2. BEA Ignite Session
“Icebreaker”
A Semester‟s Most Important Lesson
From That Very First Minute of Class
Joe Champ
Dept. of Journalism and Tech. Com.
Colorado State University

3. The Boring Launch:
Spend a minute…
-Welcoming students to class
-Referencing the syllabus…
…& dense readings packet (yuck!)

4. Savor the feeling of…
-summer ending!
-hopes dashed!
-reality…setting in!
Upset Student

5. “Can anyone share their…
NEAR
DEATH
EXPERIENCE!?!”
Dramatically interrupt your intro…
…ask:
“My…whaaa?!?”

6. Don‟t be
unsettled by
moments of
disorientation.
(This is the 1st
time they‟ve
had a class
start this way!)

7. Feel the…
-tension leave the room
-stimulation rise
-emotions re-ignite
…as students ponder…
…their close calls!!!
?
Engaged Student

8. Pick one. Always plenty to choose from.
(Millennials lead exciting lives!)

9. Just in case…have a „close call‟ of your own ready…
…(your story will still work!)

10. The semi was headed straight
gunfire erupted
hail of bullets
as my friend
I could feel the rip tide
pulling me out to sea
But—in my 30 class starts, someone always…
…has a good Near Death Experience!

11. Story Over Time
Student
Stimulation
Level
After Near Death Experience tale…graph it on the board…
Boring
Class Start
Near Death Exp.
request
Beginning….Middle…& End of Story

12. Ask: “What just happened?”
Reflect on Lessons Learned:
 LESSON #1: To effectively communicate, grab
your audience‟s attention…(even when teaching a class!)
 LESSON #2: Once you’ve got their attention, hang
onto it by delivering compelling content.
 LESSON #3: Your chances of success rise if you know
your audience!!!

13. Please share your…
NEAR
Retirement
EXPERIENCE!!!
Expanding on knowing one‟s audience…
…we ponder an alternative start to class:
Why is this less effective in most college classrooms?

14. Please share your…
NEAR
Denture Loss
EXPERIENCE!!!
Or…how about…?

15. Q: How did I know…
…Near Death will stimulate students?
A: 18-21-year-olds (hopefully) have lots of life
left to live.
Describing its near loss: ATTENTION GRABBING!

16. This lesson can be applied to…
…Every form of communication

17. COMMON STATEMENT DURING SEMESTER:
“If you don‟t at least try…
…to elicit the stimulation of...
…the Near Death Experience story…
…might as well just stay in bed!!!‟

18. The „Near Death‟ lesson comes up
almost every class session…

19. Boring work
that doesn‟t
stimulate?
Swiftly condemned
for failing the
„Near Death‟ test

20. Stimulating work
that delivers?
Celebrated for
Effective Storytelling!

21. Thank-You!
Joe Champ
Colorado State University
joseph.champ@colostate.edu