Steven C. Paul

Original Icebreakers

 

Introduction

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While the design of these icebreaker activities occurred fairly early in the AET program, many of the design principles that I would formally learn of later were already evident. The intention behind any icebreaker is to establish the overall culture inherent to both an instructional strategy and a learning experience.  It was my intention to design and implement icebreaker activities that allow learners the opportunity to experience a self-directed learning environment while introducing them to activities that encourage exploration and free thought. 

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Icebreaker 1: Story Time

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Purpose: 

The purpose of this icebreaker would be to allow students the opportunity to introduce themselves through storytelling.  It is designed to set a tone within the learning environment for open discussion and creative thinking.  This activity can appropriately precede a variety of assignments, ranging from creative writing to class presentations.

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Directions:

This activity demands acute time awareness as it tends to run longer than most icebreakers.  The ideal time frame from setup to breakout for this icebreaker is ten minutes, but under no circumstances should exceed fifteen. The first step is to partner up the class.  This obviously works best when there are an even number of learners.  If not, try to not establish anything larger than a group of three as this could lead to significant time management issues.  I would not recommend that the facilitator use themselves to help complete a group or partnership.

Once groups/partnerships are established, learners should be allotted from three to five minutes to select any personal item in their possession and prepare a brief story about it.  This would preferably be something physical (i.e. an item from their purses, backpacks or wallets).  The learner is instructed to prepare a two minute story in which they are to introduce themselves, their object and offer a background narrative for it. 

Each learner will present their story to their group/partner and then offer no more than a one minute opportunity for their audience to ask questions.  The time limits for the both the story and any follow up questions should be monitored fairly closely by the facilitator so as to allow every learner an opportunity to speak.  Once every storyteller has had an opportunity to present, a class-wide question/comment period should be offered to allow learners to express takeaways or clarify any confusion.

 

Context:

I would like to preface my context for this icebreaker by saying that this activity works best within the first couple of class meetings.  It serves as a great tone setter for the overall learning environment as well as sets an expectation level for learners leaving their comfort zones.  This is why it is best to facilitate this activity while the class’s comfort level is at its lowest. Inevitably, there will be some learners who find this activity to be silly or a waste of time.  The facilitator should encourage learners to express these thoughts during the activity’s breakout session.  The idea here is not to entertain or offer an experience where your learner’s may get the impression that your curriculum lacks structure but to prepare them create and present material with little available time or warning.

 

Icebreaker 2: Open Forum

 

Purpose:

The premise of this activity is simple.  It gives learners the opportunity to present any topic they wish to discuss.  This is designed to acclimate students to an open forum learning climate, increasing propensity for class wide participation.  This icebreaker is particularly useful in liberal arts classes where learners are expected to introduce their own ideas frequently and confidently.

 

Directions:

This activity is best offered during the opening five minutes of a class session.  During this time, learners are encouraged to ask any question they wish either to the instructor or the rest of the class.  This should be limited to one question in order to remain within reasonable time limits.  The learning facilitator is also responsible for ensuring the appropriateness of the learner’s question and that the topic is not offensive to the remainder of the class.

Since only one learner can introduce a topic per activity, it is advisable to employ this icebreaker on a regular basis – even before very class meeting.  It is also recommended to rotate the questions among the class, offering every learner an opportunity to initiate the discussion.  This will also prevent particular learners from dominating the activity.

Facilitators should remain diligent in moderating the discussion and adhering to time limits.  Discussions can easily take on a life of their own, especially if learners are particularly passionate about a topic.  Facilitators do not need to be tyrannical in their enforcement of discussion boundaries, but should be adept at gently guiding a conversation within the prescribed guidelines.   

 

Context:

This activity is particularly useful for generating participation from a reluctant class.  While the overall structure of this icebreaker may seem rather simple, this can be an immensely complicated activity to facilitate.  This is because it is equally as imperative to moderate a heated discussion as it is to encourage learner participation.  The goal should be to transition this activity into a classroom that is engaged with the scheduled curriculum.  Facilitators should not be afraid to abruptly end discussions when it is time to resume their lesson plans.