eSchoolNews, December 2025

Link: https://www.eschoolnews.com/educational-leadership/2025/11/28/rethinking-icebreakers-in-professional-learning/ 

Professional learning icebreakers are often criticized as disconnected fillers that can force unsafe personal disclosures and waste time that should be dedicated to deepening pedagogical knowledge. Although frequently misused, research suggests these activities have the potential to foster collaboration and safety if they are intentionally designed rather than replicated as mere tradition. To better honor educators' expertise, facilitators should replace gimmicks with purposeful professional engagement, such as analyzing student work or co-creating group norms.  Subjecting educators to superficial icebreakers is like asking a surgeon to play "two truths and a lie" before an operation; it undermines their professionalism and distracts from the critical work at hand.