Getting to Know You Activities

 

Who Are You?

Relationship Building

A new class is entering the math classroom in just a few weeks. Why I don't stick with the same "getting to know you" activities....I am not sure.  

Here are a few I am contemplating:

Kate from To The Square Inch

• Scaffolded Math shares the idea of a Back to School Math Pennant based on a glyph. I like the idea of then having a colorful classroom banner representing all the students. They can even look at the glyphs to see how many have something in common with themselves. There are 7 different options all available on TPT. Kate from To the Square Inch shared a beautiful display of class pendants.
  
  
  

• Teaching in Room 6 shares a similar activity called All Hands In! 

Teaching in Room 6

 

                        SOME IDEAS

• Assign some classes the pendant and others the hand.

• Offer students a choice of either a pendant or a hand. 

• Kacie Travis has a simple yet effective Back To School All About Me template that works perfectly for those students who just aren't into the coloring activities. 

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  Teaching with A Mountain View

• Teaching with A Mountain View created some Back to School Getting to Know You Task Cards that are available on TPT. There are some others by Kacie Travis that would work as well although these bump it up a notch with students meeting one another. Thinking these would be fun to do as part of the stations. Even better is maybe coordinating this with Scoot to practice some of the rules and expectations of working in class. 

• Personality Tests have been around for quite some time. I just have never really thought about using them in the classroom. This year I am considering 16 Personalities (or maybe an alternative since the results include a section on “Romantic Relationships”)and a reflection activity by Write on with Miss G. I like the focus of the personality test being based on the students getting to know themselves more than me getting to know each of them. 

Of course middle schooler want to share (well...most do). Giving them time to compare and share with one another is a perfect way to build class relationships. I really like how Miss G. used Padlet as a visual representation of the class personality types. This is perfect for streamlining the discussion to 1-2 minutes.  

Write on with Miss G.

         A summarizing question "Should we work with people whose personality types         are similar to ours, or people whose types are different?" can then be used to         as a transition into discussing group work for the year. As many already,                middle schoolers want to work with their friends for any task given. This                activity will give us an opportunity to discuss using the strengths of others to         develop as learners. 

        If the personality test doesn't quite work out (the 16 personalities will need to         be approved by my SAU), then there is the Learning Styles Inventory which is         a cut and paste activity.