’t been a summer camp counselor for years, I’m imagining ways camp counselors could adapt these ideas to their situations.
Tried this today during our first day of school as an 11th grade chemistry teacher. My students loved it!!! The students seemed to like the effective teacher and helpful classmate prompts. I added in a prompt asking students what the most important classroom community rule is. A great discussion followed about respect in the classroom. Thank you very much for the idea!!!
Ryan Hettes Success, Ryan! Have a great year. :)
Thank you! I am fresh out of student teaching and just landed a social studies/ELA position for 7th grade and this is exactly how I want to start the first day!
Summer Tate Fantastic, Summer! Welcome to the teacher’s side of the desk. Gotta love that your first day lesson plan is already done. ;)
Laura, I have been teaching for 15 years and have never enjoyed an opening day more. Thank you for this great idea. I modified it for math, by the way. Super
opening day?????
😂
Wait... so this is why 4 of my teachers did this
Ha-ha! #facepalm
HahahHHa lol 😂
Raquel, did you like it?
That happened at my school too.
@@michellezuniga7590 she probably appreciated this from the first teacher, by the third she was like can I just run to the first teacher and make a photocopy of my previous answers plz. But I'm still doing it because the first day of school is rough
Tip for teachers: if you want to see the types of kids in your class, assign the worksheet for homework, but tell them that it won't be a grade. You'll quickly learn which kids exceed expectations when given the opportunity.
Thank you for this. It'll be my 11th year teaching and I still never know how to approach the first day!!! I'm definitely using this!
My pleasure, Erwina8! So glad you found my channel. :)
erwina8 you were right! I love her already! ❤
Rachaelx333 Love the love, Rachael!
My first lesson ever is going to be in 6 days, I am going to teach spanish (my mother tongue) from the very beggining , any tips?ù
Congratulations on your new adventure, Giaffir Arturo! Get your students up and talking on the very first day - this stations idea will work for your Spanish classes, too. Other advice? Overplan so you avoid dead pockets of time in class. Get to know your students as people first, students second. Have fun and don't be surprised if you reach an entirely new level of tired in the first month. Don't worry, though - that bone-tired fatigue will (eventually) pass. :)
Definitely using this next week! This is exactly the type of set-up that I love, and the kids love even more. Thank you so much for this! You saved me precious time in the lead up to back to school!
Terrific, GrapeJob! Have a great 17-18. :)
You just relieved so much 1st day anxiety for me, thank you!
Anxiety, be gone! So glad you found this, Shawna. Have a great 18-19! :)
Love your ideas! And, my 15 year old daughter gave the thumb's up also! Going to try in my Physics Classes
I've done this with my classes, and they love it! I loved talking with the kids too. Thanks for the awesome content.
So glad to hear this worked for your classes, Joana. Success! :)
You are my new guru Laura! I’m so so thankful that I happened upon your channel!
Glad you found me, too, Ashley. Welcome! :)
this is amazing. trying it today. you're a lifesaver!
Thank you very much - it worked really well and made the kids interact and speak to each other at the beginning of term. I used it in an English class where the kids have known each other for a couple of years and I have also taught them for a while. I will continue using the method in other situations where sentence starters will get the kids talking about a topic, e.g. at the beginning of a new topic that we deal with in class (for example when discussing a novel that the students read or as an introduction to a topic like "immigration" to have the students exchange their ideas about different issues). Thanks again for sharing - very inspiring and fun to do :)
After starting with the sticky notes activity in my Year 11 (similar to Junior Year) last September we "revisited" the sticky notes today in our last lesson to reflect on what everyone had written. I had taken pictures of them and now put them on a "padlet" for them to comment on. Having spent the past three months in distance learning (we are at a school in Turkey), the students have not been able to meet apart from video conferences and it was very special to go back to the things they had written on their first day of the school year. We talked about their thoughts and reflections in our Zoom class and I felt it was as much a good ending and "closure" of the school year as it had been a good start in September. So thank you very much again for this inspiring idea - I will keep on praising and using it :)
I did this activity last year, and it worked really well! I tweaked it a little for my middle school kids, but it still worked great! Thank you so much! I am doing it again this year!
What did you change? What did you like about it? How long did it take?
Elka Adams I adjusted the number of stations based on the number of groups I produced. Instead of strengths and weaknesses in English class, I changed it to their most favorite and least favorite activities in English class. That was it. It was a great activity for them!
Elka Adams It took most of our 77 min block but they did have a little time to work on the handout. The kids liked moving around and I got to move with them and meet them on a smaller level and learn about their thoughts
You're SO right. LOL OVERSHARE WITH A GROUP OF STRANGERS. Everything you say is so quotable. This makes me so happy!!
You are just so awesome! Thanks, for this resource. My new school has PBIS activities for the first three days, but I still have to connect with my homeroom class several times throughout the day. This is perfect.
Glad it's a fit! ❤️
Omg I've been using your curriculum for years! WHY have I just now discovered your RUclips challenge?? This is great!
Welcome to the party, Elizabeth! ❤️
Thanks, @@laurarandazzo1158 , you're the hostess with the mostest! ;-)
@@ElizabethScottStress I'm trying! 😅
As a student, freshman, I find this a very nice icebreaker! I love it, and only hope my future teachers do something along these lines.
I also find this very appealing, because I would like to be a future ELA, Social Studies, or Human Anatomy teacher. So, it’s awesome to think someday I may be having to plan stuff, like lessons and icebreakers. Thank you.
I think it would be great to have you in our profession, Love and music Draws. I mean, a freshman who's already watching teacher videos? I think you might've found your path. :) (Sorry it's taken me so long to respond, but it's finally summer and I finally have time to catch up with all of these RUclips comments.)
That’s really good to hear! Wishing the best in your future plans
This is a great activity to get students to engage in discussion and get an to who they are. Thank you!
Thanks, Frannie, for watching and commenting. So glad you found my channel! :)
This is wonderful! Was just sitting down today to think of what to do with my classes on the first day, and everything I thought of just didn't seem quite right. I will definitely be using this! Thank you so much, Laura! xx
How's that for some perfect timing, eh, Heather? SO glad you found this. :)
As a high school student, here are my two cents. The sticky note questions are good for the teacher to know, but I can easily guess the most common answers. If my teacher did this I would feel it is too similar to other questions teachers ask and I'd be bored all hour. Second, I'm usually against those get-to-know-you worksheets, but this one is cool. Only 1 over-used question, and overall a good resource for teachers.
Thanks for watching and for your thoughtful feedback, Shelley. I'd love to know what other sentence starters could be added/changed to make the activity even more dynamic? Teach me! :)
This is a great first day lesson for my 8th Graders. Thank you!
Charles James Thanks, Charles, for watching and commenting. Appreciate the support!
If I were a teacher I would definitely use this thank you I wish my teacher did this we always play the name games
Thanks, Brooke, for watching! I think it's important that my teacher friends hear this from the kids, too. :)
Love this! I did something simiular in the past, but I did all of the analysis/synthesis behind the scenes. Kids do all of the work your way. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching, themrscj! It's (almost) always a good idea to put that work on the kids' shoulders, yes? Glad you found my channel! :)
I did this activity today and it was great!! Thanks for sharing!!
This is great! I agree, have the kids more active and mobile is always best. 👌
I have watched this video before and found it very interesting. However, I didn't have the confidence to use it in class. This school year, I 'll be using it for the first time. I'm both excited and nervous! 😃😬
Any chance you could make the PDF file available as a slideshow I could adapt for fifth grade? I love this idea!
Sorry, I made those slides with Adobe InDesign, so an editable version isn't available/adaptable to over software programs.
Laura, I have enjoyed watching your videos! Tomorrow begins my teaching career! I will be teaching 7th-grade science and a 6th-grade science encore for my first year! I have planned to use this activity for my first day. Wish Me Luck!!
Sophia K Go get 'em, Sophia! :) And welcome to the teacher's side of the desk.
Just downloaded your resources of TpT. Thanks!!! Going to use this next week for my grade 9-12's! Way better than awkward cliche icebreakers that put kids on the spot. You're awesome. Much appreciated!
Lwaxana Troi So glad you found my channel! :)
Starting my second year of teaching tomorrow, and this looks great! I'm gonna try it and I hope the students like it. I just had freshman day and they were all a little quiet and awkward, so hopefully it'll be better when everyone's there.
This is such a great idea! I'm going to try this with my incoming 6th graders! Thank you so much!
A colleague shared this with me and I love your idea. I am looking forward to trying this on our first day of school... :)
I'm just now seeing this. School starts in 3ish weeks and I want something different. Since I'm a math teacher, I'll change it up a bit. Looking forward to trying this.
Perfect timing! Just change the sentence stems and you'll be rolling. :)
Laura, you are hilarious! Thanks for making me look so good on the first day!
Woo-hoo, Dawn! Glad this'll (or already did) work in your room. :)
Thank you! It sounds perfect! I will try out with my 9th form students.
Astra Pildina Hope they have fun with this, Astra! :)
🔥🤣‼️🤣“You’re here because you don’t want to be lame on the first day of school and I wanna help you not be lame.”
How did you know????‼️‼️THAT’s EXACTLY WHY IM HERE ‼️‼️
Welcome, friend!
Thank . you, Laura. I used it with my 9th graders and it worked fine! They were not nervous at all and shared their views.
Terrific, Lia! So glad to know this worked for you and your kiddos. :)
I was looking for something different to do for the first day with seniors. This. Was. AWESOME!!! Thank you!!
Jennifer Gross Woo-hoo, Jennifer! So glad you found this in time to use with your classes. Have a great year!
I am starting my first year of teaching high school and I love this idea. I am going to go your site to see what other ideas you have. Thanks. Lew
Lew Calhoun Awesome, Lew! So glad you found me. :)
Thank you Laura! This is awesome!!! I am definitely going to use this on the first day of school.
Let's go!!! ❤️
Only just found your videos now before the first day of school. You are awesome!
Rosemary Doyle Thanks, Rosemary, but I think you meant to type the word “awkward.” 🤣 Glad you found my channel!
"I want to help you not be lame" thank you for your service ma'am 😂
I'm trying. 😅 Heck, we're all trying.
I love you. You just gave me major relief with this activity. Thanks so much- I am new to middle school.
Love the love, Lyndi! Glad you'll be able to tuck this into your first week plans. Have fun with your new kiddos. :)
Teaching my first year of 7th grade science this year. Absolutely love this idea, and I'm definitely going to use it!
Jeannie LaFavor Welcome to the cool side of the teacher’s desk, Jeannie! Glad you’re here. :)
amazing, I plan on using this this year THANK YOU
Hope it's useful! :)
Thanks for sharing this activity! I'm gonna try it out next week :)
Glad to hear this, Paula. Have fun!
Thank you so much for sharing! I just found your channel and I am really enjoying it! I'm a CTE teacher. :)
Lisa Jones Thanks for watching, Lisa. I love being found! :)
You made me awesome today!!!!! That was so much fun!!! Brilliant for my 9th graders!!!!
HOORAY, Charlene! Love hearing this! :)
Thank you for sharing this! I have been trying to figure out what to do for the first day other than reading the syllabus! I usually give an about me survey as homework so this will also to help them voice their concerns to each other and building community within the classroom.
Hi Laura! I just found this video for the first time! I love this idea! I’m a freshman in college, studying to be a high school English teacher. I totally don’t want to be that teacher doing awkward icebreakers or rattle if off the syllabus to my students when I become a teacher. Thank you so much!
Found this on teacher pay teacher last month. Soooo thankful. :D Have a great school year!
Breana McGill Thanks, Breana. Hope your year is a great one, too! :)
Thank you so much for sharing these ideas and resources!!!
Thank you, Laura. very helpful.. Kudos
Great job, Laura. Thanks for sharing the link. Note to teachers - be protective of your voice for the first full day back. You haven't spoken for this long for almost two months in some cases, so make sure you're not talking all day - you'll have no voice for Day 2.
Yup! And be mindful of your feet. Comfy shoes are essential on Day 1.
@@laurarandazzo1158 I knew I was middle-aged when after a long day's teaching in London the stylish Italian brogues on my feet were killing me. I went into Clark's Shoes - famous for their ugly but soft leather shoes - and I bought a pair to wear home. My fancy leather brogues were put in the box and stayed there. I haven't worn stylish dress shores ever since. Clark's shoes aren't sexy, but I never wear anything else.
@@JLaw954 Oh yeah, it's been me and flats for decades. :)
thank you so much for sharing this idea! i plan to modify and use it with my upper-elementary students. GRATEFUL for a great alternative to the usual (dreadful) ice-breakers!
My pleasure, b carey! So glad you'll be able to modify the technique to fit your class of younger students. Success! :)
Can you share how you modified this? Super excited about the idea but wondering how to scaffold for 5th/6th graders.
sure! haven't finalized my plan, but here are some ideas -
The most helpful teachers are the ones who ___________.
The most helpful classmates are the ones who __________.
The thing I most excel at in school is ____________.
One thing I want to get better at in school is ____________.
In order to do my best writing, I need ____________.
In order to really understand what I’m reading, I need _________.
In order to do my best work in math, I need ___________.
By the end of fifth grade, I hope to ____________.
One thing I wonder about fifth grade is ____________.
One thing I hope to learn more about in fifth grade is __________.
One thing I hope will happen in fifth grade is ____________.
Can't wait to do this! Thank you!!!!
Let's go!!!
I love how silly and playful you are! I also love your "realness". I watched the video fully and pulled up another tab to check out your website. I also love the fact that you said $FREE.99 for the worksheets and that you are GENUINELY willing to help. I subscribed and am about to check you out fully. I am sure I won't be disappointed!! THanks so much for being you, and helping us to be better US!
I watched for 1 minute and that was enough for me to subscribe!
Nice! Welcome. :)
Thanks for all you do.
i didn't find the link of the pdf? will u help me plz
Here you go! Try this: laurarandazzo.com/product/first-day-of-school-stations-activity-icebreaker-middle-high-school-free/
Where are the activities?
Here you go: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-of-School-Stations-Activity-Icebreaker-Middle-High-School-FREE-3254153?st=d38132b83ceb155774bb9337f6de60f2
:)
@@laurarandazzo1158 Thank you! I'm a middle school English teacher of 20 yrs and now a high school English Teacher of only half a year ... which started during a pandemic. I need all the help I can get from veteran high school teachers. Thank you.
@@charmaingibson5284 Here for you, Charmain! Welcome. :)
This is exactly what I needed! First year & nothing prepared
Zachary Davison Well, then, I’d say it’s a good thing you found me, Zachary. Welcome to the party!
I just stumbled upon this, and I love it! Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
DANA DAUGHERTY Thanks, Dana! :)
Beautiful simple seamless and downloaded! thank you thank you thank you!
This is a neat idea. I did stations on the first day of school, but it was content related. We are nearing the end of the fall semester and I am wondering about how I want to start the spring semester once we return from winter break. Thanks for sharing!
Bond with James Stations for the win, James! Thanks for watching. So glad you found me. :)
Where's the PDF?
Last page of the download on this free file: laurarandazzo.com/product/first-day-of-school-stations-activity-icebreaker-middle-high-school-free/
What do you do when students can’t synthesis…I work with special education students and this would be very difficult for the groups I have had in past years, but I love this idea for students who can discuss and interact freely and stay on task. It also helps them self moderate their goals for learning!
Could you break down the prompts into even smaller bits or yes/no prompts?
Great suggestions!
Love this! This could totally work for 5th grade if I change the questions.
Yea, Amy! Absolutely. Stations are great for ALL of our kiddos. So glad you found my channel and can easily adapt this for your class. Success! :)
I just had my freshmen orientation yesterday and they made us do icebreakers. It was so awkward!! I made people laugh but I wish they did this idea instead :)
Jelly Bellie Ah yes, Jelly, I'm afraid 'tis the season for icebreakers. Like you, I always play along but look to score some laughs, too. Congrats on launching your freshman year!
Thank you for sharing Laura! I had been looking for an activity like this for my high school students and I love this activity!!!! I’m definitely using it!!!
Efrén Torres Fantastic, Efrén! So glad you’ll be able to fix this into your welcome-back plan. :)
Thank you for this!! I’m trying to move away from 100 numbers activity. I hope other teachers in my school aren’t doing this tho 🙏🏾😭
Thank you Laura. Very helpful!
Where can i find this method? What is it called?
I got you! Everything you'll need is here as a free download (you will need an email to set up a free account, though): www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-of-School-Stations-Activity-Icebreaker-Middle-High-School-FREE-3254153?st=f2faba1f74e0d4030b0662a69b125446
Perfection. Thank you!
I would love to know how you fill out the rest of the week! Even just a super general overview would be so helpful. When do you start content. Any useful ways to learn names?
Hi, Breeanna, thanks for watching! Great questions. On Day 2, I use my meme-based syllabus lecture, talk about SSR, and launch into real content with our first round of Mechanics, Usage, and Grammar (MUG) Shots. Here are some links to learn more:
laurarandazzo.com/2014/08/01/meme-me-up-scotty/
laurarandazzo.com/2016/08/09/making-ssr-work-for-them-and-us/
www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Full-Semester-of-Grammar-Proofreading-Lessons-to-Quickly-Improve-Teen-Writers-501662
Also, I use name card for the first two weeks and covertly quiz myself on their names while they're doing small group work and/or reading quietly. After week 2, I give a kid a lollipop every time I mess up his/her name. There is no mental peace till I know all them all! :)
I float this year. Sharing 3 classrooms! Trying to figure out how to use this with limited time for set up and take down. When your room isn't your own and you are not going to be in one room for all your classes...tough. So love the idea though. Laura is always amazing!
Ugh, Monique. Three classrooms?!! Yeah, that's going to be an extra challenge all year long, I'm afraid. I'd actually ask the kids for help in setting up and tearing down activities like these stations. Be straight with your classes and tell them you need a little grace and a little help. Take the first two minutes of class (I'd even set a timer and turn it into a race/game) and have the kids set up the eight stations. Then, get on with the show. You're going to be dealing with this situation all year long, so you might as well acknowledge the set-up problem on Day 1 and enlist their support. Keep on rollin', my friend. :)
Oh wow! You replied to my comment! I have chosen 4 questions and will have them take their sticky note answers to the white board (divide the board into 4 corresponding sections) and then we will discuss as a class! Your suggestion with the timer and their help, I will use throughout the year. See the added difficulty is 1st day our classes are 17 minutes long. Second day 20! But I got this, lady! Oh by the way, you are my teacher hero! I love your enthusiasm and your TpT store.
Well, of course, Monique! Helping my teacher peeps is what I do. :) And, yes, that schedule is w-a-c-k-y. I mean, what can we really do with only 17 minutes? That's just silly. Hang in there! Things will level out soon.
Thank you so much for this video!!! Such great advice. I'm in my sophomore year as an education major and will be going to my first field placement in a couple of weeks!! I'm really excited but a little nervous too. I always remember the painful ice breakers in my schooling and I'm pretty shy so it was always uncomfortable. I will definitely use a lot of your suggestions for first day activities!
Julia Detmer Fantastic, Julia! I’m hopeful some of my ideas will be a fit for your student-teaching experience, too. :)
I am going to try this in a P.E. setting tomorrow. I twisted it a little to fit the setting, but interested to see how it goes. Thanks for sharing.
That's awesome, Bill! Hope this strategy's a winner for you. :)
It went really well. Thank you again for sharing
Bill Pollock That's great, Bill! :)
You're awesome, Laura! Keep on keeping on!
Piye Yuan Thanks for the encouragement. Appreciate it! :)
love this! thanks for sharing such an interactive activity
My pleasure, Veronica. And thank YOU for watching! :)
How about starting the first day of school on Zoom?
I hear you, Z.G. I'm thinking the stations could be turned into a slide-based small group discussion activity, but I'm really not sure. I haven't ever launched a school year online so I don't have the nuts-and-bolts experience to know how to do this smoothly, but I'm hopeful others with online teaching experience will step up with their ideas/plans. Until then, I'm sort of like everyone else, just holding my breath waiting to see what happens. Sorry I can't be more helpful this time around. Hang in there!
:) Laura
Maybe try a nearpod with the option to put the sentence starters at top and students complete the sentence in a "sticky note" there. I think breakout rooms might work if you give less than 8 sentence frames and adapt to fit what is relevant now: To be successful in an online only classroom I will need to... sentence frames like that might work. If you assign the students to breakout rooms that may also work to facilitate discussion, but you would need to provide the PDF to each group and let them work through at their own pace. You can send instructions to each group at the same time when the time to switch to the next sentence frame. I think this could work.
@@nancybravo3420 I was thinking the same thing. Break out rooms with a spokesperson to come back and share their discussions.
Thank you! This is awesome and I can wait to modify and use it in my classroom.
Maritza Sloan You’re welcome, Maritza. So glad you found my channel. :)
I think they should put all of their stickies at the appropriate # at the beginning. I just can’t imagine an entire class of kids with each student walking around with 8 sticky notes waiting to put them up.
They just put them on the cover of their binder or notebook. I appreciate your idea of just having a pack of stickies at each station, but I prefer to have kids think a bit and write their answers on their own before seeing other people's answers. That way, they aren't swayed by others right from the start. Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you're here with me. :)
@@laurarandazzo1158 Ok, well sticking them on a binder is so much better than my original thought of kids trying to keep 8 sticky’s stuck on their fingers while writing and and walking around. That idea looked like a nightmare. Haha….. Thanks for clarifying that.
@@laurarandazzo1158 Actually, my idea wasn’t to have a pack at each station. But rather to allow the kids to write all of their answers on their own and then go ahead and place the sticky notes at each station on their own and then place them in their groups. That way, each group will see all the stickies as they go around the first time. But thank you so much. I will ABSOLUTELY use this idea.
😝 On one hand I hate that I started strategizing for August at the beginning of June. But on the other hand, I’m so grateful to have this time to reflect and prepare.
Thank you so much! I'll use it tomorrow!!!
I am going to be teaching a sophomore, algebra two class in September. I am very familiar with the material, but have been perseverating on how to do that first day introduction. They say you don’t get a second chance at making the first impression.
Your list of conversation starters is fantastic, and only needed to change a few words, of course, to make it Math instead of English. If every teacher had your personality and your enthusiasm, the education system in this country would be quite a bit better off.
Has anyone done this for distance learning? I thought about doing a Google Form instead of sticky notes. Discussion in breakout rooms.
YES! I You get it! I was a secondary ed major in social studies and substitute taught for a year but unfortunately my life had different plans for me, as you can see by what my RUclips channel is about, but I hope one day if I am healthy enough again that I could go back to it.
Sara Ringer One of the great things about teaching, Sara, is that there will always be a job waiting for you. Take care of yourself. Get healthy and whole and then conquer the world! :)
Oh this is so great! You speak to my style of teaching so much! I think I'll change out the first question, but I love everything else about this! I teach French for grades 1-8 and I think my older students would really enjoy this.
Kendra Leier Très bien! Tellement content que tu aies trouvé cette idée. :)
Awesomeness. Thx.
Great idea! I'm trying to figure out a way to vary it just incase my colleagues watch this also and kids are doing the stations all day...
So smart, C Russell. Yes, the first time teens see this in their first day of classes, it'll be cool. The second time? Not so much. Staffs should definitely collaborate and let one department or grade level call "dibs." :)
This is a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Julianne Rosselli And thank YOU for watching! :)
Hi Laura, what's the best icebreaker activity for an online class? I'm a first-time teacher and I'll be teaching math & art
Great question, Purple Rose. I know stations are not the right move for an online class and I haven't loved the digital versions of stations that I've seen. Anyone out there have something they love?
You are A M A Z I N G ! Thank you for the idea.
I'm going to try this out this year! Third year English teacher and I can't wait for it to start now
This is great! This is my first year teaching, and I'm teaching ESL in Korea. I'd love to use a simpler version of this on my next first day!
Absolutely, Chris! Take this idea and run with it. I use this same technique sometimes when we're working through a short story or article, too. Stations are a great way to add energy to a class period. Elementary teachers use 'em all the time, but the strategy still works great in secondary classes, too. I'm excited, too, to realize that my awkward little video made it all the way to Korea. Awesome!
My original plan was to teach high school English after graduation, so I've been following your advice and tips all throughout my internships in college. Plans change, but I still love your content!
Chris Auber Enjoy your adventure, Chris! I'm sure a lot of your training will transfer smoothly, too. Kids are kids, after all. :)
I like this idea. Wondering how it could be modified for lower grades. Like, elementary students might need more help to figure out 'themes" or how to group the sticky notes. Maybe I could make the sentence starters more simple like "my favorite candy/vegetable/tv show is..." WYT?
Stations are definitely appropriate for younger students, too, but I'm not sure about using them for a first day of school activity. I'm credentialed only for 6th through 12th and try to stay in my lane by advising only on what I know. So, any elementary folks out there? What do you think? How would you modify this for the younger set?
I love this..do the kids move in the same initial groups through each of the stations?
Yes, Pam. You've got it.