Introduction.
If you’re a teacher or professor, you probably spend a lot of time with your students. This can be an incredibly rewarding experience for both parties involved. It can also be challenging to get to know your students well—especially if they’re teenagers! So why not use the opportunity to learn more about them? Take this list of questions to heart and try asking some of them during class (or at least when you’re having one-on-one conversations).
What Did You Want To Be When You Were a Child?
Let’s start with the easy ones. What did you want to be when you were a child? Did you want to grow up and be a policeman, firefighter, or astronaut? Or maybe be a rock star? Did it change as you got older and now, as an adult, what do you want to be doing with your life?
I think knowing these things are important because they can tell us a lot about who we are and where our passions lie right now in this moment. Sometimes people have trouble finding their passion because they’re too caught up in what other people tell them that they should do. It’s important that we understand who we are so that we know exactly what our passions are–and then if possible pursue them!
What Are Your Favorite Memory’s Growing Up?
Ask them to tell you about a memory from their childhood. It’s important to ask the student how they felt at the time, what happened and how it affected them. Did it make them feel better or worse? Did it change their personality in any way? What did they learn from this experience? How would they do things differently now if they could go back and relive the experience again?
What Do You Value About Your Family?
There is no better time to reflect on the role of your family in your life than while you are away from home. As a college student, you are likely making new friends and thinking about how to make the most of this new phase in your life. It’s important for students to understand the importance of their families throughout their education and beyond. Here are some deep questions that can help you think about what makes your family special:
- How do you feel when thinking about your family? Do you like spending time with them? Do they make you feel safe, happy or calm?
- What has being around each person taught you about yourself? How does each member of your family inspire or encourage growth in others?
- What traditions do members of your family share together (e.g., holidays) or outside of those times (e.g., movie nights)?
- What values have been passed down through generations within each generation (e.g., hard work)
Do You Have Any Regrets So Far In Life?
College students are faced with many challenges, including the pressure to find a job and make money. What is your relationship with money? Do you worry about it? Are you comfortable with spending as much or as little as you need, or do you feel like there’s always an invisible budget hanging over your head?
Money has a way of defining who we are in society. How did growing up in different socioeconomic settings affect how people perceive themselves today? What does it mean for our generation to be born into a world where we’re constantly bombarded by images that depict success as being defined by wealth (or lack thereof)?
Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years From Now? 10 Years From Now?
You may have noticed that there’s a common theme to these questions: they all concern the future. Why ask college students about their goals and dreams? Because it’s important for young people to have a sense of direction, and if you want to help them find one, this is the best place to start.
Talking points:
- How the student’s goals have changed over time
- How the student’s goals have been achieved/not been achieved
- How they relate to family/friends
Which Of Your Talents Are You Proudest Of ? What Talents Would You Like To Develop Further?
If you could be the best at anything, what would it be?
This question is about more than just bragging rights—it’s about finding your strengths and nurturing them. When we’re at our best, we’re more likely to share ourselves with others and make a positive impact on their lives.
What are some things you’ve done that make you proud? What are some things that were hard for you to master but which were worth learning?
This question will help college students answer the first question by providing examples of their talents, while also helping them identify areas where they need improvement or where they have room to grow as individuals.
If a Close Friend Were To Betray Your Trust, How Would That Affect Your Relationship With Him Or Her?
This question is designed to help you identify the kind of person your friend is. If it’s minor, such as a small lie or breaking a promise, that’s not a big deal and you should be able to forgive him or her. But if it’s something more serious, like stealing from one of his friends or abusing drugs behind closed doors? It might take some time for you to trust him again.
Describe One Of Your Best Friends. Why Do You Like This Friend More Than Others In Your Life?
This is a great question to ask friends, because your best friends are the ones who have been with you for a long time. They may not be your closest friends, but they’re still important people in your life. Describe this friend and why you like them more than other people in your life. You can also talk about how you met them or what they are like as people. If this is someone who is close to you, try to explain how they are different from everyone else in your life.
The most important thing when talking about this person will be making sure that you have some kind of explanation for their existence in your life, so that it doesn’t seem like anyone could take their place without making much difference at all!
What Is One Thing That You Want To Accomplish Before The End Of The Year?
The year is almost over and you have a lot to do. You want to make sure that you accomplish everything on your list. But for now, there’s time for one last question: What’s the one thing that you want to accomplish before the end of the year?
This question will help inspire your student as they set their sights on what they hope to achieve in this final month. It can also provide them with some direction regarding what needs completing and when it should be done by.
Perhaps they are looking forward to finishing a project at work or school, making plans for future holidays or traveling somewhere exciting (or both), or finally getting those pesky errands out of the way so that they can relax before winter break arrives! Whatever it may be, asking this question helps college students determine which tasks will help them make progress toward their goals over these next few weeks – not just during finals week!
If You Had 24 Hours To Live, What Would Be The Last Thing(s) That You Would Say Or Do?
If you had 24 hours to live, what would be the last thing(s) that you would say or do?
- Say goodbye to family and friends
- Say goodbye to your pet
- Say goodbye to your favorite place
- Say goodbye to your favorite person
- Say goodbye to your favorite thing
- Say goodbye to your favorite memory (and/or song)
These are good questions for learning about the students and their attitudes toward life and family:
- Do you have any siblings?
- How often do you talk to your parents?
- Why does what I’m saying matter to them?
- What are their goals in life, and how do they plan to achieve them?
- What are their values—the things that matter most to them in life and how do they live by those values?
Conclusion:
These questions are great for building rapport with students. They can also be used to learn about their values and beliefs, which is helpful for teachers when planning lessons or working with students individually on a project. The answers can help teachers get to know their students better as well as understand what motivates them in different situations.
