Professor X vs Magneto

iTutor Mutants

Join the battle and win the war.

1. Mark

Hi there everyone. I always start my junior sessions with my best friend, Kong (monkey). Great way to
break the ice and indeed many of the youngsters first question is, “where is Kong?”. “He is sleeping. Do
you want to wake him up?”. Follow this with a few pictures from Kong`s photo album and we are all set
to go with smiles all round. Naturally the session ends with `goodbyes` from us both. Maybe I should
recommend Kong to iTutorGroup as a teacher!!

2. Lilibeth

Hello iTutorgroup,

I would like to share one of my strategies on how to induce conversations with a client. It is called
“Object Investigations”. I do prepare my outline to cover all the questions that needed to ask about to
an object. To induce a conversation, first I let a client feel that we’ve been friends for a long time.
Second, I will make a client laugh to feel comfortable. Third, I will boost a client’s confidence to
encourage to speak. Fourth, I always provide words to help a client to think easily, what want to say.
Then last, I’ll let do the client to speak as much as want.

Attached is the sample of a picture and the outline.

Title: The Box

I. Name of the object

What is its name?

Can you give me a related name?

II. Appearance

What is its color?

What is it look like?

What is its shape?

Is it big or small?

III. Think of it:

Do you think everybody needs it?

What can you put inside it?

When we can use it?

Where we can buy it?

What is it for?

Do you see it everywhere?

IV. Comparison:

Is it better than _ why?

Is it useable than this__ why?

V. Extend the topic with the prepositional adverb and places:

What is beside the box?

What is inside the box?

Where is the box?

Where do you usually see boxes in your city?

VI. Idea or Opinion:

If you are going to move to another place what things do you need to easily pack your things?

Related to our life, what is a box in our life? (clue answer: It is a HEART, that you can fill it with bad or
good things).
3. Jane

I love teaching super junior clients because it encourages me to be creative, innovative, and energetic
every day. I’m always sweating after every session from jumping around, making funny faces, and trying
to get a smile out of each kid! But sometimes, my students are really shy and reserved. I try to crack a
joke, and I’m greeted with painful, painful silence. Sometimes, they are even crying (every consultant’s
worst nightmare!) This is when I pull out a really simple magic trick- THE BLANK SLIDE.

You’re probably thinking- how on Earth do you plan to get kids motivated with a white, boring slide?
However, the blank slide is the holy grail of ice breakers, in my opinion, when it comes to getting kids
relaxed. You simply add a blank slide, turn on their pens, and have them draw adorable pictures of their
favorite animals, their families, or themselves. Children love to draw, and you can still incorporate
learning when you do this by asking them to draw a red cat, or a blue house, a BIG dinosaur, or a ‘little’
lion. In this picture, two of my students had a heyday when asked to draw their families. Amazingly, they
began to laugh and interact with each other’s drawings (one girl drew her mother with an unfortunately
large head, to the delight of the other student)! I started the lesson with two quiet kids and ended the
lesson with laughing, giggling balls of energy that wanted to speak English with me. I’m telling you,
never underestimate the power of a blank slide and a pen!

4. Tiffany

Hi!

It’s a pleasure to share my story! Whenever I have a very young student who begins the class in tears, I
show a tiger and I make it dance by simply moving the picture up and down. The student starts to forget
why he was crying and he starts to smile a little bit! This is one on my many tips and it works efficiently!
The student starts to trust and are ready to continue learning as he is now captivating! 🙂

5. William

As an ice breaker could be name one item they would take with them to a desert island. Each student
must explain in a sentence why they would take each item.

6. Ruth

Hi to all!
I find that the best way to break the ice is to start with a picture. For levels 1 -3 I use animals doing
funny things like playing the piano. What can the cat do? Can you play the piano?

Levels 4 and 5, usually are action and sports pictures, Can you …..? Do you think is dangerous? What
would your mother say?

Levels 6 and above situational pictures. What’s happening? How are the people feeling? Has this
happened to you before?

The right picture will always provoke a good conversation, I have about 100 to pick from saved in my
computer.

7. Yinyi

Here is the ice breaking story I normally do. I try to find some suitable wigs, attractive eyes, sunglasses,
funny face or topic related props. For example, I would like to say hi to my students, and I usually do my
best to be energetic and cheerful. Sometimes, students prefer the lovely masks or funny ones, I try to
avoid scaring them with an ugly mask although I do not always success. For example, I try to put an
elephant or a tiger mask. Some children enjoy but not all of them like it. I usually do something to make
them relaxed or happier when I want them to answer my questions at the beginning of classes. For
example, how are you today? Are you happy? Most of them is attracted by the voice in a high pitch
tone, sounds like the animals I imitate or when I make up like a male with a low pitch but manly voice.
Also, I do my best to surprise them with some special and visible props. I don’t think I did the best but I
try to make it better. Sometimes a naughty face makes students laugh because they get familiar with
the cartoon characters. Some kids feel satisfied because they understood well and want to learn
something from me.
Thanks, everyone. Hope you enjoy the story I shared and hope it makes our teaching creative and much
fun in our teaching career.

8. Monica

Hello!

Greetings from America. My name is Teacher Monica! My ice breaking secret is manycam. Oh, and….. I
sing EVERYTHING!

I love wearing face masks to teach the children in demos, especially for the animals lesson! I have an
animal mask for every animal!

For the adults, I give a ton of praises and even give them shooting fireworks and great job stars! Adults
need love too and a lot of them I have found are insecure and really enjoy being built up! This shows
them that 1.) you are not a scary monster and 2.) that they do not need to be insecure! It gets them
talking and interacting!

My little girls that I teach, LOVE Elsa! I praise them with Elsa when they receive a star! My litte boys that
I teach, LOVE spiderman and pikachu! I also praise them with these characters when they receive a star!
A lot of times, if they do not speak at first, I will keep the characters up to teach, and it gets them to talk,
everytime!

The last thing I do, is at the end of EVERY class, I upload an award slide and decorate it with their names
and stickers! This always makes them smile and if they were not active in class, they are active on this
last slide!

Thank You!

9. Tina
Hello! I am a U.S. citizen living in Serbia. I know first hand how hard it is to learn a new language! I know
I get intimidated and nervous learning Serbian sometimes. Ice breakers are so great for helping relieve
the tension!

I have two icebreakers to share. For older students, I share about myself. I tell them how I have moved
to a new country. I must speak a new language every day. I tell them about my mistakes and how
sometimes, I feel as though I have broken my tongue trying to say a new word. This really breaks the ice.
They know I understand how hard it is for them to speak. It is a very effective tool!

My second icebreaker is for younger students. I use my Mr. Potato head… He is such a helpful prop. I
add the tongue to his face and go over eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and TONGUE! Kids love it. It helps them
to learn and have fun 🙂

10. Lorna

I normally begin by asking how the clients day has been. I use thumbs up or down and write the
question down simplifed as ‘good day?’ for lower levels. I then gauge a basic level of understanding due
to this which helps throughout the lesson but I try to relate as much as I can to them e.g. if they say they
have had a busy day and are feeling tired – I agree and tell them why I am also feeling tired – my baby
was awake all night! I try to make a joke or laugh at myself early on to relax them and let them know I
am friendly. For younger clients of a lower level, I would do the same but use a puppet to ask the
question and answer… Did you have a good day? and the puppet moves to respond: Yes I had a good
day, before I then direct it to the client. I have attached my junior introductory video where my puppet
‘Wobble’ can be seen! Where possible, I encourage more able speakers to elaborate to straight away
show that I encourage free speaking and a chance to further develop conversational skills, and while
there is no requirement, I keep all mics on at this point so other classmates can engage conversationally
if they so choose.

11.Shanuda

When i start a class, the way i know i started correctly is when my face hurts from smiling so large, I’m a
scary bearded me so you have to amplify the smile by 100 fold as to not scare anyone- Especially for
when you are dealing with VIPJR students. That’s how I break the ice, Basically by breaking my face haha
🙂

12. Dora

Hi Everyone!

My name is Dora, I am a mum of 3 young children and live in England.

My goto ice breaker character is “Dougie” the dog. He is excited and works well with my young students
when they feel shy.

They love talking to Dougie and he gets them to relax and have fun.

I also use my “happy glasses” to help students to enjoy the fun side of learning English.

Kids love to laugh and just being able to do that freely puts them at ease.

Remember that children learn best when they are having fun:)

Happy teaching folks!

Dora x

13. Teresa

I tend to break the ice using their name. Often their name has a meaning or I can find a famous person
with the same name. I put up an image to do with their name. So for example if you are named after a
flower I have a photo of that flower and tell them it’s an association. I had an Iris for example I told her it
was also part of the eye. Now she alway wears colourful eyes in class.

I had a Lily and I asked her if she was a water little for example.

If the child is called Jack or king I use a packet of playing cards to show them a Jack and king. When a
child is called Candy, apple or snow I open with his “Hi I love your name I love……” I recently had a
student called tank and Leo for lion seems quite a common name.

If they are under 10 I also put eyes on myself and them. I say ” I hear you.” “I see you”The video below
is for lower level and younger students. I think it is too cheesy for older ones.

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14.Jennifer

I believe that ice breakers are essential in creating a positive, comfortable learning environment for
students. They really help me build rapport with new students (and keep them coming back) and they
give my regulars something to look forward to when they come to class. When I choose an ice breaker, I
first preview the lesson and see if I can find a game or activity to tie in with the topic. I also try to find
something that is light, fun, relaxing, and engaging. I know my students have some pretty long days, so I
want to do something with them that will help encourage and motivate them for the lesson ahead. I
love creating and sharing my own ice breakers!! My favourite ice breakers are: stuffed animals, dolls,
actions figures, flash cards, and images that I create or find on the internet.

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15. Charlotta

I’ve been with iTutorgroup since June 2017 and have picked up many ideas along the way! I start the
lesson by greeting the student and asking them how they are. I use a lot of manycam face accessories
and hats, but I also use props and realia to break the ice. I try to keep the tone light and fun and even
the shyest child starts talking :-D! Here’s a video with a couple of ideas!

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16. Lineth

Lights, Camera, Teach!

Hi Consultants! My name is Lineth, but you may call me Lily! Perhaps you have seen me before on the
Consultant Live training Sessions, assisting others as a Teacher Rep, or maybe you happen to cross my
Youtube Channel! Today I am here personally to tell you how I brake the ice with my students. I teach
both juniors and adults. You will see below two different types of (videos compiled) in class with my
students Junior and Adults on how I get my classes started!My (3) tips are the following:

Every class you start (the mentality) is the first thing that must be set.1) Be mentally stable

Whether you had a bad morning or day or whether something is going on in our lives, we must be able
to know when we turn on the camera, the lights and see our students faces we have to be prepared to
teach! You must be mentally stable and positive. The students can see through your emotions, after all
(we are being recorded).Attitude is everything (Build Rapport)

Whether it is a junior or an adult, you have to remember that your attitude is what sets the mood for
class. Be ready to start class with a smile, energy, and patience! Once you are already there, build a
conversation. Ask them about their day, and what they will do tomorrow or for the weekend. They are
not just your students, they are humans across the worlds (someone’s daughter, son, a mother a wife, a
friend) and we tend to forget that. Do not forget they are just like you and are here trusting you with
their hearts to teach them the (English) language they will never forget. They also like learning a bit
about you. Don’t feel shy and tell them (where you want to travel, or what is your favorite
restaurant).Have fun*

Ultimately the goal is to have fun. Learning while having fun is a mixture that creates beauty! Children
would want to return, and adults want to see you again. Remember we mold to our student’s moods;
they do not mold to ours. However, if their spirit is on the low end (We must flip the table) =). For
juniors, I recommend getting them to stand up if their energy is slowly decreasing. It could be very early
or late for them (get active) I tend to say “OK we are going to do an activity, let’s stand up please” and
we do a little dance and shake it off and sit back down! For the adults, I joke a lot with them. Sense of
humor goes a long way, and they love it! (IT WORKS!)In conclusion, I have learned that teaching is a
work of (HEART) you have to be all in or not at all. You have to give quality teaching experience over
anything. Quality teaching, such as if someone were teaching your daughter/son or mother (or even
you). Teaching is something that comes within you, and yes, we can learn from others, but it is just a
beautiful world overall that lightens your heart and fills you up with so much love. A children’s world is a
happy place to live in, and a teacher takes a students hand and shows them another world. Years will
pass, and while we teach many, we will impact at least one child. One child or adult will one day look
back in their lives and remember (That teacher).

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17. Aaron

Hi I play a high visual interactive game like my animal one. In this example, I show a video of many
animals and I ask questions like what animal they like, what animal they see. I then play videos related
to that animal and ask questions like what they are doing. I also give them stars. I use this game for ice
breakers and to extend lessons.

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18. Diana

I know many students are very nervous when they attend an English lesson, they might be afraid of
making mistakes or saying something wrong, some of them are too tired to take a class and would
rather be playing video games than sitting in front of the computer talking to you, but if from the very
beginning we engage our students and entertain them with a fun ice-breaker their attitude might
change. Over the years I have learned that something as simple as singing can be very helpful in terms of
helping your students feel comfortable with you and with your teaching style, especially if you sing
awfully on purpose, they end up laughing at you or with you but the point is that they soon notice that
learning English with you is going to be fun. Some other times I play True or False with them, I tell them I
will say 5 things about my self but only 3 of them are true, and then I ask them to do the same, I ask
them to tell me 5 things about themselves but only 3 of them can be true. Another ice-breaker that
works like a charm is a scavenger hunt, before class I put a pile of objects on my desk and then I take the
camera and tell them that I lost something (my pen, my glasses, etc) and that we cannot start the class
until I find the item I lost and they have to help me find it… Kids have a blast when I do any of this ice-
breakers in class.

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19. Wesley

Hi! My name is teacher Wes and I’ve taught online for over 3 years now and have been with Tutor ABC
for nearly 1. I used to be a radio presenter so entertaining is in my blood. I absolutely love meeting new
clients, young or old. When you see the regulars improving, that is a fantastic thing. It really doesn’t feel
like a job at all, especially when we all sing as I play the ukulele. I’m not saying I am Ed Sheeran or
anything but it comes pretty close 😉

20. Roxanne

Teach PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE with a song!Teaching with songs is a great way for students to
remember what they have learned. And it’s so much fun!Here is a simple song to teach PREPOSITIONS
OF PLACE. ( in, on, under, in front of, beside and behind ) It is to the rhythm of a well known English song
called “Are you sleeping (brother John)?”Watch this short video to learn how to do it!Thanks

Roxanne

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