15 Back To School Conversation Starters

The first lesson after students go back to school is a great opportunity to ask students about their summer or winter vacation and get them talking about what they did during the school break. Use these 15 back to school conversation starters to get your students talking.

Back To School Conversation Starters

Here are 15 fun back to school questions you can ask your students to get them talking about what they did during the school break or to break the ice on the first day back.

1. What did you do during the school vacation?

This question is very general and a great way to learn about what your students have been up to. It’s also a great back to school conversation starter because it will naturally lead to many follow up questions.

2. What was the funniest thing you saw during the school break?

A lot can happen during the school vacation. Asking this question gives students a chance to share funny stories from their school vacation.

3. What is the best thing about coming back to school?

After not seeing their classmates all summer, students will surely be excited to see their friends again. There may also be many other reasons why students are happy to be back at school. Asking this question is a great way to find out more about your students and what they like.

4. What is the worst thing about coming back to school?

Just like the previous question, this is a great way to get to know your students likes and dislikes. Students may answer that they hate getting up early for school, or they are not looking forward to homework, etc.

5. Which 3-5 words best describe you?

A teacher can a learn a lot about a student with this question. Not only will they learn more about a student’s personality, they will also learn how students see themselves. This information is invaluable as a teacher as you can see which students are confident and which students are shy, or have low self-esteem, and which students may need more careful attention throughout the year.

6. What makes a good teacher?

This is a great question to ask on the first day back at school as it gives students a chance to tell the teacher what they expect from them throughout the year.

7. What is something you want to improve this semester?

Asking this question can help teachers to understand what students want to focus on and improve throughout the year. This information can be incredibly useful when it comes to tailoring your lessons to your students’ needs.

8. Tell me about a fun movie or TV show you watched during the school break.

This is a great conversation starter as students can share what movies or TV shows they like and find things they have in common. It’s also a great chance for students and teachers to get recommendations for what to watch next when they have some down time.

9. What is something you are good at?

Whether it’s playing guitar, playing soccer, drawing, writing, etc, finding out what students are good at is a fantastic way to learn about students’ hobbies and passions.

10. Did you go on vacation during the school break? Where did you go?

Students love to share where they went on vacation and stories from their holiday. For students who were not lucky enough to go away somewhere, you can ask them where they would like to go on vacation in the future.

11. Who was the most interesting person you met during the school vacation?

This back to school question is another great way to find out about what students find interesting. Students are much more motivated when they are learning about something which interests them. The information you get from this question can help you to tailor your future lessons to your students interests.

13. What technology do you use to study?

These days, students may use tablets, computers, online tools and websites to help with their studies. Asking this question gives you an opportunity to learn about the tech that students use and potentially incorporate these tools into future lessons.

13. What was the most memorable food you ate during the school vacation?

Whether students went to a fancy restaurant or cooked a delicious meal at home, this question is a great way to get students talking about something we all love. Food!

14. Tell me about the last funny YouTube video you watched?

These days, many students love to watch funny videos on YouTube. This is a great conversation starter as it can lead to some really funny stories.

15. What song did you enjoy listening to the most during the school vacation?

Everyone loves music and asking this question is great way for students to bond over their common interests. It’s also a great way for students and teachers to get recommendations for what to listen to next.