There鈥檚 a part of professional development sessions that inevitably makes many teachers cringe: the ice breaker.
What is meant as a get-to-know-you and team-building activity can often feel cheesy, like a waste of time, and even patronizing. Teachers on social media bemoan the forced nature of having to come up with 鈥渇un facts鈥� about themselves or participate in a silly song-and-dance routine.
But experts say that that ice breakers, when done well, can serve an important purpose in building a positive team culture. They can ease people鈥檚 nerves about speaking up in a group setting, set the tone for the training or meeting, and encourage people to talk about themselves.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the foundation of relationships: self-disclosure,鈥� Anton Villado, a psychologist and consultant on company culture, . In new relationships, 鈥渨e engage in self-disclosure over some period of time鈥攖ypically lots of time鈥攁nd icebreakers are simply meant to hasten that. They鈥檙e this opportunity to take what might happen naturally over several days or several hours and compress it into a few minutes.鈥�
He added: 鈥淓ven if people don鈥檛 really enjoy the relationship-building that we鈥檙e trying to stimulate, trying to enhance here, it still works.鈥�
Experts told the Cut that 鈥攂oth before and after the activity itself鈥攕o that people understand that it isn鈥檛 鈥渟ome goofy activity with no purpose.鈥�
And incorporating teachers鈥� input into the design of these activities could help make it more palatable. 澳门跑狗论坛 asked teachers on social media to share ideas for ice breakers that don鈥檛 make them cringe. Here鈥檚 what they said.
Encourage more natural conversation
Some teachers said they don鈥檛 want any cutesy prompts or games鈥攋ust an opportunity to introduce themselves to their colleagues in a more natural way.
鈥淚ntroduce yourself like an adult and share 1-2 things you鈥檇 like to share.鈥�
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鈥淎s you walk back to your room to work on your own for the morning, say 鈥榟i鈥� to a couple colleagues.鈥�
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Have food
Everyone loves free food, and that can create some natural openings for conversation. Some teachers suggested that the best ice breaker starts with: 鈥淟et鈥檚 eat!鈥�
When it is actually broken ice in a glass for refreshment during the meeting.
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鈥淗ere are some donuts.鈥�
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鈥淲elcome back breakfast potluck food tasting. The end.鈥�
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Try these non-cheesy prompts
Some teachers shared some discussion prompts and activities that could encourage conversation and even some laughter.
鈥淩ead any good books lately?鈥�
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鈥淭ake out your phone and pick a recent picture. Tell the person next to you the story behind the pic.鈥�
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鈥淭he 4Cs--use a character, car, colour, and cuisine to describe yourself鈥�
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鈥淢aking memes together鈥�
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鈥淐heck in question鈥擶hat was your first concert? generates some pretty fun stories! Mine - U2 at Cow Palace in San Francisco in 1984鈥攅pic!鈥�
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Practice an activity for the classroom
Some teachers suggested trying out an ice breaker that they could then use with their students.
鈥淭ape a paper plate on everyone鈥檚 back, play some fun music, and spend the next couple songs having everyone write a strength on everyone鈥檚 plate. Everyone leaves reminded what their strengths are 鈥� which leads to doing the same activity with students!鈥�
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鈥淲e did this with our Educator Team first and they then did with our kiddos. Create a portrait鈥擝UT incorporate measurement using either area (using 1-inch squares) or tool-based (a ruler)鈥攐f yourself and a word describing your contribution to the Team. Lots of laughs!鈥�
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Just skip them
Some teachers say that there鈥檚 no way to make ice breakers鈥攅specially those in large-group settings鈥攎ore pleasant.
鈥淚 really hate icebreakers with folks with whom I MAY spend three to five minutes in the coming year 鈥� almost invariably a colossal waste of time 鈥� Icebreakers should be used sparingly when a group of strangers will be working closely together in a team effort 鈥�"
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鈥淚 think teachers are the only profession that attends a meeting/conference/professional development and are treated like children. Try to imagine any other group of professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers 鈥�) asked to dance, sing, play a game 鈥� and at the end of the meeting be asked to write down an 鈥渁h ha鈥� moment, a question still 鈥渞olling around in your head鈥� or some other comment to prove you were paying attention AND then told to go post it in the 鈥減arking lot鈥� (a piece of large chart paper) so others can see it and comment.鈥�
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鈥淭he one where you play 鈥楲et鈥檚 get this meeting started!鈥欌��
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