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Ways to Do Introductions
Everyone in a class wants and needs to be known. Introductions and personal storytelling are one way to help students get to know each other.
- Welcome to this class! We will use this "thread" or discussion topic to get to know one another. Let's introduce ourselves by sharing several things about ourselves that we would want a potential friend to know.
- Use personal storytelling. Questions that promote storytelling about personally significant events, experiences, or concerns can be powerful for teambuilding. Teammates and classmates often listen more carefully and respectfully to one another when interesting personal stories are shared. Questions to initiate personal storytelling include the following:
- What is your favorite place in the whole world? Why?
- Where do you go to "re-energize" yourself? What makes it revitalizing?
- Think back to kindergarten. In what ways are you still the same? How have you changed?
- What is the story behind your name? How did you get your name? Have you ever had a nickname? What was it? Did you like it? What name would you have chosen?
- Have you ever been in danger? Did you know it at the time? How did you survive the situation?
- Think back to special celebrations in your early childhood. Which celebration is particularly memorable? What made it so special?
- Who is your all-time favorite teacher? Why?
- What was your favorite toy or activity as a kid?
- What is the most difficult thing you've ever done?
- What has been the proudest moment in your life? What lead up to that moment?
- Who is someone you trust? What did that person do to win your trust?
- What is your favorite holiday? Why?
- What are three of your all-time favorite songs? What makes those songs personally significant?
- What is the most frustrating experience that you have had with a computer? What is the best discovery you've made with a computer?
- Who is your favorite hero or heroine? What qualities do you admire in that person (or character)?
- What leader do you most admire? Why?
- What would you look for in a "best friend?"
- Who in history would you most like to meet? Why? What would you like to ask that person?
- If you could visit or live anywhere (besides here), where would it be? Why?
- If you could witness (or take part in) any event in history, what would it be? Why?
- If you could change one event in history, what would it be?
- Do you believe in "love at first sight?" What makes you believe or disbelieve?
- Can money buy success (or happiness)? Explain your rationale.
- What would you do with one hundred dollars?
- If you could go "back to the future," where would you go? What time period would you choose? What social changes would you make?
- What questions can you add? Write additional questions for use in your teaching situation. Try to develop questions that are interesting, relate to lesson objectives, and will be "taken to heart" by students.
-B. Bennett, C. Rolheiser-Bennett, L. Stevahn (1991) Cooperative Learning: Where Heart Meets Mind