Waiting for a class to leave can be disastrous. We all know what waiting is... boring. And when kids get bored, they start coming up with their own creative things to do. Most of the time it's something you don't want them doing.
When you give them something to talk about, it makes it easier to have a conversation with somebody you might otherwise not speak to. With the right questions, it can cause them to fire up the creative side of their brain and give them the right channels to get attention from their peers.
Most of the time, my students only stick to the conversation for a short amount of time and I pretend I don't hear their conversations. I also want it to be a voluntary conversation. I'm not going to penalize them for talking about something else. However, if they're causing problems with others with their conversation, I'll let them know it doesn't sound like the topic of conversation. Keeps them kind while they're waiting.
My go-to topic of conversation is:
What have you done lately that was outside, active or challenging?
A List of Conversation Topics
- What’s the most intelligent thing your pet or a friend’s pet has done? (Alternate: What's the dumbest thing...)
- What is the worst thing you’ve ever spent money on? (Alternate: What's the best thing?)
- What is the most disgusting food you’ve ever tasted
- What is the most surprising food you’ve ever tasted? A food you thought looked gross; but you ended up liking.
- Which superhero would you like to be and why? (Alternate: Which one would you not want to be? Why?)
- What kind of magical power would you like to have?
- If you could give yourself another name, what would it be?
- What's a time that you got into the most trouble at home?
- Who is your favorite villain in a book or movie?
- If you had to change your name, what would your new name be, and why would you choose that name?
- What’s the worst commercial you’ve recently seen? Why is it so bad?
- What is the craziest thing one of your teachers has done?
- Who is the messiest person you know?
- What is the dumbest way you’ve been injured?
- If you could know the absolute and total truth to one question, what question would you ask?
- What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week?
- Where is the worst smelling place you’ve been?
- Where is the worst place you can think of to start laughing uncontrollably?
- Ask them to give you two “truths” and a lie. Then try to guess which one is a lie.
- What is a misconception others often have about you?
- If you could make up a brand new school subject, what would it be? and how would it be helpful in the future
- Make up a new holiday
- If someone gave you $50 dollars what would you do with it?
- Would you rather eat your least favorite vegetable or have extra homework?
- What is the best way to eat an Oreo?
- What is your favorite/least favorite chore
- If you could do one thing, everyday, for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- What’s your favorite thing to do on a snow day?
- If you could design a zoo, which animal would you have the most of?
- If your parents told you that you could have dessert for breakfast what would you eat?
- What’s the best smell you’ve ever smelled?
- Do you think you could go an entire day without talking?
- If you could turn one room of your house into a giant trampoline which one would it be?
- What’s your favorite joke?
- Would you rather watch a movie with no sound or listen to a radio program with no image?
- Describe your perfect cookie
- If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?
- What is the longest word you know how to spell?
- What is one thing that you don’t know how to do, but you wish you did?
- How would you feel if, for one day, you were the parent and your mom and dad were the kids?
- If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be?
- Do you think it would be fun to have a hippopotamus living in your house?
- If you design your own playground, what kinds of things would you want to play on?
- How did you learn that your least favorite food was your least favorite food?
- What is something that you think kids understand, but adults do not?
- Do you like how old you are now or do you wish you were older or younger?
Do you have any great conversation topics? Comment below. I'd love to add them to my list.
