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Quiz / session

Back-to-school quiz and 40 get-to-know-you questions

The first lesson with a new class sets the tone for the year. This back-to-school quiz gives every student a voice from the first minutes. Its 12 questions combine a word cloud on how they feel, polls on how they like to learn and work, a 1-to-5 scale, two open questions and a few true-or-false facts about school. Nothing is scored and there is no timer. Below, 40 more get-to-know-you questions are grouped by theme.

Time including discussion:
15–20 min
For:
Teachers meeting a new class, with students aged about 8 to 18

English template · 12 questions

Use this template

Make your own copy and edit it. Sign in or create an account to open it in the editor.

Question 1 of 12

In one word, how are you feeling as this year begins?

Participants contribute their own words during the live session.

What you can leave with

A first picture of how your students like to learn, a few talents and wishes to come back to during the year, and a first moment shared by the whole class.

All questions in this template

Read the prompts now. Open a question to see its choices; the editor lets you adapt the wording and order.

  1. 1. In one word, how are you feeling as this year begins?

    Participants contribute their own words during the live session.

  2. 2. When you meet something new in class, what helps you most?
    • Seeing a worked example
    • Trying it myself
    • Hearing a step-by-step explanation
    • Talking it over with others
  3. 3. The word “school” goes back to a Greek word that first meant “leisure”.
    • True
    • False
  4. 4. Which kind of class activity do you enjoy most?
    • Experiments and hands-on tasks
    • Debates and discussions
    • Games and challenges
    • Creative projects
    • Reading and writing
  5. 5. Most of the time, you prefer to work…
    • On my own
    • In pairs
    • In a small group
    • It depends on the task
  6. 6. Pencil “lead” contains the metal lead.
    • True
    • False
  7. 7. What helps you concentrate most?
    • Complete silence
    • A little background noise
    • Short, regular breaks
    • Clear, step-by-step instructions
    • Moving a little now and then
  8. 8. Before rubber erasers, people often rubbed out pencil marks with bread.
    • True
    • False
  9. 9. How much are you looking forward to this year?

    1 · Not really — 5 · A lot

  10. 10. Share a talent, hobby or passion the class might not know about yet.

    Participants contribute their own words during the live session.

  11. 11. We only use 10% of our brain.
    • True
    • False
  12. 12. One wish for this year: what would you like to learn, achieve or discover?

    Participants contribute their own words during the live session.

40 more get-to-know-you questions for students

Add them to the quiz as polls, word clouds or open questions, or use them for a spoken round. Let anyone pass, and keep private topics out of it.

Settling in

  • In one word, how was your morning?
  • What are you most curious about this year?
  • Which emoji sums up your mood today?
  • What helps you feel at ease in a new class?
  • What are you looking forward to this week?
  • Which subject would you like to discover more about?
  • What makes a good first day for you?
  • What question do you have about this subject?

How I learn best

  • At what time of day do you concentrate best?
  • Do you prefer to read instructions or to hear them?
  • What do you do when you get stuck on an exercise?
  • How do you like to practise something new?
  • What kind of help is most useful to you?
  • Do you remember things better by writing, drawing or saying them aloud?
  • Which skill would you like to improve this year?
  • What is the best way to explain something to you?

Talents and interests

  • What could you teach the class in five minutes?
  • Which book, film or series would you recommend to the class?
  • Which hobby could you talk about for hours?
  • What have you learned outside school that you are proud of?
  • Which sport, game or activity do you enjoy most?
  • Which song puts you in a good mood?
  • If you could master any skill instantly, which would you choose?
  • Which job or field would you like to find out more about?

Our class together

  • What makes a classroom a pleasant place to work?
  • Which rule should every class have?
  • What encourages you most when something is hard?
  • What should we do when someone makes a mistake?
  • How can we make sure everyone gets a turn to speak?
  • What makes group work go well?
  • What would you like your new classmates to know about you?
  • Which class tradition would you like to start this year?

Just for fun

  • Which superpower would be most useful at school?
  • If our class had a mascot, what would it be?
  • Which animal are you most like when you first wake up?
  • Would you rather explore the deep ocean or outer space?
  • What would you invent to make school days easier?
  • Which fictional character would you like as a classmate?
  • If you could spend a day in another period of history, which would you choose?
  • What small thing always makes you smile?

How to run this activity

  1. 1

    Make it yours

    Read the questions in the editor and remove any that do not suit your class. Add your name and subject to the welcome slide if you like, and decide whether you will answer too.

  2. 2

    Launch it live

    Project the session and share the PIN or QR code. Students without a device can answer in pairs or aloud. There is no timer: move on when most of the class has answered.

  3. 3

    Talk about the results

    Comment on the word cloud and the polls without singling anyone out. After each true-or-false question, read the short explanation aloud and ask who already knew it.

  4. 4

    Keep the answers

    After class, reread the talents and wishes in the report. Use them to form groups, choose examples or plan a first project, and come back to the wishes at the end of the year.

Make this activity yours

Keep what fits, rewrite what does not and set the pace for your group.

Use this template

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