Back to School: This is Me Presentations

Over the years I've tried an endless number of get-to-know you activities with my students.  Some were good... some not so good.

This year, I tried something a bit different and loved how it turned out!  I really need to stick with this as a Back to School activity.

I simply called it "This is Me".  It is not a particularly unique idea, but the execution worked great for me.

First, I created a short Prezi to introduce myself to my students.  (FYI: This is the first Prezi I've ever created, I narrated as I was presenting which is why some information may not seem complete, and I only showed a short part of the video that is included.)  You could use any format to tell the kids about yourself.  At the end, I gave them the challenge "This is me.  Now, tell me about you!"  

The only additional instructions were to keep it short (2-5 minutes) and that any format, paper or digital, could be used.

I gave students a few days to create, and then spent a few minutes at the beginning of the class period for presentations.  With about thirty students per class, this took 20-30 minutes per day for three days to complete.

It was so worth the time!  Presentations took the form of posters with photos and drawings, Prezis, Keynotes, iMovies, and creations using various apps.

I definitely learned more about my students than I normally do in a whole school year! For example:

• I can tell you who my artists, music lovers, digital experts, and athletes are.
• One student showed a "Three Stooges" video clip because he loves to watch the old black and white movies.  How else would I ever have learned that?  Also, the other students loved it!
• I have students who have spent years living in other countries and some who spend summers in other countries.
• I learned about foster families, adoptions, mission trips, family ancestry, baptisms, family members, pets, 4-H, scouts, athletic accomplishments and more.
• A number of my students moved to the United States from other countries and/or have relatives who live in other countries.
• One student produced a unique iMovie using a puppet.  Is she a budding actress or movie producer?

Passions and interests of all sorts were shared.  This was so eye-opening for me!  As a math teacher, class does not often lend itself to having of discussions that reveal this sort of information. 

One more thought to consider ...  I had a student last year who had just moved to my very large school and did not know anyone.  She came to me one day after class and asked me if I knew anyone who was interested in (fill in the blank).  She said that she was "looking around" to find other students with similar interests and hadn't noticed anyone.  Could I help?  

Now, students may not usually approach a teacher in this way and ask for assistance in identifying potential friends.  However, as students were giving their "This is Me" presentations, I wondered if classmates were listening and watching for opportunities to make connections.  I hope it helped someone out there in my classes who was feeling lonely to connect with someone.