Two-Minute Frenzy

This activity is designed to accentuate positive things that are happening in our schools and in the lives of the people with whom we work. It is also designed to get your staff up and moving!

Have teachers stand. Set a clock for 2 minutes. (This Online-Stopwatch countdown clock is perfect for this activity.) Then give your staff a prompt. You might give them a little time to consider their responses to the prompt, since they will need to keep those responses short and to the point. Then start the countdown clock. The staff has exactly 2 minutes to collect as many responses/thoughts from others in the room as they can.

This activity is easy to adapt to fit your needs. Just tailor the question you ask to your goals. The activity is a good getting-to-know-you activity for back-to-school time. Or it can be used during the school year to get people sharing and connecting in other ways.

Here are some prompts you might consider using at the start of the school year:

1. Share a short word or phrase that characterizes your summer.
2. What is celebration in your life?
3. What gets you excited about starting this school year?
4. Think about what it means to wake up every morning intending to change the world.
5. What is the best back-to-school opening you can remember? What can we/you do to make this year even better?
6. If you weren't a teacher, what would you be?
7. Name someone you respect.
8. Share one of your biggest pet peeves.

Here are some prompts that might get your staff relating in professional-development terms during the school year:

1. Share a short word or phrase that characterizes your philosophy of teaching.
2. On what area of professional development are you concentrating this year?
3. What word or phrase best describes the atmosphere in your classroom?
4. In a word or short phrase, what is the best part of being a teacher?
5. What is the title of the book that has helped you most in the classroom, and why has it helped you?
6. Tell us about an accomplishment you're proud of or something that's going well in your classroom or with your team.
7. In a few words, name one of your favorite teachers and explain why that person is a favorite.

At the end of 2 minutes, call time and ask teachers to return to their seats. Give them time to share something they heard from someone else that stood out in their minds. This turns out to be a nice way for staff to celebrate and share positive things about their colleagues and your school.

Contributor:
Bryan McLain, principal, Denton Creek Elementary School, Coppell, Texas

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