Fun And Exciting Ways To Learn About Your New Students, From One Teacher To Another

It's back to school time, and our teachers are excited to share their favorite activities to learn about their new students with you. Check them out!

So many surprises, so much to learn.

Every year I begin by writing a personal letter to my students. I tell them a bit about who I am as a person, what's important to me, what I like to read, and who I was as a middle schooler. I also tell them all about my teaching style and why I enjoy young people so much. I then ask them to read and annotate the letter and write me back about themselves. This lesson allows me to both immediately gauge their reading and writing skills, as well as gives me insight into who they are as individuals and what might motivate them to learn at high levels. I learn what they are "into" and this gives me ideas for how to craft lessons and what texts to choose to read with them. I genuinely love getting to know each and every one of my students each year; it's amazing that after more than a decade there are still so many surprises, so much to learn, so much joy in teaching and learning with young people!

Sarah Yost, Kentucky

Whodunit?

I love playing a murder mystery game with my ELA students. Each group of four is given a whodunit murder mystery (every group gets the same one). Then, when I say go, they have to figure out the details of the crime, when it happened and who was the perpetrator. It gets students up & moving, they are thinking and I get to see their responses to a puzzle. I also get a really good idea of group dynamics in my classroom which helps when I go to assign seats. Students also realize that my classroom is a place to take risks with their learning, a place to think, and a place to collaborate with their peers.

Kelley Cusmano, Michigan

Excitement galore!

My favorite beginning of the year getting to know my students activity takes place on the first day of school. After going through the basic classroom comfort items, like "How do I ask to use the bathroom?" and "Where should I put my supplies?" my ten-year-old students are ready to move around and use their hands. I bring out my bin of party size play dough and ask the students to make something that represents them. They squeal with surprise and joy as they sniff the fresh dough and consider the possibilities contained in that tiny container. The activity is loose and unstructured and allows the students to chat with each other and me as I walk around and talk to them about what they make. My students share a lot about themselves in those first conversations. I learn who likes sports which sports teams and who likes to hike or read or draw. I also observe who helps others open the tricky lids on the containers and who is not yet ready to initiate a conversation with a tablemate. The short, unstructured break allows us all to reenergize and focus on the work of getting to know and respect each other, which is an essential first step for a successful year together.

Beth Maloney, Arizona

Two truths and a lie.

One of my favorite activities for learning about students and building relationships is a variation on "Two Truths and a Lie." I ask my students to take a piece of notebook paper, write down two things they are willing to share that they don't think others in the classroom already know about them, and then one idea that is completely wrong. Once everyone is done, we crumple up our papers into balls and have a "snowball fight." Ultimately, everyone has one ball of paper, and we sit in a circle and take turns reading the two truths and a lie on our papers. If someone ends up with his or her own list, that person has to act as though they have no idea who the paper belongs to. We try to figure out who each person is. The kids love the "snowball fight" in August. Throughout this, we not only laugh a lot, we also learn a bit about each other.

Tricia Ebner, Ohio

Goal!

To learn about students at the beginning of the year we play games using the Smartboard. One game is: Getting to Know You, where questions randomly show up on the grid on the board and students stand up to answer the questions (What is your favorite color?, How many siblings do you have?, etc). These answers help the students get to know each other. We also play a game where the students have a grid of qualities (I play sports, I have siblings, I have a pet, etc) and have to go around the class and survey each other. Once they find someone to fit the quality in the square the person signs the square. The goal is to fill up the board. These activities help me learn the students' interests, but also help the students get to know each other as well as interact with each other.

Lisa Bass, Ohio

Poetic bliss.

I use a poem by George Ella Lyons called "Where I'm From" to get to know new 9th graders and introduce the focus on language they will have all year. The students work in teams to study the structure of the poem, then each student crafts an individual poem. I also write a poem and the kids learn a little about me.

MaryBeth Britton, New Mexico

Prep time.

Every year at the beginning of a new school year my students conduct interviews with one another. For the first few weeks of school we have a question of the day, for example, what is your favorite color, or, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time? We have plastic microphones from the dollar store and everything. Students discover what they have in common or what makes them unique while making new friends. This process also helps the shy kiddos find their voice and meet buddies, too. Interviews- it is easy to do and the kids love it!

Rachel Cornett, Tennessee