QuickTips Index
Balance School, Work and Life
Balance school, work, and life with three of the best time management tips. Balance your life by learning to say no, delegating, and writing everything in a date book or planner.
Balance Tips - Efficiency
Our perception of our own time management isn’t always accurate. Do you balance your life by practicing efficient time management? Look closely at how you manage your time, compare your activities to someone you know who is efficient, and ask for feedback. These time management tips can help you balance school, work, and life.
Balance School, Work, Life
Balance school, work, and life by organizing your list of errands counter-clockwise. You'll have lots more time for studying.
GED - 3 Free GED Classes
This is your handy list of free GED classes. Some are online, some on campus. All are free. We like free.
Ice Breaker - People Bingo
People Bingo is one of the most popular ice breakers because it's so easy to customize for your particular group and situation, and everyone knows how to play it.
www.fafsa.gov - June 30 Deadline at www.fafsa.gov for Financial Aid
June 30 is the deadline every year at www.fafsa.gov for applying for financial aid from the U.S. government. www.fafsa.gov has easy steps on the main page, clearly explaining how to apply. If you need money for school, start at www.fafsa.gov.
Learning.com for Adults?
Learning.com is famous for having wonderful resources for teachers of children. Can teachers of adults adapt Learning.com resources for their adult students?
GED Test Online - You Cannot Take GED Test Online
There is no official GED test online. You cannot take the GED test online. Do not fall for scams that take your money in exchange for a fake certificate. Be smart.
Personal Flag
Flags have a way of making everybody feel good, especially when they’re waving in the breeze. Ask your students to make their own personal flag and present it to the class.
2-Minute Mixer
You may have heard of 8-minute dating, where 100 people meet for an evening full of 8-minute dates. They talk to one person for 8 minutes and then move on to the next. Eight minutes is a long time in the classroom, so we’ll call this ice breaker a 2-minute mixer. Ready? Go!
Marooned
This ice breaker is a great introduction when the people gathered are strangers, and it fosters team building in groups that already work together. I have always found the choices people make to be very revealing about who they are as a person.
Ice Breaker - Snowball Fight
A snowball fight in the classroom is pure fun, and it's also a great way to introduce students or review a topic. Using paper from your recycle bin makes it even better.
Ice Breaker - Kinetic - Feel Good Stretches
Stretching is one of the all-time best kinetic ice breakers or energizers you can do to get the juices flowing. It doesn’t take much, you don’t have to change clothes, and it just plain feels good. When the blahs set in, get your students up on their feet and lead them in a short round of stretches.
Ice Breaker: Where in the World?
The more technology brings us together, the smaller the world becomes. Where in the world are you from? Or, where in the world is your favorite place?
If You Had a Magic Wand
If you had a magic wand, what would you change? This is an ice breaker that opens minds, considers possibilities, and energizes your group when discussion is dead.
Expectations
Expectations are powerful, especially when you're teaching adults. Understanding your students' expectations of the course you're teaching is key to your success. Make sure you know what your students expect with this expectations icebreaker.
Everyone's a Foodie
Find out what your students or guests like to eat. And what they never want to put in their mouths again! Who are the foodies in your group?
A Few of My Favorite Things
You know the song. These are a few of my favorite things... Use this ice breaker just for fun, or customize it to your topic.
Fortune Cookie Writer
Everybody loves a fortune cookie, especially if they get a good fortune. Some love it even more if the cookie is a little sassy. My mom adds "in bed" to the end of hers. Learn something about your students when you ask them to write fortune cookies. Are they gurus? Or wisecrackers?
Ice Breaker - Photo Scavenger Hunt
A picture is worth a thousand words. Almost everyone has a photo or two in their wallet, especially when you’ve got a room full of adults, or even better, baby boomers with grandchildren. The photo scavenger hunt is on!
Ice Breaker: Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a fun and humorous ice breaker for introductions in the classroom, at a meeting, anywhere.
Ice Breaker - The Name Game
You may have people in your group who hate the name game so much they’ll still remember everyone’s name two years from now! Ha! You can make it harder by requiring everyone to add an adjective to their name that starts with the same letter (e.g. Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob, Zesty Zelda). You get the gist.
Ice Breaker: Table Topics
Table Topics is an ice breaker sure to make introductions interesting and conversation lively. Choose from nine versions of the four-inch acrylic cube, each filled with 135 thought-provoking questions. Great in the classroom and meeting room, around the table or on the patio.
Three Words
If you had to describe yourself in three words, which three would you choose?
Tattoo
I'm often surprised, maybe even shocked, by the people who share with me that they've always wanted a tattoo. These are people I would never have guessed would be interested in such a thing. The first question is always, "What kind of tattoo?" And then, "Where?" You know the drill.