any getting to know you activity ideas?

Question

i have a class of adults and want to start my first lesson with an activity or something to help me remember the students' names. as im new to the profession, im hoping someone more experienced has any ideas.

Answer 1

Four games that I use with any age. Be aware that these are very active games. You mentioned that this is for a class. How appropriate these games are depends on how active the class is going to be.

1) THIS IS A MOOSE
Ah, the name game. Everyone sits in a circle. You pick up a random object (a pen, a stick, an orange, whatever) and turn to the person on your left and say "This is a Moose." This, of course, will cause ample confusion among the group. That is your cue to insist empathetically that this is a moose and not a pen/stick/orange/whatever (You don't have to, but I find it entertaining). From there it goes like this:

You (Rachel): (to the person to your left) This is a Moose.

Person to your left (John): A what?

You: A Moose.

John: Oh! A moose! (John takes the moose and turns to the next person in the circle) Rachel says that this is a moose.

Next person in the circle (Amy): A what?

John: (turns to you) A what?

You: A Moose.

John: (turns to Amy) A moose.

Amy: Oh! A moose. (Amy takes the moose and turns to the next person in the circle) John says that Rachel says that this is a moose.

Next person in the circle (Elizabeth): A what?

Amy: (turns to John): A what?

John (turns to you): A what?

You: A moose.

John (to Amy): A moose.

Amy (to Elizabeth): A moose.

Elizabeth: Oh! A moose. (Elizabeth takes the moose and turns to the next person in the circle) Amy says that John says that Rachel says that this is a moose.

Next person in the circle (Brian): A what?

...Well you get the idea. Keep going all the way around the circle until you come back to yourself. This is your opportunity to show off your name skills prowess by saying: "Aaron says that Joe says that Gina says that Matt says that Shannon says that Alison says that Jeremy says that Marco says that Marie says that Brian says that Elizabeth says that Amy says that John says that I said that this was a moose."

It will take some coaxing on your part to get the game going. You will have to tell each person exactly what they have to say for at least two or three people. After that people tend to get into the rhythm of it more. It's fun to see how fast you can go.

Another thing to add to keep things interesting: Once a rhythm has been established try changing the item. When John turns to you and asks "A what?" you tell him: "A lamppost." When he looks at you oddly insist that it is a lamppost and continue. Next time say it's a bottle of water (or whatever floats your boat). Let people know that they can change the item as it passes them if they want (they don't have to). It's fun to see what creative things people can come up with. You can guide it with your own answers. Some good "items": The Beatles, Egypt, an Easter Egg, the moon, a cockroach, you get the idea.


2) THE ICE BREAKER
This one isn't a name game, but I find it's a great ice breaker. Literally!

Get some really long string. One at a time each person has to put the string down their shirt and then down through their pant leg (you could add something here where they have to tell three things about themselves while they are doing it). Once everyone is chained together then comes the ice. In advance of the exercise you freeze a spoon in a paper cup of water (as though your were making an ice pop). Now that everyone is chained together you tie the end of the string to the spoon. Now they have to get themselves unchained without cutting the string or taking the ice off the end of the string.

*Note: For expediency, you can tie an ice pop to both ends of the string. That way two people can be unchaining themselves at a time.


3) THREE TRUTHS AND A LIE
Taking turns, each person has to tell three truths and a Lie about themselves (in any order). Everyone else has to guess which is the lie.

For example, I might say: I play piano, I have been to Japan, I love strawberries, I have confronted a bear.

The lie is "I have been to Japan." I have never been to Japan. The other three are all true. The goal is to try to make the lie sound just as realistic, if not more so, than the truth.

This exercise is good because it helps people to get to know each other and it is a great conversation starter.


4) TOILET PAPER TELL-ALL
Pass around some toilet paper and tell everyone to take some. Don't tell them why or how much they will need. Once everyone has some toilet paper tell them that for every square of toilet paper they took they have to tell something about them self.


Wow, I got a little carried away. Any ways, good luck!

Answer 2

I thought, when reading the question, that it was about me - it could be. I am 61 and am just like your mother. I have never had any hobbies or interests and was just sitting in the house since I retired from work. I recently started going to an over 50's ladies exercise class twice a week at our local sports institute. The majority of ladies are in their 60s with a few 70s. It isn't too strenuous and it is all done to music and is fun because it's not too serious. I have got talking to 2 or 3 of the ladies and I just wish I had joined sooner, as it stops for the school holidays, but I will certainly be going back. It gets me out the house for an hour, is fun, lets me meet people and is getting me fit as well.

Answer 3

OK, I have 2 suggestions for you, good ice-breakers but not a great help in remembering names. While the activity is taking place, I tend to write names and descriptions at the back of my diary and try to learn them later!

Ask individuals to describe their dressing gowns. For some reason, this is quite funny.

Alternatively, have a post-it note for each person. Have the group sit in pairs (opposite each other) with a pen and a post-it note each. Tell the group they have to be good sports and treat the activity as an ice-breaker. Slowly read out a series of categories, such as Favourite TV Programme, Looks Like, My Hobby and so on. Each person writes on the post-it note what they think is the answer FOR THE PERSON OPPOSITE (without showing them). Then, when all the categories have been completed, each member of the group sticks the post-it note on the forehead of the person opposite. Everyone is then encouraged to change places, have a cup of coffee, mill around the room and a lot of laughter accompanies conversations like "So, you look like Brad Pitt!"

Answer 4

Get some large self adhesive labels. Write the name of a famous person on each label. Without telling each individual the name on their label, stick one on each persons back. Get them to mingle and find out who the name is by asking questions to their fellow students. Direct questions are forbidden.

This is a typical "icebreaking" activity. There are lots more.

Next, get the students back to their desks. Give each student a sheet of white A4 card. Ask them to fold it in half so it stands up like a Christmas card on the desk in front of them. Get them to write their names on the front in large letters and make a drawing of something that interests them - a hobby, sport, favourite activity, etc. Either you, or the other students in turn then say "Hello" to the student and guess what the picture on their card represents. Keep the cards on the desk and you will be able to address them personally by name! They must bring their cards to the next lesson to help you remember who they are. I have done this many times - it works very well.

Answer 5

I play "Three Truths and a Lie". I start with an example, where I write my name and three things about myself that are true plus one lie on the board. I let the students guess which are true and which is a lie, and then they each get a turn. Usually I have them do it orally while I take short notes on the board so their classmates can remember what they said. I use this with adult ESL students all the time.

Answer 6

Get them to each say something weird and wacky about them "e.g. I'm tasha and I like to pole dance" or "I'm anna and I grew up on a chicken farm" so that you associate them with that thing. You could also get them to wear name badges until you get to know them better. try to get a bit of casual chat into the lesson too. Also, ask them not to move around for the first few lessons as memory is cue-dependent and so you're much more likely to remember who is who if they're in the same place as they were when you first learnt their names.

Answer 7

I, myself, am bad with names...and I hate that, because I want to build rapport with my students quickly. I play the alliterative adjective game. You have the students think of an adjective to describe themselves that starts with the same letter sound as their name---and you have them put a movement or a motion with it. For example, my last name is "Fullerton" so I call myself Fabulous Fullerton and put a double thumbs-up movement with it.

Have the students stand in a circle, go around the room, and as each new student gives you an adjective-name combination and a motion, say it and perform it yourself until everyone in the room has done it, then go around the room and see who can remember the most. This gives you the opportunity to repeat names and associate them with faces over and over again.

Then, if you forget a name by the next class, playfully as the person to perform his motion---nine times out of ten, that in itself will remind you of the name.

This really works welll for me, plus it's a good ice-breaker for a new class.

Answer 8

I used to use this exercise to get everyone talking to each other, and the teacher can join in to meet the class.
On a sheet of paper, divide it into 8 to 10 squares. Then put some of the following into each square:

loves skiing
has more than 5 children
hates broccoli
can touch the tip of his nose with his tongue

You get the idea. Then everyone is supposed to go around asking each other if they fit into one of the categories, and they can't put more than one name in a square. It's a great icebreaker and you'll always remember who hated broccoli!!

Answer 9

I am not sure if this will help with names, but it could be fun. Get a mixed bag of chocolates - the kind with krackel, mr. goodbars, hershey's special dark chocolate, and hershey's milk chocolate. Pass out 1 mini candy bar to each person. Depending on what candy bar they get they have to answer a different question.

Mr. Goodbar - have to tell somethign good they have done
Krackel - have to tell what "kracks" them up
Special Dark - tell a deep dark secret
Milk chocolate - they get to pick one of the other 3 chouces to tell about.

Have fun!

Answer 10

To remember names ask each student to name their favourite fruit. Then associate everyone with that and you will remember.