The back-to-school season is almost upon us again! I can’t believe it! So, of course, I am already thinking about getting to know you activities for students that are not too lame, time-consuming, or irrelevant. I like using time-tested resources, but I don’t want them to be repetitive or unhelpful.
If you are like me, you are also not a huge fan of typical icebreakers. I would rather melt into the wall than have to walk up to 29 other people in my class and talk to them. No, thank you!
Instead, let’s explore other avenues for the new year that will meet the needs of extroverts, introverts, and everyone in between!
Keep reading for 9 Genuine Getting To Know You Activities For Students!
Need help with Test Prep? Check out this FREE Pack of 3 Test Prep Activities to help students achieve success on standardized tests!
9 Genuine Getting To Know You Activities For Students
1. I Am Not Poems
Most teachers have already asked students to complete at least one I Am Poem by the time they hit high school. Why not use getting to know you activities for students like this, I Am Not poem by Kristin Menke?
I Am Not by Kristin Menke
I am not someone you think of
when you think of someone cool
I don’t have that appeal some have
when they go back to school
I am not the smart kid in the room
I hide beneath my hood
I sure don’t want to sit and read
even if I should
I am not the peppy kid
I don’t have that much fun
I am not the athlete
Who will run and run and run
I am not the scientist
Who peers beneath the glass
To log every minute speck
Nah, I’ll take a pass
I am not the guy who takes
the stage in some spotlight
and sings a pretty Broadway tune
I’d die of sudden fright
I am not the girl who dresses
like those in my scroll
I am not the one who leers
and becomes a keyboard troll
I am not the one who has
all the feels on the first day
Or listens to the chatter
which repels me I must say
I am not the one who sticks out
to anyone at all
And I promise it’s okay
I’m satisfied to stay small
After reading the poem and brainstorming, students can write their own “I Am Not” Poems. Sometimes, you can learn more about students from what they are not, what they dislike, or what they would avoid at all costs! Check out this I Am Poem Not Pack you can use as getting to know you activities for students!
2. Social Media Posts
Not everyone is on every type of social media, but most students are on at least one platform. They see more posts than most of us, as they hide their phones under their desks in the middle of class 🙂
Why not use that obsession for their own good?
As students begin the new school year, you could ask them to create realistic or idealistic social media posts about their first days of school. What might it look like? What might the caption say? What might the comments reveal?
Incorporating getting to know you activities for students that mirror real life is certainly more fun than asking students to journal or write a paragraph, don’t you think?
Need some short story ideas for 9th graders? Click the post to read!
3. Back To School Tips
I absolutely love learning from others, so having students create their own list of what to do or not to do as part of getting to know you activities for students can be a source of fun and laughter.
Here are some actual examples:
- Don’t touch your phone…ever.
- Avoid AI for writing.
- Take notes.
- Complete all assignments.
- Ask for help through email.
Here are some nonexamples:
- Always be on your phone.
- Use AI for everything.
- Never listen to the teacher.
- Don’t bother with completing assignments.
- Ask for help only two days before the marking period ends.
The “BAD” tips might be even more fun for students as they work through all of the getting to know you activities for students in other teachers’ classes!
4. Reflect on Identity
Middle and high school students always seem to be focused on their identity. I wish I knew as a student who I really was or wanted to be one day. It would have saved me a lot of time and heartache. The start of the year is the perfect time to explore identity!
Students could look up quotes about identity, examine their validity, and apply them to their own personal lives. With these getting to know you activities for students, you will be able to gather much more about them than their likes or dislikes! Plus, this reading, writing, discussion, and reflection process will help set the stage for the rest of the year.
Get some lesson ideas here with getting to know you activities for students!
5. Dissect the Meaning of Education
When I went to school, the push towards college was strong and alluring. Who doesn’t want to spend time with a bunch of idealistic young people at the height of their lives?
I wish I knew then what I know now. College is not meant for everyone. It simply isn’t necessary for most jobs nowadays.
So why not use the first weeks of school to give your students the opportunity to explore the diverse sources of education available to us today?
Click this pack to get helpful ideas!
6. Make Goals
The start of the year is the PERFECT time to think about and set goals! If you don’t set goals, you will rarely achieve them, so I like including getting to know you activities for students that focus on setting goals!
Before doing so, you might have students analyze quotes. Ex. Zig Ziglar once said, “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
Students can write about, discuss, or visualize this quote in their own lives! Afterwards, they can set three or more goals in diverse areas of their lives:
- Physicality-Ex. Run a half-marathon
- Generosity-Ex. Raise money for cancer research.
- Reading-Ex. Read at least 1 book per month.
- Education-Ex. Earn a B or higher in every class.
- Character-Ex. Make a new friend and hang out at least twice a month.
Really, the options are endless and even going through the process of making goals is helpful for students as they make their way into adulthood!
See this goal setting resource for getting to know you activities for students!
7. Create a Plan or Bucket List for the Year
I know it’s not entirely realistic for students to plan out their entire year, but it’s fun to dream, isn’t it? In a world of people without any sense of direction in life, we as teachers can help our students think and plan beyond the ordinary. We can live extraordinary lives if we simply put our minds to it.
Not everyone will necessarily be the president or a professional athlete or a famous singer; however, we can always grow and become better versions of ourselves. So I like to create a plan for the year based on my personal bucket list.
For example, my bucket list currently includes the following:
- Pay off $20,000 of my mortgage this year.
- Travel to another state.
- Read 25 books.
- Create my own American Literature curriculum.
- Refurbish my house.
8. Introduce Descriptive Writing
Hear me out! Adjectives are everywhere, and without having to do a typical bellringer, students can learn about and apply adjectives to themselves in creative ways.
Personally, I like coffee. A little sugar-free vanilla iced latte and I am ready to go for the day! In this activity pack, students use adjectives linked to what they drink, eat, and watch! You can get to know your students without the headache and monotony of typical student information worksheets!
9. Envision Their Lives
Without a vision for your life, you can’t make true, consistent progress towards anything. To help our students, we can offer them time to envision what their lives could look like. I like using My Perfect First Week or First Day getting to know you activities for students that motivate students to see a positive and prosperous future.
Through the visualization process and reflective writing, students will share more of themselves, so you can learn about them in unconventional, more genuine ways!
Getting To Know You Activities For Students Resources
Want getting to know you activities for students that include a not-so-typical I AM POEM template? Check out this poetry activities pack to guide your students in poetry analysis of 2 I Am Poems, assist students with self-reflection in an engaging getting to know you worksheet, and aid in producing poetry writing with EASE!
Use for BACK TO SCHOOL or within a FULL POETRY UNIT!
This Ultimate Getting To Know You Activities for Students & Setting Goals BUNDLE is a FUN way to engage your middle and high school students at the start of the school year!! These critical thinking, writing, and visualization activities are FANTASTIC for middle school and high school students who need practice making and achieving their goals, visualizing the upcoming year, and getting back into the writing process!
Have a great time developing connections with getting to know you activities for students during the first several weeks of class!
Need more getting to know you activities for students? Check out my store, Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep!
