activities for students to introduce themselves

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42 Interesting Activities For Introducing Yourself 

August 18, 2023 //  by  Victoria Ougham

For both teachers and students, the first day of school can be a little daunting. These fun ‘introduce yourself’ and ‘who am I’ activities, will be a sure way to develop a healthy and happy classroom culture. It’s important to build strong classroom bonds in the early days, and these activities will help you achieve just that! Here are a few ideas for some different games and activities to get you started! 

1. Two Truths and a Lie

Fun for both students and teachers, you think of two truths and one lie about yourself and read them aloud in any order. The students then ask ‘yes/no’ questions to determine the correct answers. Use more unbelievable truths to make the game even trickier! 

Learn More: Slideshare

2. Knowing me, Knowing you

This game gives students the opportunity to chat with their classmates using prompt cards to stimulate conversation. Not only are there fun facts and general behaviors, but there are also cards that discuss empathy and looking after each other in the classroom.

3. Wordsearch Names

So simple and effective. Learning names is an important part of identity. This activity can be quickly made in class or set as a task to take home. Use a word search creator to make a word search that includes all the names of the pupils plus teaching assistants as well 

Learn More: The Word Search

4. Lets Line Up

‘Lining up’ games are great for finding out more information about the class, whilst being interactive for the children. They could line up in birthday order, shoe size, tallest to smallest, etc. For an added extra, insist on silence and have learners communicate non-verbally for an extra layer of fun!

Learn More: Activity Village

5. The Human Knot

A super fun game to develop teamwork and strategy. Each student takes someone else’s wrist and holds onto it. Once everyone is connected, instruct the students to try and untangle themselves, but without letting go of each other’s wrists! 

Learn More: Child’s Play in Action

6. Forehead Dots

Another great non-verbal game for team building! This takes minimal prep-simply stick a single colored dot onto each child’s forehead. They then have to work out what color they have on their forehead by communicating with their classmates. 

Learn More: Venture Team Building

7. Stranded on a Desert Island

Group your children and ask them to decide which of the items on the sheet they would bring with them to a desert island and why. The whole group must be in agreement and will need to justify their choices.

Learn More: Word Press

8. A Great Wind Blows

This great icebreaker is good for those students who may be a little nervous. It’s a slight take on musical chairs. Set chairs up in a circle, but with one less than the number of students. The teacher states “A great wind blows for everyone who…” and fills in the statement with a characteristic that students may have in common. The students then move to new chairs. Every time someone gets up, a chair is removed.

Learn More: Funny Game Ideas

9. I’m Awesome

A game for the 21 st century! This requires only large flipchart paper and a marker pen. Stick these around the room and ask children to write 3 hashtags that describe themselves. This will start good discussions of similarities and differences between the class and give pupils an opportunity to learn more about each other.

Learn More: eLearning Industry

10. Who Am I?

This is a version of Pictionary to allow the children to find more out about themselves. Hand out sticky notes and the students will write down their favorite singers, bands, athletes, etc, and stick (unseen) to a partner’s head. Their partner has to then ask questions to find out who they are. This can be repeated with several partners.

Learn More: WikiHow

11. Time Capsules

A definite favorite! Students could write letters to their future selves that include what they hope to achieve throughout the year, a list of hobbies, and their favorite things. On the final day of class that year, give them back out and find out how much they have changed, learned, and achieved that year!

Learn More: Teachers Printables

12. Create a Commercial

Task your students with writing a two to three-minute television advert about why someone should hire them. The commercial should highlight their special qualities so that others can get to know them. Students can perform in groups or individually. 

Learn More: Live About

13. Classroom Bingo

Use one of these handy free printables and make a copy for each member of your class. You can customize it so it is appropriate for your classroom. Students must find someone in their class who has these qualities!

Learn More: My Free Bingo Cards

14. Beach Ball Buzz

On a beach ball write questions for your class to answer. The students take turns throwing the ball to each other and whichever question is closest to them when they catch it, they answer. This game would be great in a large,  outdoor space!

Learn More: Thought Co.

15. Design a T-Shirt

For a quiet, creative activity, ask your students to design a t-shirt that incorporates images about them; including their favorite subject, foods, and a self-portrait of themselves. You could create a template for them to fill in and hang up as a ‘washing line’ of class t-shirts in the classroom

Learn More: Pinterest

16. The ‘I’ Museum

Give students a small space and a time allocation to set up a museum exhibit about themselves. They could use poems, favorite books, photographs, favorite pieces of work, etc. to show everyone who they are. After the exhibits are complete, learners can take turns walking around and having a look at their peer’s displays!

Learn More: Women’s Ministry Toolbox

17. Who’s in Your Circles?

First, have students draw three concentric circles, and in the middle fill in their favorite foods, hobbies, and subjects. Around the circles, the students fill in love, like, and don’t like. They then leave their papers on the desk and visit other learners to fill their names in where they deem appropriate. 

Learn More: The Thinker Builder

18. Duck, Duck, Goose

A twist on the classic, ‘duck, duck, goose’ game. Students will sit in a circle and the person who is “on” goes around the circle saying each student’s name. However, if the person who is “on” says the class name instead, such as ‘Mrs. Smith’s class!’ and not their peer’s name, the other student chases them around before they take their spot back in the circle.

Learn More: Party Games 4 Kids

19. All About Me Cube

Use the handy template provided here and ask the students to color and write the answers on their cubes. Glue and construct! This is super easy and will generate lots of discussion between the children.

Learn More: Boy Mama Teacher Mama

20. Superpowers 

Give the students an outline of a person and ask them to draw themselves as a superhero; including what their superpower would be. Put the students into groups and ask them to discuss what they have all created and found out. 

21. Thanks for the Compliment

All you need is paper, pens, and tape. Stick a piece of paper on the back of each student with their name at the top. Other students walk around and write positive comments or something they like about their new classmates. This activity is a great self-esteem booster and allows students to find out what they all mean to each other. 

Learn More: Maren Schmidt

22. Never Have I Ever…

Students sit in a circle and hold up 10 fingers. Students start by saying something that they have never done. For example, “Never have I been on a safari.” For each statement made, all the other students put a finger down if they have engaged in the activity. The game provides a good way of finding out unique facts about your classmates.

Learn More: Never Have Ever

23. Funny Interviews

A super simple activity but one that is sure to have students roaring with laughter whilst getting to know each other. Students can ask a range of silly, unique, and inspiring questions using the list provided. 

Learn More: Gathered Again

24. Gallery Walk

Turn your classroom into an art gallery of pictures that they will know for example, book covers, music artists, famous artwork, animals, etc. You could hang paper next to them for comments and scribbles with their thoughts. A great way to get to know your student’s likes and dislikes!

Learn More: Carleton.edu

25. Kahoot Quiz

Have a go at creating a Kahoot quiz. Students can answer some questions about you which will generate more ‘getting to know you’ questions. This is a fun, collaborative activity! 

Learn More: Kahoot!

26. A Piece of the Class

Give your students a jigsaw piece to decorate with facts about them. These can then be joined up to make a fun classroom display whilst all the children learn about each other. 

Learn More: I Heart Crafty Things

27. Paper Aeroplane Game

Students make a paper airplane and write 2 questions they want to find out from someone in their class. Everyone stands in a circle and throws their airplane. Students retrieve someone else’s plane and find the original owner to answer the questions. 

Learn More: Ice Breakers

28. Balloon Pop

Give each student a small piece of paper and a balloon. They will then write information about themselves on the paper, tuck it into the balloon and throw it into the middle of the classroom. The students then take turns popping a balloon and guessing who the information belongs to

Learn More: Creative Youth Ideas

29. Self Portraits

Ask your students to draw a small self-portrait of themselves. Hang all the portraits up and have the students guess who each face belongs to. 

Learn More: Art and Possibility

30. Show and Tell

If you have time, ask your students to bring in something to ‘show and tell’ the class so that everyone learns about each other. Encourage students to bring in fun and exciting objects such as trophies or medals, favorite toys, or books.

Learn More: Wonder Years

31. Race for the Truth

This fun game has students stand in a line while you read off general facts. If the fact is true for any student they can move one space forward. The first across the line wins!

Learn More: Sign Up Genius

32. Hot Potato Name Game

Another super easy-to-prep activity! Get your kiddos all lined up in circular fashion. Then, get the learners to quickly pass a ball or potato to one of their peers. The catch? They have to move as quickly as possible and say the person’s name before making a pass to them. 

Learn More: Teaching Them

33. Life Timeline

Why not get your kiddos to introduce themselves using a visual aid? To do so, give each learner a sheet of paper and ask them to draw a timeline of significant events that have occurred in their life. They can then share these with the class to provide insights into their lives and interests.

Learn More: Infobase

34. The Silent Interview

A good way to break the ice in your class is to pair students up and give them a list of questions to ask each other. The catch? They can’t speak! They will thus need to communicate their answers through drawings, acting, or any other non-verbal methods.

35. The Culture Map

It would be very beneficial for your students to learn about each other’s cultures. You can achieve this by asking them to draw a map that depicts their culture and includes details about their food, traditions, language, holidays, etc.

Learn More: Julian Stodd’s Learning Blog

36. Personal Coat of Arms

Another fun way to encourage kids to share more about themselves is by having them create a personal coat of arms. Each student must design their own coat of arms representing their family, interests, and dreams. Afterward, they can present and explain their designs to the rest of the class! 

Learn More: One Teacher’s Adventure

37. Pass the Parcel

This activity prompts kids to take an interest in their classmates’ unique qualities while playing an entertaining game. Wrap a small gift with layers of paper. Each layer contains a question or prompts about personal interests or experiences. As the parcel is passed around, whoever unwraps a layer must answer the question before the next layer is unwrapped.

Learn More: Empowered Parents

38. The Magic Carpet Ride

Forster your class’ imagination and sense of adventure with this activity! Have your students imagine they have a magic carpet that can take them anywhere. Ask them where would they go and why? This is perfect for opening discussions about interests, dreams, and cultures.

Learn More: One Stop Drama

39. What’s In My Bag?

Give your kids a chance to present what they value or enjoy with this activity. Students can take turns pulling an item out of their bag and explaining why it’s important to them; giving the rest of the class insight into their hobbies and interests.

Learn More: Cluster-Free Classroom

40. Classmate Scavenger Hunt

You can highlight your class’ special talents and characteristics by hosting a fun scavenger hunt! Create a checklist with unique traits or skills, such as “can speak two languages” or “plays a musical instrument.” Your students will then need to search for classmates who match these traits.

Learn More: Teach Starter

41. Student Surveys

A survey can serve as an educational activity that allows kids to practice many skills while they find out more about their classmates. Each student can create a survey about their likes, dislikes, and experiences. Then, they’ll swap and fill out each other’s surveys.

Learn More: Twinkl

42. Would You Rather

Use a twist on a classic game to give your class the opportunity to share information about themselves. Play a game of “Would you rather?” where students have to choose between two scenarios. 

Learn More: Fun With Mama

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36 Unique Ways To Introduce Yourself to Students This Year

It’s all about that first impression!

If you’re looking for a new and creative way to introduce yourself to students this year, we’ve got you covered! We gathered lots of terrific ideas, including some from teachers on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook . They range from quick and easy options to some that will take some planning, but they’re all great ways to start the new year off on the right note.

1. Do a Teacher Feature on school social media

Lots of schools use their social media accounts to introduce teachers, like this example from @tstlongview . Propose the idea at your school, suggesting they do a teacher a day in the weeks leading up to back-to-school time.

2. Have last year’s students introduce you

This fun learning activity not only allows your current students to introduce you to next year’s class, it gives you a chance to get feedback about how this year has gone! See how this teacher runs the lesson with her students .

3. Send postcards to introduce yourself

No time for a full letter? Try postcards instead. “I took a picture of me playing fetch with my trusty golden retriever and sent it to each of my new students over the summer,” James C. shares. “On the back, I wrote a short note introducing myself and telling them how excited I was to have them in my class.” See how The Techie Teacher uses this idea here.

4. Show them a slideshow

Lots of teachers use a slideshow to introduce themselves. We’ve made it even easier to create one with our free editable template—grab it here !

5. Introduce yourself with a quiz

First-day quizzes are a really popular way to introduce yourself to students. Kahoot even has an easy-to-customize template just for getting to know your teacher! Lisa T. does a slideshow about herself on the first day and then follows up on the second day with a quiz to see how much they remember.

6. Share your talents

Students expect the usual bio intro—I’m Ms. Smith, I’ve been teaching for 10 year, etc. But why not open with a bit of pizzazz by sharing one of your unique talents with students? Play a song on your trumpet, pass out cookies you made, display a quilt you made. Opening up with something personal will encourage your students to do the same. 

7. Plan a meet-the-teacher escape room

Source: @thekellyteachingfiles

OK, we admit this is going to take some work. But it’s a surefire way to amp up student excitement from day one! Set up an escape room to help kids learn more about you and explore the classroom at the same time. See how Mskcpotter does it here.

8. Play 20 Questions

After a brief introduction, open the floor to students’ questions about yourself and the coming year. This is a great way to reveal students’ wishes and hopes for the year as well as any concerns that are lurking beneath the surface. Be sure to have a “pass” option if students ask any questions that are too personal for you so you can deflect with good humor.

9. Use a student-created brochure

Emily F. lets her previous year’s class help her introduce herself to incoming students. Then she gives a quiz to see if kids really took the time to read it! “At the end of the year, I have my students make a brochure for next year’s students. If the kids read it, they get a lot of answers to my quiz questions right.” Looking for a template? We like this one from Teacher Trap .

10. Decorate a Bitmoji virtual classroom

Whether you’re teaching in person or online, Bitmoji classrooms are a fantastic way to show off your personality. This one from The Social Studies World of Ms. J has clickable images to take students to different important links.  Learn how to create your own here.

11. Read, run, and write

Get your students working collaboratively and focusing on their writing skills right away with this activity from the Busy Teacher . Write a list of facts about yourself—your background, family, hobbies, etc.—and post several copies of the list in the front of the room.

Divide your class into small teams and give each team a sheet of paper. One student in each group will stay at their desk while the others take turns running up to the board, reading and memorizing as much as they can before running back to the student at the desk who will listen and write down what they’re told. The first group to correctly write down the full list wins.

12. Build a word cloud

Word clouds are fun to make, and you can use this as an activity for all your students on the first day if you like. Make your own using instructions from Happy Hooligans using words that describe your background, hobbies, style, and more. Plus, check out these free word cloud generators for teachers .

13. Set up a question-and-answer match

Image source: JobCase

Fourth grade teacher Lori Silviera shares this fun activity: “I make Q and A’s on index cards about me,” she says, “and then the students try to find a classmate who has the answer or question that matches the card they get. After they partner, the person with the question reads it and then the partner that has the answer reads it to the rest of the class. For example: How many pets do I have? (One cat named Lenny).” 

14. Make a photo book to introduce yourself

Start the year by reading your kids a book that’s all about you! Heidi J. says, “Last year, I made an ‘ABC’ photo book on Shutterfly and included one thing about myself for each letter of the alphabet. (And yes, I really had to stretch to figure out ‘X’ and ‘Q.’) After reading it to my students on the first day of school, I left it in the classroom library. The kids read it over and over again throughout the year.” Learn how teacher Sarah Chesworth uses her autobiography with her class here.

15. Create a Fakebook profile

It’s not a great idea to show students your real social media pages. Instead, create a “Fakebook” profile, like teacher Marissa Q. does. Use the free online tool , or mock up one on paper, sharing interesting facts, photos, and other info about you that you’re comfortable with kids knowing.

16. Model a survey

Try this fun and educational activity from the Art of Education. Student questionnaires/surveys are a great way to get to know your students, and for students to have an opportunity to share things with you at the start of the school year. Ask things like, “Do you have a nickname or middle name that you go by instead of what is on the roster?” “What is your preferred pronoun?” “How do you like to receive feedback?” etc. We like this list of questions from the Inspiration Board. 

17. Let students research your life

Introduce yourself to your students with a lesson on gathering info from trustworthy primary sources . “I give students a stack of primary documents from my life (letters, report cards, class pictures, etc.) with all the sensitive information blacked out,” eighth grade teacher Phil L. says. “I ask the students to create a timeline from that information, hypothesize about what happened in the gaps, and draw conclusions about the kind of person they think I am.”

18. Try a game of This and That

Your new students will love this hands-on “get to know you” game from Amateur Craft Hour . The game begins with the first person securing a ball of yarn to their wrist. Then, they choose a stick with a word written on each side—for example, fame and money. They choose which one they would prefer. Then, they ask those who would make the same choice to raise their hand and toss the yarn to one of them. Play continues until the yarn has woven quite a web illustrating that we are all connected in some way.

19. Hold a scavenger hunt

Jan R. expands on the research activity by turning her students into detectives. She puts all the documents in envelopes marked TOP SECRET and stashes them around her room. She even gives them magnifying glasses to read the fine print! Use the free printables from Moms & Munchkins to make this even more fun.

20. Introduce yourself in a movie

It’s a bit more work, but teachers point out that you can use these to introduce yourself again and again. Plus, a movie works in both regular and virtual classrooms. Many teachers already have access to iMovie on their school computers. Learn how to use it here.

21. Introduce yourself on Flip

Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is the best interactive tool you’re not using yet. It allows teachers and kids to record and safely post short videos … and it’s completely free! Record a Flip video to introduce yourself to students, then have them do the same. Whether you’re teaching in person or online, this is such a fun way for everyone to get to know each other.

22. Let them do the math

Sneak a little math review into your teacher introduction with this clever idea! Come up with a series of facts about you that can be represented in numbers, then turn those into math problems. This works at a variety of grade levels, and kids always get such a kick out of it! Learn more from The Magnificent Fourth Grade Year .

23. Design a T-shirt

Wear your personality on your sleeve! Draw the outline of a shirt and decorate it with information about yourself. Have your students do the same and then use them to adorn your room, like Counseling Corner does. (Feeling ambitious? Decorate and wear a real T-shirt instead!)

24. Draw a name map

Mapping is an excellent writing strategy, and you can teach the concept early on with a fun name map. Create one to introduce yourself on the first day of class, then have your students do the same. Find out more from TeachWithMe.com .

25. Put together a name tent

Name tents work in traditional or virtual classrooms. In an in-person classroom, prop this on your desk for the first week or so. Online, post the image during breaks or leave it on the corner of the screen. (Kids can do this activity too!) Learn more from Spark Creativity .

26. Give them the scoop on you

Is there any cuter way to introduce yourself to your students? If you really want to guarantee yourself the “best teacher ever” award, you could have an ice cream sundae party to go along with it! Learn more from True Life I’m a Teacher .

27. Let your star shine

“Every week during the year, one student is Star of the Week and they get to display a collage of their favorite things in the classroom,” says Judith G. “For the first week, I’m the star and my collage allows my students to get to know me.” Use this example from Amanda Hager on Pinterest for inspiration.

28. Dress the part

“I know my students think of me as a bit of a geek (hey, what can I say, I’m a math teacher!) so I totally geek out for the first day of school,” admits Greg S. “I wear a pi T-shirt and thick glasses and really play up the geeky math teacher thing.” Want to go all out? Try these teacher dresses that make you look just like Ms. Frizzle!

29. Play Red Light, Green Light, getting-to-know-you style

Here’s a fun twist on the classic “Two Truths and a Lie” (another teacher-introduction favorite). Line kids up on one end of the room or playground. Stand on the other side, and make a statement about yourself. If students think the statement is true, they take one step forward. If they’re wrong, they go back to the start! The first student to reach you is the winner. Learn more about this unique way to introduce yourself from Rulin’ the Roost .

30. Write an autobiographical poem

This idea comes from Brianna H., who says, “I like to do an autobiographical poem. I do a model about myself to use as a guide for them. Students write their own using the template and then write it on construction paper and cut out images to create a collage around it.” See this project in action from Melulater.

31. Show them you’re one part of the puzzle

Use this cute idea to introduce yourself and create a terrific back-to-school bulletin board all at once! Personalize your puzzle piece with pictures or facts about yourself. Have kids do the same, and put all the pieces together to make a terrific mural for your classroom. Learn more from Supply Me .

32. Assemble a picture collage

Use pictures to make a collage that tells kids about you with pictures instead of words. “We do a Get to Know Me in Pictures,” says Paige T. “I made one for myself and I introduce myself to the whole class using mine.” If you really want to get creative, make your collage in the shape of your silhouette. Learn how from Kix. (This works online too— try it using Padlet .)

33. Map out a timeline of your life

Draw a timeline on the whiteboard before you introduce yourself, suggests Jan R. As you share facts about yourself from different points in your life, have kids come up and add those events to the right place on the timeline. Make it even more fun by adding photos from your life, like this one from Surfin’ Through Second .

34. Craft a get-to-know-you cloudburst

This simple and colorful craft lets students know what’s important to you. Have them make their own so you can get to know them too. Hat tip to GuysTeachToo on Instagram for this idea.

35. Write a Mystery Box essay

Dawn M. explains, “I put 3 items that represent me in a bag and use it to teach the 5-paragraph essay format. Each item is one paragraph of my essay. Then I share my essay with the kids and pull each item out while reading that item’s paragraph.” She follows up by having kids write their own introductory essays using the same format. See how one teacher uses this activity at Welcome to Room 36 !

36. Pop an emoji bubble

We love this clever little game that works with Google Slides and is perfect for virtual or traditional classrooms. Students pick an emoji and “pop” the bubble, and you answer the question to tell them a bit about yourself. Kids can play too! Get the game from SSSTeaching on Teachers Pay Teachers .

How do you introduce yourself to your students? Come share your ideas and get advice on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out icebreakers for middle and high school students that really work .

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Getting to Know You: 7 Creative Ways to Introduce Yourself to Your New Class

The beginning of a new school year means a new class full of unfamiliar faces. The early days of a school year provide opportunities for you to share information about yourself and learn about your students. As you decide how to introduce yourself to your new class, why not think outside the box?

Check out these creative ways to confidently introduce yourself in class:

• 1: Mystery Bags

On the first day, introduce yourself to your new class with a mystery bag . Bring in a small bag filled with items that represent you and your interests. Have students guess what’s inside before revealing each item and telling them what it means to you. Then, send your students home with bags of their own (brown bags from the dollar store work great!) and instructions to fill them with their own items from home. Over the next few days, choose a few bags each day to share and guess the contents. Students can brush up on their inferring skills (“Could this be a girl’s bag?” “Is this from someone who likes the beach?”) while guessing whose bag it is. Once the bag owner is guessed, she can stand up and introduce herself to the class.

• 2: Truth or Lie

When you find yourself struggling with how to introduce yourself in class, try this fun idea. Write down 10 statements about yourself—five true and five false. Aim for a mix of creative, funny, unique, and impressive statements. Share the list with your class, pretending all are true. Then, tell your class that half the list is false. Have the students write down which ones they think are true and which are false. Once the students have determined what’s true about you, reverse the game and have your students write two true statements about themselves and one lie on an index card. Collect the cards and try to determine what’s true or false about your students. You’ll all learn something about each other!

• 3: Read, Run, and Write

Get your students working collaboratively and focusing on their writing skills right away with this activity . Write a list of facts about yourself—your background, family, hobbies, etc.—and post several copies of the list in the front of the room. Divide your class into small teams and give each team a sheet of paper. One student in each group will stay at his desk while the others take turns running up to the board, reading and memorizing as much as they can before running back to the student at the desk who will listen and write down what he’s told. The first group to correctly write down the full list wins.

4: Toss ‘n’ Talk Ball

Purchase an inexpensive ball such as a beach ball and write a variety of categories on it in permanent marker—think things like “favorite movie,” “favorite food,” “favorite color,” and so on. Take your class outside and toss the ball around in a circle. Whoever catches it has to reveal his answer to the category his thumb is touching before tossing the ball to someone else.

• 5: Figure Me Out

Use this suggestion to help students review math facts while they get to know you! Create a board with information about you—suggestions include your age, your birthday, the number of people in your household, and so on. Write the topic and answer on the board. Then, create a simple math problem for students to solve to determine the answer. For example, if your age is 28, write “My Age” and 28 on the board. Cover the number 28 with a sticky note and a math equation equal to 28 such as 7 x 4. Challenge students to solve the problems and peek under the sticky note to check their answers.

• 6: Send a Postcard

If you want to introduce yourself to your new class over the summer break, go beyond a traditional welcome letter. Send a fun postcard from your favorite vacation spot, or if you’re staying home all summer, pick one from your hometown. You can also make your own by taking a photo of yourself, your pets, or anything that says “you.” Write a few sentences on the back about how excited you are to meet your future class and drop the cards in the mail, addressed to your students. Your kids will love getting their own mail and it will help build excitement for the first day of school.

• 7: This or That

Noisy librarians, teachers sleeping in school (really?!), special friends, and more offer a variety of topics that students can relate to…and at times, laugh along with in this collection of leveled readers.

This blog was originally published on July 27, 2017. It was updated on June 23, 2019.  

• 4: Toss 'n' Talk Ball

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Fun Classroom Introductions for the First Day of School

10 Perfect Icebreaker Activities for Adults and Children

• Teaching Adult Learners
• An Introduction to Teaching
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• School Administration
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• Issues In Education
• Teaching Resources
• Becoming A Teacher
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• Elementary Education
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• Homeschooling

• B.A., English, St. Olaf College

Engage the adults or younger students in your classroom on the first day of school by helping them get to know each other with one of these 10 fun introductions for the classroom. When students know who they are sharing the classroom with, they engage more quickly and learn faster.

People may laugh when you mention using an icebreaker in the classroom, but such activities can make you a better teacher by helping your students get to know each other better. When students are more comfortable in their surroundings, it's easier for them to learn—and for you to teach.

Two Truths and a Lie

Ann Rippy/The Image Bank/Getty Images

This is a quick and easy introduction game sure to foster lots of laughs. It's an easy game to play and you won't need any materials, just a group of people. It is ideal for 10 to 15 people. If you have a larger class, divide students into manageable groups so it doesn't take longer than 15 to 20 minutes to get through everyone.

People Bingo

Bingo is one of the most popular ice breakers because it’s so easy to customize for your particular group and situation, and everyone knows how to play it. Buy your bingo cards, or make your own.

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This icebreaker is a great introduction when students don’t know each other, and it fosters team building in groups that already work together. You'll likely find that your students' answers are very revealing about who they are and how they feel about things.

Two-Minute Mixer

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You may have heard of eight-minute dating, where 100 people meet for an evening full of very brief "dates." They talk to one person for a brief period and then move on to the next prospective partner. Eight minutes is a long time in the classroom, so make this icebreaker a two-minute mixer instead.

The Power of Story

Students bring to your class varied backgrounds and worldviews. Older students bring an abundance of life experience and wisdom. Tapping into their stories can deepen the significance of whatever you've gathered to discuss. Let the power of story enhance your teaching.

Expectations

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Expectations are powerful, especially when you're teaching new students. Understanding your students' expectations for the course you're teaching is the key to success. Find out on day one by combining expectations and introductions.

If You Had a Magic Wand

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If you had a magic wand, what would you change? This is an exercise that opens minds, considers possibilities, and energizes your group.

The Name Game

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You may have people in your group who hate this icebreaker so much that they’ll still remember everyone’s name two years from now. You can make it harder by requiring everyone to add an adjective to their name that starts with the same letter, such as Cranky Carla, Blue-Eyed Bob, and Zesty Zelda.

If You Had Taken a Different Path

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Almost everyone has wished at some point that they had taken a different path in life. This icebreaker allows participants to share their name, a little about the path they chose to take in life, and which path they would choose today. Ask them to explain whether the alternate path is related to the reason they are sitting in your classroom or attending your seminar. This icebreaker works best with adult students or upper-level high school students.

One-Word Icebreaker

You can't get more basic than a one-word icebreaker. This deceptively simple icebreaker will help you more than any painstakingly prepared activity, and it works with students of all ages. You can figure out the one word to solicit the reactions of your students on the fly and then devote the rest of your preparation time to the content of your classroom lecture.

• Adult Ice Breaker Games for Classrooms, Meetings, and Conferences
• 10 Warm Ups for Lesson Plans
• The Magic Wand Ice Breaker
• Active Classroom Icebreakers
• Would You Rather
• Ice Breakers for the First Day of Elementary School
• Ice Breaker Game for Adults: 2-Minute Mixer
• Icebreakers for Corporate Meetings
• If You Could Choose a Different Path in Life, What Would You Choose?
• How to Set up Your Classroom for the First Day of School
• 'Where in the World' Classroom Icebreaker
• How to Make Lesson Plans for Adult Students
• Using Ice Breakers With Your Adult Students
• Play Snowball Fight to Break the Ice or Review Lessons
• Understand Student Expectations With This Ice Breaker
• How to Use the Ball Game as an Icebreaker for Groups

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18 Fun Ways to Introduce Yourself to Your Students

by Sara Ipatenco

The first day of school can cause a lot of nerves – for students and teachers alike. Ease some of the nervousness your students might be feeling by introducing yourself in a fun, unique way. When you bring a bit of humor and fun into the classroom, your students can relax and get the year off to a great start. Here are some creative ideas to help you introduce yourself in a new way!

1. Showcase yourself in a newsletter

Use a newsletter template to share information about yourself. You can include important information, such as your contact details, as well as fun things like your favorite food and favorite color. Mail one to each student or pass them out at your meet the teacher night.

2. Make a magnet

Create magnets with your contact information and details for families to hang on their refrigerators at home.

3. Create a brochure

Brochures are compact ways to convey important information. Capitalize on that by making a brochure all about yourself! Include your contact details and anything else, such as facts about your childhood, that you think your students would want to know about you. Use this template, or try using your free Canva teacher account for easy digital designing.

4. Make a scratch-off card

If your students don’t find out who their teacher is until a back-to-school or meet-the-teacher event, you can reveal it in a fun way with scratch-off cards. Hide photos of each teacher under the scratch-off material and hand the correct one to each student as they come in.

5. Send a postcard

Create a postcard with all the things you want your incoming students to know and send it off shortly before school starts. Bonus points if you include a photo of yourself on the card!

6. Encourage some math practice

Decide what information you want your students to know about you and create some math problems for them to solve in order to find the answers. For example, if you want them to know that you have five pets, you could write, “I have 10 – 5 pets at my house.” It’s fun for students and squeezes in a bit of math practice before the first day of school even arrives!

7. Make a QR code

Compile all the information you want your students to know online and create a QR code that links to all those pertinent details.

8. Create a PowerPoint

Make a variety of slides that share important details about yourself, as well as a few fun facts to get students excited to spend the next year with you. Show it on the first day of school or at your meet-the-teacher event.

9. Fill out your “phone screen”

This is a great activity to do with your students on the first day of school. Each person, including you, gets a blank phone design and fills in the empty squares with “apps” that describe important facts about you.

10. Start some class journals

Grab a notebook and start some class journals. You, as the teacher, can create the first entry in each journal. Your students can learn about you and their classmates as they each get a turn to write.

11. Play ball

Head over to the dollar store and buy a couple of beach balls. Use a Sharpie to write a question on each section. Get to know your students while they get to know you by sharing the answer to each question as you throw and catch the ball.

12. Make posters

Give each student a large piece of construction paper and have them create a poster that shares all the important information about themselves. You can make one too, and then everyone can share their poster and learn more about each other.

13. Design an anchor chart

Grab one of your blank anchor charts and create a large display of facts about you. Even better, wait until the first day of school and fill it out with your students.

14. Make a class scrapbook

Create a blank scrapbook page for each person in your class to fill out that includes important details about themselves. Once you’ve made your teacher page, you can assemble each page into one class book so everyone can get to know each other.

15. Create a photo collage

Gather some of your favorite pictures showing things about you and assemble them into a collage to share with your students. Encourage your students to each make one too!

16. Write “I am” statements

Divide a piece of paper into sections and complete the beginning “I am” inside each section. This is another great activity to introduce yourself and get to know your students.

17. Craft a collage

Write your name in the middle of a piece of poster board and then decorate the rest with hand-drawn pictures, magazine images, or pictures you print, each of which tells your students something about you.

18. Introduce your “selfie”

This one is like creating apps to describe yourself, each page is a blank cell phone that you fill out with information to introduce yourself. Include such things as who is in your family, what your favorites are, and what hobbies you enjoy outside of school.

Try one or more of these for an exciting start to the year!

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5 Games for Introducing Students to a Class

Introducing Yourself in a Class

What are games for introducing yourself in class.

Games provide a fun and effective way for new students to get to know one another at the beginning of the school year, on the first day of school, or in any back to school activity. The games can range in complexity from simply learning each student's name to learning detailed facts about each person in lesson plans. This also helps the teacher get to know each of her students while letting the kids have some fun in the classroom with classroom activities and classic games. These classroom games can also be done in small groups of students or in a whole class to allow students to have direct interaction with each other. These activities should be done in the front of the room or in front of the class so that everyone can feel involved and included in the fun activities.

By utilizing a fun game, classroom interactions and introductions can have a bigger impact in student communications early in the school year in a fun way. These activities can also allow the learners to get to know you as a teacher or helper in charge. These interactive introductory activities and icebreaker games can be used in a range of classroom settings, from preschool to middle school or high school. These activities also encourage team bonding and team building aspects as students can work together or alone to create the correct answers. There are many apps that can be used for these activities as well, some including learning vocabulary words as well as introductions for a class. When thinking of which introduction activities to include, think which activity would you rather have for your own introduction.

1. Name Chain

This simple game helps students remember each others' names while also improving their information retention skills. Grab a small ball and sit in a circle with the students. Say your name and pass the ball to your left to the first student. Have that student repeat your name and recite theirs to the rest of the class. When they pass it, the next student or next person involved recites the two previous names and their own before passing. When the list starts to get long, encourage the students to help each other remember forgotten names. After the ball makes it back around to you, mix it up by tossing or rolling it to a random student. After they repeat your name and their own, they pass it to another random student to continue the activity.

2. Introduction Hot Potato

Arrange the students in a circle and grab a small ball. This game works well in conjunction with the "Name Chain" game. Explain that whoever has the ball gets to ask a question and toss the ball to a classmate, who answers the question about themselves. For example, if you start with the ball you could ask "What is your favorite movie?" and toss the ball to whomever you want to answer. After answering, the second student asks a question and throws the ball to another classmate.

Create a 5-by-5 grid template, like those used to play Bingo. This grid can be on a whiteboard, smartboard or other larger format for easy viewing. Get one unique fact about each student to populate each square, while labeling the middle square as "Free." The Introduction Hot Potato game works well for collecting these facts and lets you tie both games together; otherwise, have each student fill out a brief questionnaire on a piece of paper or worksheet to garner the facts. Pass a game board out to each student and have them interact with classmates to try figuring out who matches each descriptor. When a student finds the person described in a box, they’ll have that student sign their name in that box. The first person to fill a row or column correctly wins the game.

4. Guess Who

After the students get to know each other a bit through the previous games, this one lets them freely interact with one another, stand up and have fun through a guessing game. Write each student's name on a name tag and attach the name tags to the students' backs, but give each student the wrong name tag. Pair the students randomly and have them each read the others' name tag. Each student gets to ask three yes or no questions to try figuring out whose name tag he has on his back. If they don't guess correctly after three tries, they switch partners and try again. Once they correctly guess whose name tag they have, each student returns the name tag to the right person. When a student correctly guesses whose name tag they have, they may go around and offer hints to those still guessing.

5. Two Truths and a Lie

Students can also incorporate some fun into their introductions in class by utilizing the Two Truths and a Lie game as an icebreaker activity. This game allows students to share something interesting or unique about themselves to their classmates and also be creative by coming up with a lie to tell as well. The student will come up with their own truths and lies to tell to the other classmates, and they will tell all of the students in the class at once for everyone to take a guess collectively. The student should tell the 2 truths and 1 lie in the same way, allowing for the deception of the statements all being true to be performed for the other students. The other students in the class will then give their guesses into which of the 3 statements was a lie.

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• Scholastic: Top 5 Ways to Get to Know Your Students

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13 fail-safe icebreakers to use in class today

At the start of a new semester, teachers around the world turn their attention to the very first class. With a new group of students to integrate and make comfortable, icebreakers are an activity that are essential to those first days. But what makes a good activity? Ideally, teachers need icebreakers that are low in social risk,  matched to your class’s proficiency level, and perhaps just a bit silly. A good activity will encourage bonding, participation, motivation, and allow students to relax both mentally and physically. Of course, it’s an added bonus if they can be easily adapted as warm ups or speaking activities during the year. Here are 13 adaptable icebreakers that we love…

Moving activities

1. blobs and lines.

This activity is easy, quick, keeps students moving and talking, plus helps them discover what they have in common. The idea is for students to listen to their teacher’s prompts and organize themselves in a line (for example, in alphabetical order of last name) or in blobs according to something they have in common (birth month).

Try these prompts:

Line up in chronological order of your birthdays

Line up in order of how many siblings you have

Find those who are allergic to the same things as you

Gather with those who have the same colored clothing as you

Line up in alphabetical order of your fathers’ names

Gather in four blobs: those who traveled by car to class, those who traveled by bus, and those who traveled another way

2. This or that

Along the same lines, in this activity students move to a particular side of the room to represent their opinions on a certain topic. To make this icebreaker work, “yes/no”, “true/false”, or “would you rather X or Y” questions are best. (A quick Google search will reveal dozens of sites with icebreaker questions to use or adapt.) Examples are:

True or false (teacher indicates the sides of the room that correspond to each answer): I had breakfast this morning.

Would you rather be invisible for a day or be able to fly for a day?

Yes or no: Do you speak more than three languages?

Tip: If you want to have questions with multiple answers you can assign each to a specific corner of the room.

3. Signatures

Ask the students to invent a “signature” movement or sound. It can be extremely simple: a clap, cough, turn in a circle, bow, word, mime, or gesture. Show yours first and go around the class (the students’ signatures shouldn’t repeat). Then it’s time to remember them, beginning with yours and going around  the circle again.

4. Classmate bingo

An oldie but a goodie. Create bingo cards with prompts for students to use to ask each other questions. The idea is to cross off all the squares. Use simple prompts like those below, or try more complicated ones for higher level classes:

Has been to Vietnam

Prefers Vegemite to Marmite

Likes snakes

Is reading a book in English at the moment

Has more than four siblings

Does not have a middle name

Got up late today

Is allergic to something

Has had a coffee this morning

5. Who’s in your circle?

Ask your students to draw three cocentric circles on a piece of paper. Give them a topic (food, seasons, sports…) and ask them to write it in the center circle. In the second circle students write “love”, in the third “like”, and outside the circles “don’t like”. Under the topic, students individually choose a specific example to focus on (e.g., bananas, spring, tennis). Students then mingle and ask their classmates how they feel about the item they have chosen, writing the students’ names in the circles that correspond to their opinions. Repeat with another topic.

Small group speaking activities

6. toilet paper roll.

Produce a roll of toilet paper and ask students to take as many sheets as they like, without telling them why. Once the class has their sheets, reveal that each sheet corresponds to a question their small group will ask them. You can also do this with pieces of candy.

7. Two truths and a lie

Students write down three sentences with information about themselves, however, one must be a lie. Other students then ask them follow-up questions to discover which statement was a lie.

_Tip: This is a great way for teachers to give information about themselves on the first day of class. Ask students to think of follow-up questions in pairs. _

8. Three things in common

Small groups must identify three things that they have in common with each other – the stranger, the better. Put prompts on the board if you would like, then give students time to talk. Later, students report back and vote on which group has the strangest three things in common.

Open class speaking activities

9. time bomb name game.

This is a fun, quick activity for students to remember each other’s name. Ask your class to form a circle and say their name. Then, throw a tennis ball to one of your students. They have two seconds to say some one else’s name and throw the ball to them, before it “explodes” and they are out of the game. Continue until only one student remains.

10. Beach ball toss

Before class, write icebreaker questions over a beach ball in permanent marker. Standing in a circle, students throw the ball to each other. When caught, or when the teacher says “stop”, the student with the ball must answer the question closest to their left thumb. Repeat until each student has answered at least one question.

11. Candy pass

Give each student a small handful of colored candy (such as Skittles). Tell the class that a question has been assigned to each candy color. Write these on the board, considering having a mix of serious and more humorous questions such as:

Blue: Would you rather be a tiny horse or an enormous chicken? Why?

Red: What is your ideal job and why?

Green: Tell the class about your house and who lives in it.

Yellow: What are three countries you would like to visit and why?

Students are then told to eat all their candy – except for one piece. In this way they can choose the question they will answer.

12. Sit down if…

With the class in a circle the teacher asks a series of quirky yes/no questions.  Students sit down if they can answer “yes” and the last student standing is the winner.

13. Speed dating

This activity allows students to talk to a maximum number of classmates in a short time. To begin, have your class form two concentric circles facing each other. Ask an icebreaker question and tell them they have a minute to discuss it. After one minute, the outer circle rotates counter-clockwise one position – and the activity is repeated with another student and another question. Continue until students have returned to their original partners.

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Greetings and Introductions ESL Activities, Role-Plays, Worksheets and Games

• Elementary ( A1-A2 )
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Excuse me, are you...?

Esl introducing yourself role-play - speaking activity: asking and answering questions from prompts, communicative practice - elementary (a1-a2) - 20 minutes.

ESL Greetings Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Unscrambling, Sentence Completion, Gap-fill - Speaking Activity: Dialogue Practice - Pair Work - Elementary (A1-A2) - 25 minutes

Meeting People

Esl introducing yourself and others role-play - speaking activity: forming sentences, asking and answering questions, freer practice - group work - elementary (a1-a2) - 20 minutes.

Nice to Meet You

Esl greetings and introductions game - vocabulary and reading: matching, ordering - pair work - elementary (a1-a2) - 25 minutes.

ESL Introducing Yourself Activity - Speaking: Drawing, Asking and Answering Questions, Labelling, Freer Practice - Group Work - Elementary (A1-A2) - 30 minutes

Introductions and Polite Conversation

Esl introductions and polite conversation worksheet - reading, writing and speaking activity: preparing and delivering a dialogue, freer practice - group work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 40 minutes.

It's good to see you

Esl greetings and introductions role-play - reading, writing and speaking activity: categorising, preparing and delivering a dialogue, controlled and freer practice - group work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 25 minutes.

Meet and Greet Role-Play

Esl greetings and introductions role-play - speaking activity: communicative practice - pair and group work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 25 minutes.

Pleased to meet you

Esl greetings and introductions game - grammar and vocabulary: pelmanism - speaking activity: ordering a dialogue, role-play, controlled practice - group work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 30 minutes.

Warm Welcomes

Esl greetings and introductions worksheet - vocabulary and reading exercises: gap-fill, ordering a dialogue, comprehension questions - pre-intermediate (a2) - 25 minutes.

Sociable Dominoes

Esl greetings and introductions game - vocabulary: matching - group work - intermediate (b1) - 20 minutes.

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How to conduct 'Self-Introduction' activity in your classroom

Teachers who teach English as a Second Language, need to plan lots of language activities for their students in the classroom to make their students proficient in Spoken English. As students do not have much exposure to the English language, they do not open up quickly in the classroom. To make the students open up, the facilitator has to plan for an activity.

To help the facilitator here is an activity of 'Self-Introduction'. The facilitator needs to go through the steps mentioned in the activity, he/she can modify it according to the level of his/her students.

Now let us see how to conduct a 'Self-Introduction' activity in the classroom by using the steps below:

Activity #1: Self-Introduction

Goal of the activity:, preparation:, time required:, steps to conduct the activity:.

• Start the class by introducing yourself. You can tell them where you are from, where you grew up, what your native language is, etc.
• Remind them that you are there to help them out and that you are more of a friend than a teacher. Hence, they should not be afraid to approach you or open up to you.
• Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to write their name on it.
• Collect these pieces and put them in a bowl. Now pick up each chit and call out the name written on it.
• Ask the student whose name is called out to come and introduce himself. Each introduction must include:
• They can also include details about their occupation, family, childhood dreams, why they want to learn English, etc.
• Encourage the students to speak phrases such as:  My name is_______ ;  I am ______years old ;  I am from________ village ; etc.

Note to the Teacher:

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Activity #2: Funny Introductions

The goal of the activity:.

• Start the class by saying, “Today, let’s all have some fun!” or “Are you all ready to have some fun?!”
• Give your funny introduction to the class that you have thought of. Make sure that you use a simple enough word to describe yourself – and whenever possible, check for your learners’ response to what you are saying.
• Ask the learners to think of a similar funny introduction for themselves.
• Each student thinks of himself/herself as a bird, animal, building, fruit, vegetable, object, etc., and introduces himself/herself.
• You can write the following questions on the board:
• The introduction must answer the above-mentioned questions.
• Encourage the students to be as imaginative, expressive, and funny as they can be.

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