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Suggested Explanation
 To begin to get to know one another and for us to think about ourselves
a little, I d like you to think back into the past and recall a phrase that was
used by your parents or the people who brought you up, or maybe a
school teacher or someone significant to you. This might have been a
positive or negative message, but choose one that still stays with you.
 Then I d like you to mingle around the room, greeting everyone in the
group by saying your name and telling them this message, for example,
 My name s Elizabeth and I must clean my room. 
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Possible Pitfalls
Not everyone was brought up by their parents, so always take this into
consideration when giving instructions.
Notes:
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52
My Fantasy
24
Context Any
Purpose To introduce one another
Materials None
Time 20 minutes
Method
1. Ask participants to pair up with someone they don t know.
2. Ask them to introduce themselves to each other and discuss any fan-
tasies they have in life or anything they have always wanted to do or
achieve.
3. Reform the whole group after about 10 minutes and ask each partici-
pant to introduce themselves and tell one of their fantasies to the rest
of the group.
Suggested Explanation
 To begin to get to know one another, I d like you to pair up with someone
else in the group preferably someone you don t know and spend a few
minutes introducing yourself and telling your partner what fantasies you
have in life or maybe what things you want to achieve.
 Then we ll come back together, and I ll ask you to introduce yourself and
tell us just one of your fantasies.
Notes:
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53
My Secret Self
25
Context Any group
Purpose To encourage participants to open up and share some-
thing personal at the start of a course; participants can
decide how personal they wish to be
Materials None
Time 5 minutes
Method
1. Ask participants to sit in a circle.
2. Explain what participants are going to do (see Suggested Explana-
tion) and give an example:
My name is _____ and I have two cats.
My name is _____ and I take tap dance lessons.
Suggested Explanation
 To give us a chance to get to know one another, I m going to ask you to
tell us something about yourself that we wouldn t know simply by looking
at you. It might be a hobby or something about your home life or where
you live.
 Say your name first so that we know who you are. I ll start:  My name is
_____ and I m a grandmother. 
Possible Pitfalls
1. Some people feel what they have to say is not as interesting/valid as
others in the group, so each person needs validating by the trainer.
2. Occasionally, someone may reveal something very personal that
needs to be treated sensitively.
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Notes:
Compendium of Icebreakers Volume 3
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Obituary
26
Context Any group, but more acceptable for personal development
groups
Purpose To gain insight into how others perceive them
Materials None
Time 30 minutes
Method
1. Ask participants to sit in a circle.
2. Ask each participant to imagine that they are writing their own obitu-
ary and to think of three positive things they would particularly like to
be remembered for.
3. Ask each person to say their name and then tell the rest of the group
their three points.
Suggested Explanation
 Imagine that you are writing your own obituary: what would you like to
write about yourself? I would like you to think of three positive attributes
you would like to be remembered for. They can be anything you like a
personal quality, something you ve done, or whatever you can think of. It
doesn t have to be something big or profound. Choose whatever you want
to tell us about, and we ll go around the circle and hear from everybody.
Possible Pitfalls
People can bring up all sorts of things, so you need to be sensitive and
validate everyone s experience.
Notes:
Beginnings and Endings
57
Personal Shield
27
Context Any group that will be together for some time, either in a
one-day course, a series of modular courses, or an on-site
course
Purpose
" To introduce and learn more about one another
" To discover expectations of the course that can be
related to specific topics (see Variation)
Materials
" A sheet of flipchart paper for each participant
" Flipchart markers
" 2-sided tape and/or plastic adhesive
Time 45 minutes
Method
1. Before conducting this exercise, draw on flipchart paper an outline of
a shield that has written inside it questions you wish to ask the par-
ticipants.
2. Ask each participant to take a sheet of flipchart paper and a marker
and draw a shield.
3. Within the shield, ask participants to draw/write the following:
" A symbol that represents them (to be drawn in the center of the
shield)
" A significant date for them
" The name of an organization that has been important to them
" The name of a person who has been/is important in their life
" One quality they are proud to possess
" One expectation of the course
" Anything additional that relates to the topic (see Variation)
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59
4. Allow about 20 minutes and then ask each participant to explain their
shield to the rest of the group.
5. The shield can be displayed on the walls for the rest of the course,
and at the end, participants can take them home if they want.
Suggested Explanation
 To help get to know one another, I am going to ask you to think about
yourself and your life for a moment and to represent some important
things on paper for us to share.
 I d like you to do this by drawing an outline of a shield on a piece of flip-
chart paper and then include the following information somewhere on the
shield [go through the elements you want them to cover].
 After about 20 minutes, we ll come back together and I ll ask each per-
son to explain more about what they have chosen to put on their shield
and why.
Variation
This shield format can be adapted to suit any course, and the elements
on it can be more or less personal, depending on the group and the topic.
You can also ask specific questions (e.g., about management: Give an
example of a good manager you have had or one aspect of ineffective
management you have experienced).
Notes:
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60
Picture of Myself
28
Context Any group, but most useful for ongoing groups
Purpose [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]