Train-the-Trainer Tip: Five H’s Class Opener

Purpose:         To help students get acquainted with each other and to connect the activity to class content

Audience:       Adults or students in grades 6-12.

Group Size:    Any size group subdivided into teams of 4-6

Time:             5-7 minutes

Space:             No additional space required as activity is done at tables

Materials:       Name tent or piece of paper and pen

Process:

  1. Instruct participants to make a name tent with their name on the front. They will be doing an activity called 5 H’s on the back.
  2. Have participants write an H in each corner of the back of the name tent.
  3. Reveal a chart which has the following written on it:

History - something they’d like to share about themselves

Hobby - something they enjoy doing in their free time

Happening – something fun or interesting in their life now

Holiday – their favorite one and why

*Hope – what they expect to gain from the class

  1. Participants will pick three of the first four to write on their name tent and all students will write their hope or objective for the class in the fourth corner.
  2. After they have written down their answers in the four corners have them share what they have written with the others in their small group.
  3. You may wish to have several participants share their hopes for the class with the entire class, or have them all write their hope on a post-it note and post it on a chart at the front of the room. This will allow you to review everyone’s objectives.

 

This activity was adapted from Alphabet Openers in SCORE! Super Closers, Openers, Reviews, Energizers for Enhanced Training Results by Rich Meiss and Doug McCallum, available from The Bob Pike Group.  

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