At every homeschool orchestra rehearsal, I ask the students a get-to-know-you question. There are only 10 kids in the ensemble, so it’s a small enough group to hear everyone’s answer without wasting an unreasonable amount of time. Also, it’s important to me to give them a choice between two related questions, so they don’t feel locked into answering a question they’d rather not talk about (for whatever reason).
Some questions I’ve asked in the past:
— What is your favorite vacation spot? OR… What is the farthest place from Lincoln you’ve visited?
— [Post-Christmas] What was the best gift you got for Christmas? OR… What was the best gift you gave for Christmas?
— What is something you’ve learned recently? OR… What is something you’d like to learn about?
— What is your favorite book? OR… What is your favorite movie?
The only get-to-know-you info I asked about without giving them an alternate choice was:
— Think of a scar you have on your body, and tell us how you got it.
This question is one that I’ve used before, and it has always successfully gotten everyone to talk. I don’t know what it is, but people love talking about how they almost died, how their brother made them break their arm, or why they had to get 16 stitches.
So, I’m wondering if you, gentle readers, have any suggestions of questions I could ask these students. I’m having a bit more trouble coming up with them as we approach the end of the semester. Do you have any cool ideas?
Also, feel free to talk about your own scars in the comment section.
Posted in Day to Day, Teaching
