Breaking the Ice: Using Ice-breakers and Re-energizers with Adult Learners

Over the past several years, a number of researchers have theorized that students vary significantly in how they approach classroom learning and that each learner has a distinct and definable way of engaging in the learning process (Conrad Dunn and Dunn, 1978; Gardner, 1983; Gregorc, 1986; Kolb, 1984; Merriam, Caffarella, Palmer, 2007; Vella, 2002). Adult learners often arrive in our classrooms with preconceived notions of learning that are hard for them to let go. Additionally, teachers can and often do fall into this category as well, allowing a dynamic of opposition to develop. Almost all of us have faced the reluctant learner who refuses to participate in class, where nothing helps to draw him or her out of a protective shell. Educators will often seek out instructional strategies designed to build rapport, help students get to know one another, and create safe classrooms for learning where everyone feels comfortable participating. Individuals facilitating adult learning need a medley of teaching methods to be effective (Galbraith, 2004). This is when the instructional strategies of icebreakers and re-energizers can enter the learning environment. While much of the strategies for using icebreakers and re-energizers effectively focus on children, several techniques are applicable to adult learners as well (Collins, 2010; Ukens, 1997; Zike, 1992;). Icebreaker activities, as the name implies help break the ice in various ways. They help group members get acquainted and begin conversations, relieve inhibitions or tension between people, allowing those involved to build trust with and feel more open to one another. Icebreakers encourage participation by all, helping a sense of connection and shared focus to develop. Re-energizers can be used as transitions or a time to clear the mind encouraging vitality and enthusiasm (Boatman, 1991). Both activities also lead to a free exchange of information and enhanced communication between group members (Zwaagstra, 1997). In addition to simply helping to learn students' names, we have found using icebreakers brings humor into the class, establishes rapport, fosters a safe learning environment, and overall assists with content learning. Therefore, it would follow that implementation of icebreakers and re-energizers in the classroom might well contribute to improved student participation, increased student persistence, and ultimately enhanced student learning. This article centers on theories of adult learning methods and how they relate to the practice of using icebreakers in the adult classroom. While our language is geared toward the adult learning world, our experience has been that these practices also work well in a variety of classroom and group settings, both traditional and non-traditional, including professional development sessions, staff and faculty meetings or retreats, and with non-professional groups. This paper aims to support adult educators by developing their theoretical understanding of effectively implementing icebreakers and re-energizers in their classroom. While educators may inherently know the benefits of using icebreakers, this article is intended as a guide to assist practitioners in applying them to their daily instructional activities. We also hope this article will fill a gap as there is a lack of recent work on this topic in the adult education literature. A keyword search of ten library databases for articles published in the past five years revealed only three articles on the topic of icebreakers. One was a three paragraph book review of a book published in 2000, another was a list of icebreakers not to use, and the third was a relevant one page article on icebreakers appropriate for training and development seminars. It is our contention that icebreakers are not one-time events to be used solely on the first day of class. In fact, we use both icebreakers and re-energizers as needed at various times throughout a course. …