Double Duty Opening Activities and Icebreakers

From The Author A while back I went to a workshop that blew my mind in both the content and how it was presented. I talked to the trainer afterwards and she told me all her training techniques come from the book “How to Give it so they Get it” by Sharon Bowmen. I immediately bought the book and started implementing the ideas to great success. One concept from this book that I want to share in this toolkit is the idea of icebreakers and opening activities that connect students to each other and to the subject content. In the classes I teach I found that there are some students who are eager to speak up in class, but the majority hesitate to participate. However when I use one of these icebreakers or opening activities at the beginning of class, I have found that for the rest of the class students are more eager to participate in discussion and activities. I recommend using these techniques even beyond the first day of class to help students connect to each other and to the material and inspire them to engage fully in the class. - Emily Versace