Soup, Salad, or Sandwich Icebreaker
A quick warmup at the start of a staff meeting or gathering to get people talking.
10-15 min
Teacher Telepathy Icebreaker
A staff meeting icebreaker where teachers write words to match a colleague.
Alissa Christensen
Split staff into tables and see who can read each other's minds. Everyone writes a word to complete a prompt, and the goal is to match exactly one other person at the table. It's a fast, low-prep icebreaker that works for any staff meeting or gathering.
Why try it
Get staff talking, laughing, and paying closer attention to how their coworkers think, all in the time it takes to run a few rounds.
Use it to open a staff meeting, PD day, or back-to-school event with something lighter than an agenda item.
What's included
Browse the printables included with this resource.
Instructions
1
Set up tables
Group staff into tables of 5-6 people. Give each table a whiteboard and markers, along with an even share of the printed word cards.
2
Explain the goal
Tell staff that each round, they will secretly write one word to complete a prompt. The goal is to match exactly one other person at the table, not zero and not everyone.
3
Play a round
Have one person at each table pick a card and read the prompt aloud. Everyone writes their word in secret, then holds it up at the same time after about 20 seconds.
4
Score and repeat
Award 3 points if exactly one other person matches, 1 point each if multiple people match, and 0 points for no match. Move to the next card and repeat until the cards run out.
5
Celebrate the winner
Add up each table's points and recognize the top scorer at each table.
Go deeper
Additional tips for running this resource.
Leader Tip #1
Model the first round
Read the example prompt aloud and show the scoring before starting, so tables understand the goal is one match, not a group match.
Leader Tip #2
Keep time visible
Use a visible timer or countdown for the 20-second write time so tables move through cards at a similar pace.
Leader Tip #3
Whole-staff version
Run one prompt at a time for the entire staff instead of by table, with everyone revealing their word together for a bigger reveal moment.
Built by Educators, for School Leaders
This resource was created in collaboration with passionate educators and school leaders who believe in the power of intentional connection.
Alissa Christensen
Head of Customer Success
Loading...
Similar resources
