For my speech class, I always write a question of the day on the board.
The students hand me the answer on a 3x5" note card, with their name - I use the cards for attendance, and also shuffle the cards to see who speaks first that day.
At any rate, I am running out of questions.
I try to be “upbeat” - no negative “foods I hate” or “movies that suck” as I think it is good to start a class with positive thoughts.
Questions I have asked:
“Favorite food.”
“Where would you go if you could spend a year, employed, anywhere in the world?”
“If you could have any car you want, what would you choose?”
“Your current favorite song.”
“The best pizza is…”
“A celebrity I would like to spend a day with (non-sexual) is…”
“Favorite movie.”
Feel free to answer those questions- might be interesting to hear what you all have to say.
However, what I really need is a few more questions in that vein. Remember, “positive thoughts” when creating the questions.
I do this, too. Eventually I ran out of ideas, so I had students write their own questions and put them in an envelope. Every day I pick one out at random. I think it works pretty well- you get some interesting questions and the students are more engaged when they know it is “theirs.”
Ha! I have done all of those as well! But at least you are on my same wavelength.
Trust me, trying to find a new questions twice a week is not as easy as it sounds.
These are college students - but most are making it on their own (no daddy paying for tuition and dorm) so they have jobs, families and come from varied backgrounds that might not be all that great.
That is why I like to have an upbeat question - something that makes them think of good things, or good memories, so that they are in the mood to be positive when giving speeches in class.
What small change would make the world a better place?
What one thing would the current you like to tell the 5-year-old you?
If you could only eat one food/read one book/listen to one artist/watch one movie for the rest of your life (etc.), what would it be?
If you didn’t have to worry about money, what would your dream job be?
Slight hijack: regarding the superhero question, one of my favorite episodes of “This American Life” had a segment in which people were asked to choose between flying or being invisible, and explain what they would do with the power.
Thanks again, everybody - great questions!
This really works well for my class - and it helps to get people to talk and get to know others in the class, if for no other reason than they agree on the same foods or movies or whatever.
I usually get some funny answers, and some really good answers that nobody else has ever thought of. The first few days they find this sort of lame/tedious, but they really get into it. I had to take a sick day about 6 months ago and asked my sub how the class went, and he said, “good, but they got upset that I didn’t have a question for them, so the class came up with their own question and told me how it works.”
At any rate - thanks for the responses, and keep posting. I will save these in my file so I don’t run out of questions.
What is your favorite joke?
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you?
What is bravery?
What does the word love mean?
If you could be an animal, which one would you be?
What makes you smile?
If you were a scientist, what disease would you cure?
What is your favorite, quote?
How about a “two-factor” question, where the answer will depend on something physically in the room?
Do you like these new whiteboards?
What color ARE these walls, anyway?
Wear something intentionally “off” - strange patterns, colors, etc. Ask them to think of a reason you’re dressed this way.
Do you have an old lunchbox? Display it on the desk and ask them to describe a memory associated to school lunches. Other easily portable childhood memory triggers - cans of Play-Doh, GI Joe / Barbie, old-style board games.
Think of the best pizza you ever had. What was the occasion? (Answers could be birthday parties, first meal in a new home, etc.)
Other than paying a bill, what was the last thing you mailed?
Other than a bill or an advertisement, what is the last thing you received in the mail?
Paper or plastic?
Debit or credit?
Sink or swim?
Is it safe?
Would you like fries with that?
Blue pill or red pill?
Rotary or touch-tone?
PC or Mac?
Feast or famine?
Stick or automatic?
Flat front or pleated?
Floss: Waxed or unwaxed?
