What do polar bears and great teachers have in common? They know how to break the ice!
This age-old joke is the perfect thought starter for getting students engaged and communicating in your classroom—especially if you’re kicking off a new semester or course.
Professor Shawn Orr of Ashland University is a big fan of ice breakers and topic starters, and uses them to socialize, stimulate and prime students for success.
“Polar bears break the ice to survive; teachers break the ice to thrive.” – Shawn Orr
In the clip above, you can learn more about Shawn’s breakdown on social ice breakers—just one of the topic-starter types she uses in her own courses.
When you’ve decided to use them in your own course, Shawn suggests the following tips as a reminder for how to use ice breakers effectively:
- Understand Your Group
- Relax
- Get Involved
- Consider Space
- Debrief
For more ice breaker tips and tricks that can help you engage students from the start, watch Shawn’s full webinar.
