How many of you cringe at the thought of planning one more ice-breaker activity for the start of the school term? I think we can all agree that it\u2019s important to set the right tone at the start of the class, and for students to get to know each other right away for meaningful learning to happen, but sometimes typical strategies for getting to know one another can feel forced or inauthentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I\u2019m teaching, my classes are typically focused on teacher education or studio art. In either scenario it\u2019s important that I build a community of trust where students feel open to share ideas, fail upward, and quickly to find suitable solutions and answers. In the past, when I haven\u2019t done any sort of activity concerning learning or personality styles, it takes students longer to get to a point where they are voluntarily sharing their work with one another for feedback, or to feel really comfortable participating in an exploratory role-playing or idea generation activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are seeing a similar dynamic in your courses, I invite you to try the following fun exercise using 16 Personalities<\/a> (2023) with your students. 16 Personalities<\/a> is an online assessment that tells users what their personality type is, how their type influences the many facets of their life, and how to unlock their personal potential. Additionally, it adds a sense of whimsy to the process by telling you what famous people share your traits with fun little characters to personify the experience. Following is a sample roll-out of how to bring a similar experience to life in your classroom with your students. You never know what you might learn \u2013 about yourself, or your students!<\/p>\n\n\n\n