Your First Class: Some Ideas for Breaking the Ice

Are you interested in setting the right tone for your course during the first class meeting? Participants at the Institute's 1994 conference offered these ideas:

This is a simple technique that has worked for me to break the ice at the beginning of my negotiations course.

During the first class, I ask students to give their names, what year they are in, and three things about themselves that other students don' t know. However, one of the three things must be a lie. The other students have to guess which is the lie and why they think so, based on the behavior of the student giving the information, the implausibility, etc.

This icebreaker can lead to some fruitful discussions about lying in negotiations.

Submitted by Theresa J. Player
University of San Diego School of Law

One way to get students to know each other quickly is to divide them into pairs and have them interview each other for a few minutes.

Then, have the students introduce their interview partners to the rest of the class. This is a good way to build rapport in a class and to get the students used to working with each other.

Submitted anonymously