IceBreakers

I just wanted to take a moment to tell everyone how much I hate icebreakers in groups as a means to get to know everyone. Why do I need to get to know all theses seemingly perfect strangers. In fact I will come out and say I don't want to get to know any of these people. Throughout my life any friends I have ever made and gotten to know, I made without any icebreakers, the old fashion way (a bottle of whiskey, 3 yards of rope, and a bowling pin). Why force us to say stupid things or do stupid things in front of people we have never met to "get to know them."

As a member of many groups through school and work throughout the years I have "participated" in hundreds of icebreakers, and hated each one. Any time I have been a leader of a group and asked to form an icebreaker for everyone, I have refused. Usually these meetings are put together to get something done or learn something, not to force us into friendships with people we have never met and have nothing in common with.

Yesterday I have a meeting for first year teachers with about 15 other teachers I have never met, and have no desire to ever really get to know, and may never see again. But the administrators of the meeting thought it was a good waste of time to have us do two icebreakers instead of learning something about teaching or what not. The game we played was two lies and a truth, here were mine: I love icebreakers, I was the starting goalie in high school my freshman year, I can't swim. Tricky, tricky.