It’s that time again. A new school year means a new group of students, likely ones you haven’t taught before. So, how do you approach getting to know their individual needs and personalities, all the while kicking off the year with engaging and fun learning experiences?
The answer? By incorporating theatre into your classroom icebreakers!
Here are some of our top picks…
Group Rap | Time: 15-20 Minutes
Split your class into small groups, and ask them to create a short song or rap to introduce themselves to the class and share what they did over the summer.
You could give each group a well-known song to adapt, or for more advanced students, ask them to start from scratch!
In each group, every student should write 4-5 lines on an official ‘lyric sheet’. If you have time, you could invite the groups to create choreography or movement to perform with their final rap!
Why this works: This activity allows you to get a good sense of the different personalities in your class and how they collaborate with their peers. By combining a traditional ‘summer vacation’ activity with voice and movement exercises, this activity encourages students to step outside of their comfort zones.
Freeze Improv | Time: 10 Minutes
Place two chairs in the center of the room, and have your students sit around them. This is going to be the ‘stage’ for your improv icebreaker.
Select two students, and give them a prompt to start improvising a scene from, such as ‘You’re stuck in an elevator together’
As the rest of the class watches, they can shout ‘FREEZE!’ and tap out one of the actors, taking over in the scene. Continue this activity until all students have had a turn on the ‘stage’, or until the timer runs out (depending on your class size).
Why this works: This activity allows your students to get inspired by their classmates and to try out different roles in a low-pressure environment. It also inevitably leads to some funny movements during the improvisation itself, which helps to foster a friendly (and fun!) atmosphere in the classroom.
Blobs and Lines | Time: 10 Minutes
Have your students stand up, and give them a prompt to follow:
- Blobs: Have students form groups based on something they have in common, such as the color of their shirt or the first letter of their name.
- Lines: Have students arrange themselves into a line based on something like their birthday.
For an added challenge, have students figure out their ‘Blob’ or ‘Line’ groupings silently!
Theatre prompts for this icebreaker:
- Blob prompt: Would you rather play a hero or a villain?
- Line prompt: Line up in order of how many musicals or plays you have been a part of.
- Blob prompt: What is your favorite genre of theatre?
Why this works: This activity provides students with a visual representation of everything they have in common with one another. By using theatre-specific prompts, this activity can also help you understand the different levels of prior knowledge students might have.
Take student-led learning one step further…
Whether it’s finding new approaches to tackle off-topic chat or nurturing student confidence ahead of practical assessments, we know that student engagement is a top priority.
That’s what we’ve created this ‘Students Run the Warm-Up’ classroom poster, complete with varied and energizing theatre warm-ups (all of which require minimal teacher input).
