My school district is starting 100% virtual remote learning this fall and one of my first thoughts when I get the news was, "How on earth am I going to ever really get to know my students?" I decided I had to come up with an engaging, interactive take on ice breakers so I can build relationships with my students even when we aren't physically together.
My first thought was to create a Google Slides presentation filled with high-interest questions, comprehensible input, cognates, and images to support understanding. Then it occurred to me that I could integrate Pear Deck, a student participation tool that engages with series of questions within the slide presentation.
This Spanish ice-breakers activity is going to be my saving grace on day one this year and I'm really excited about it. Plus, if you teach other languages, you could just change the questions to your TL.
This resource prompts students to respond by dragging to their preference, drawing, multiple choice, and even short answer. Here are some sample student responses and a preview of how the slides work.
If you're not familiar with Pear Deck, watch this quick video to see how it works. You can choose to use the free options only (you'd miss out on the draggable and drawing options), but even the free version is awesome. It's going to be key for any hybrid, synchronous, or remote learning situation, but it has been used in-person for a long type by die-hard users. It's a tech subscription I highly recommend for COVID because it has you covered in any scenario.
If you're looking for more amazing ice breaker ideas, Spanish Mama's viral post about ice breakers for world language classrooms is SO helpful. This year, I LOVED her distance learning variations for getting to know you activities. She just has so many good ideas and I loved her suggestions for "get to know you" activities even if students are doing remote learning from home.
Also, in addition to the 30+ ice breaker questions I've already included, I'll be adding more slides as they occur to me to provide you as many options as possible and so you have questions that will help you get to know your students this school year. I really help this resource helps you to have a smoother start to the school year and have fun with your students!
