Getting to know you

A set of activities to help introduce students to their new class /tutor group.

A range of different challenges which enable students to learn about their peers but in a way which is focused on completing an activity. There is a range of activities; from sorting by first name to discussing a moral dilemma or solving a spot the difference puzzle.

This means that there is a choice of activities depending on how much personal information you think your students are comfortable sharing -if not much then there are more educational challenges (such as A-Z) to help them start learning to work with each other. They can involve students moving around the room (such as sorting or ‘find someone’) or in small groups at a table.

Some challenges are especially useful as ‘ice-breakers’ such as ‘Sorting ‘ and ‘Find someone who’ (see below).

Others are more suitable when the students have begun to get to know each other such as ‘Discussion Points’ and ‘Dilemmas’ .

The range of activities is:
Group sorting; Find someone who can; Find someone who likes; Find someone who has; Find someone who has done; Discussion points; Dilemmas; Miscellaneous challenges; A-Z; Visual: Spot the differences; Visual: What is it?

Sorting activities – getting children moving and engaging with each other such as by first name or date of birth.

‘Find someone who ‘ – they have to find someone who can do a particular task or who likes something particular or who has (done) something.

Discussion points - a set of questions to get small groups talking about issues (we have tried to avoid any controversial topics)

Dilemmas – a different type of question for groups to discuss their response to certain situation (again we have tried to avoid any controversial topics)

Ten miscellaneous challenges including ‘think outside the box, number association and ‘tell the time’ and an 'A-Z ’ of categories -which are suitable for use at either stage.

A set of visual challenges that provide a different opportunity for group working: ‘spot the differences’ and ‘what is it’ (digitally altered images).

The resources are provided both on a power point presentation(so no printing is necessary!) as well as in a word document which contains the same activities- especially useful are the sheets to fill in for the ‘Find someone who…’ challenges.