20 Conversation Starters for Genuine Conversations with Students

I was getting so tired of the Gen Z stare from my students, so I started asking questions that made them (and me) think. Here are a few of my favorites and I hope they help liven the conversations and create genuine connections. Enjoy!

Stop asking, How is everybody doing today? And start asking this…

Pop Culture & Current Events

• If you could add any class to our school’s curriculum, what would it be and why?
• What’s a show, song, or game you’ve been into lately that you think is underrated?
• If you could interview any person alive or dead for 10 minutes, who would it be?

Hypotheticals & Would You Rather 

• Would you rather have the ability to speak every language or play every instrument?If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
• If you woke up tomorrow with one new skill, what would you want it to be? 
• Would you rather know how much money you will make or how many kids you will have?

Opinions & Hot Takes 

• What’s a popular opinion you actually disagree with? 
• What’s something you believed as a kid that turned out to be totally wrong? 
• What’s one rule at school you’d change if you were principal for a day?

Self-Reflection 

• What’s something you’re better at than most people would expect? 
• What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in the last year? 
• What’s the best advice someone has ever given you? 
• What’s a small thing that genuinely makes your day better?

Creative & Imaginative 

• If your life had a theme song right now, what would it be? (Then play it for them!
• If you could live in any fictional world (book, movie, game), where would you go?
• What’s an invention the world desperately needs?
• If you could swap lives with anyone for one week, who would it be and why?

Connection-Building

• What’s something you’re proud of that you never really get to talk about?
• What’s something you’re looking forward to — this week, this year, or in life?

Would love to hear your thoughts on these conversation connectors and favorite ways to dismantle the Gen Z stare in your classes!