10 Questions to Ask Your Students on the First Day of School

1. When have you felt particularly successful at school?
2. When have you been the most proud of learning something?
3. What is the easiest part of school?
4. What has been the hardest part of school?
5. What do you like about social studies?
6. When is social studies easy and/or fun for you?
7. When is social studies hard and/or boring for you?
8. What 3 things can I as the teacher do to help you become more successful as a student in this class?
9. What 3 things can you as the student do to help yourself be more successful this year?
10. Why do you think learning social studies is important?
• This is the only question where I volunteer an answer.  I tell them that learning history will help them become active participants in the political process.  (Then I explain that this means they will be better voters.)  However, I also point out that learning history will help to get the jokes in their favorite night time cartoons (The Simpsons, South Park, The Family Guy, Etc.)