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One of the best ways to help your students engage in conversations with each other can be to use getting to know you questions for students. Besides this, this can be a great way for you to connect with them personally and understand their needs and wants on a deeper level. You can also use plenty of these types of questions as writing prompts.
By showing your students the importance of socializing, listening, creativity, and diversity… your job will have a greater sense of meaning and purpose. Further, this can make teaching highly effective and bring an element of fun to the classroom.
Everyone will have an opportunity to socialize and appreciate each other's unique personalities, cultures, and backgrounds. Students and teachers alike can benefit from asking and answering questions, and listening. In this post, I'll give you a list of getting to know you questions for students.
Why are Questions an Effective Way to Get to Know Someone?
Questions are an effective way to get to know someone, since one has a chance to understand them on a more meaningful level. For instance, when you ask your students questions, you'll be encouraging them to tell stories to you and their classmates. This can make it easier for everyone to connect with each other and accept everyone for their differences.
In addition, asking questions helps students open up in a positive way and feel less threatened by the people around them and their environment. And students can draw inspiration from other kids' answers.
Despite the fact you may want everyone to talk and interact; you might find that not everyone enjoys socializing much. If this happens, it can be helpful to understand everyone's unique needs. For one, some kids are naturally quiet while others take pleasure in socializing. On the bright side, every student has a distinct personality that's worthy of appreciation.
[See some deep questions to get to know people better!]
Getting to Know You Questions for Students
Whether you'd like your students to interact in a healthy manner or you'd just like to get to know them better, getting to know you questions for students can benefit everyone. You can use them to create a more relaxing environment where everyone is sure to get along better and feel included. These questions, which I've divided into five categories, have the potential to enhance the quality of your students' lives.
Outside Interests and Hobbies
- What type of music is your favorite? Which music makes you cringe?
- What instrument would you like to learn to play? If you already play one, what is it?
- How would you spend a snowy or rainy day?
- What's your favorite hobby to do when you're alone?
- What's your favorite sport and why?
- Which book is your favorite?
- What hidden talent do you have?
- What's a quote you think everyone should live by?
- Which movie makes you laugh out loud?
- What kind of volunteering do you do? If not, how would you like to improve your community?
- What types of YouTube videos do you watch?
- What's your favorite animated television series?
- Which cartoon character would you be and why?
- What hobbies do you do or would like to try?
- If you wrote a book, which one would it be?
- Which childhood toy do you still keep and why?
- If you could be any animal, which would you be and why?
- What color is your favorite?
- What's your favorite breakfast food?
- What ice cream flavor are you obsessed with?
Friends, Family, and Culture
- Which friend makes you laugh a lot?
- Who in your family is the funny one?
- Who's the family member you could enjoy spending an entire day with?
- Which family holiday is your favorite?
- Which family memory makes you the happiest?
- If your family was an animal, which one would they be?
- Which family tradition makes you excited every year?
- Where does your family like to go on vacation?
- What jobs do each of your family members have?
- Which pets does your family have? If you don't have any, name some you might like to have.
- Do you and your friends play any games together? If so, which ones? If not, which ones might you like to play with them?
- Who's the family member you admire the most?
- Does your family volunteer together? If so, what do you do? If not, what could you do together to make the world a better place?
- Does anyone in your family speak any foreign languages? If so, which languages?
- Which TV series or movie reminds you of your family?
- Who's your least favorite sibling? If you don't have siblings, do you like being an only child or would you like to have siblings?
- Which recipe do you wish your family ate more often?
- Does your family eat a unique diet such as vegan or vegetarian? If so, in what ways can this be a positive activity for you?
- What artifacts or items represent your family's identity and culture?
- What's the best gift a friend ever gave you?
- Which friend always puts you in a positive mood when you're unhappy?
Academic Strengths and Weaknesses
- What's your favorite school subject and why?
- Which team sport do you love? Alternatively, which one can't you stand?
- What about school would you change if you could?
- What's your dream field trip?
- What was the worst field trip you ever went on?
- Do you enjoy working in groups or alone?
- How would you like the teacher to reward you for receiving high grades in class?
- Which school project was your favorite?
- How can your teacher best support you when you need help with assignments and tests?
- What would you do to make learning fun?
- Which school subject is your least favorite and why?
- What makes you want to go to school every day?
- Is reading, listening, or talking to others your favorite way to learn?
- As a student, what's one thing you could improve about yourself?
- What's your biggest strength as a student?
- Name something you'd like to learn about this school year?
- Would you rather do virtual or in-class learning and why?
- How can teachers and other adults in the school help improve your school experience?
- As a student, what's your biggest goal for the year?
- What do you like about teachers? What don't you like about them?
Fun “Would you Rather” Questions
- Would you rather become a movie star or a zookeeper?
- Would you rather have a pet hamster or a pet tiger?
- Would you rather watch sports or play them?
- Would you rather play video games or read books all day?
- Would you rather be a superhero or a genius?
- Would you rather live in a mansion or Disneyland?
- Would you rather spend a week with your pets or your parents?
- Would you rather be super strong or super smart?
- Would you rather head to outer space or never leave your bedroom again?
- Would you rather have one hundred pet lizards or one pet shark?
- Would you rather play the drums or the piano?
- Would you rather eat ice cream or pizza for three days?
- Would you rather be friends with an animated character or a celebrity?
- Would you rather watch the same movie all day, every day for the rest of your life, or never watch television again?
- Would you rather eat figs for five days or bananas for nine days?
- Would you rather live in the mountains or in a big city?
- Would you rather take care of your pet or your baby brother/sister?
- Would you rather have powers of invisibility or teleportation?
- Would you rather be able to communicate with aliens or ghosts?
About the Future
- Which dream or goal would you like to accomplish in life?
- What problem would you like to change about the world?
- What career would you like to have when you grow up?
- What would you like to be doing in 15 years?
- Would you like to travel to any foreign countries? If so, where?
- Which city, state, or country would you like to live in when you grow up?
- What kind of car would you like to drive when you're older?
- When you grow up, what type of house would you like to have?
- Do you plan on earning a college degree later in life? If so, which one?
- What would you like to be known for in the future?
- Could being rich and famous make a person genuinely happy? Why or why not?
- How can becoming a better person make you happier in life?
- Does art or science make the world a better place more? How do both benefit people?
- What could you improve about yourself in the next five years that you'd be proud of later in life?
- What's one memory about your life that inspires and motivates you?
- If you could travel to the future in a time machine, what would you like to see when you arrive?
- Which school subject do you think could make you a better grown-up?
- If you could change the world by giving money to charity, which charity would you give to and why?
- What's one small change you hope improves schools in the future?
Final Thoughts on Getting to Know You Questions for Students
Getting to know you questions for students can be extremely beneficial for everyone in the classroom, including teachers. While you'll have the opportunity to interact with your students in a fun way, they can learn the value of communicating in a healthy manner.
You can use these questions, or try coming up with some of your own. Another idea is to have students gather together in groups and make some questions up together. This can be an exciting way for them to be creative. Plus, they won't have to feel pressured to be too perfect.
Everyone has something to gain and nothing to lose with these getting to know your questions for students. And once you’ve opened the lines of communications, you may want to start talking with your students about their visions and goals. Check out this helpful article on SMART GOALS for students to get started.
