If you have an extra bulletin board in your room, consider putting up an About Me Board. It’s a good way to get to know your students and for them to get to know each other.

Each Friday, choose one or two students by a random drawing for the About Me Board. Over the weekend, the students will collect things to share with the class about themselves; items such as photographs of their family, friends, or pets. Then, on Monday, collect the items from the students and display them on the bulletin board. Include the name of the student or students in large letters.

What else might go up on the board? If your student likes art, she can bring in drawings, paintings, or cartoons she has done. Perhaps the student enjoys writing; have him bring in original stories or poems he has written. Your students might bring in ticket stubs from their favorite movies or brochures from cities they’ve visited. They might bring in magazine photos of what they would like to be someday; they could bring in pictures of doctors, cowboys, or ballerinas. They might also want to bring in maps of places they’d like to go.

Keep the display up until the following Friday, when one or two new names will be drawn. Continue each week until all the students have had a turn to share something about themselves with the class.

After every student’s name has been displayed, consider putting your own name up on the board. Add pictures of your family, your favorite foods, and your hobbies. By using the About Me Board, you and your students will find that getting to know one another can be a lot of fun.