The best getting-to-know-you survey for the first day of school mixes low-stakes icebreakers with focused questions about learning habits and emotional needs to help you teach effectively from week one.

Handing out a generic paper worksheet often yields rushed, one-word answers from students eager to get back to talking with their friends.

When you ask specific, carefully worded questions in a digital format, students tend to open up more about what actually helps them succeed.

Digitizing the process also means you can easily sort, filter, and reference their answers later in the term instead of losing a stack of paper in a desk drawer.

Below is a bank of 40 field-tested survey questions you can copy directly into your start-of-year routine.

Lighthearted icebreaker questions to start the year

Starting your survey with low-stakes questions builds momentum and helps students feel comfortable with the format. The goal here is not to probe deeply into their lives, but to gather small details you can use to build rapport during the first few weeks of class.

  1. What is one thing you did this summer that you are genuinely proud of?

    Asking about pride rather than just asking what they did invites students to share accomplishments that matter to them. This might be finishing a difficult video game, helping a younger sibling, or mastering a skateboard trick. It immediately gives you a window into how they define success outside the classroom.

  2. If you could talk about one topic for 30 minutes without stopping, what would it be?

    This question is a goldmine for discovering hyper-specific student interests. When you know a student is obsessed with vintage cars, a specific anime, or baking, you can weave those themes into word problems, reading recommendations, or casual hallway conversations.

  3. What is a hobby or interest you have outside of school that most people do not know about?

    Students often have complex lives outside the building that never come up in standard academic discussions. Learning that a quiet student competes in weekend chess tournaments or volunteers at an animal shelter helps you see them as a whole person and provides an easy conversation starter.

  4. Who is your favorite musical artist right now, and why do you like them?

    Music is a core part of identity for many students. Asking for the "why" pushes them to articulate their tastes. You can also use this data to build a classroom playlist for independent work time, which immediately shows students you value their input.

  5. If you had to eat one meal every day for a month, what would you choose?

    Food questions are universally accessible and completely unthreatening. It is a simple way to get a guaranteed response from even the most hesitant students, and it often highlights cultural backgrounds or family traditions in a very natural way.

  6. What is the best movie, show, or book you consumed recently?

    This provides insight into their media consumption habits and reading levels. If a student lists a complex fantasy novel, you know they have stamina for long-form reading. If they list a fast-paced action series, they might appreciate high-energy, visually engaging lessons.

  7. If you had a completely free Saturday with no chores or homework, how would you spend it?

    Understanding how a student chooses to spend their unstructured time tells you about their energy levels and social habits. A student who prefers sleeping and playing solo video games recharges differently than one who wants to play pickup basketball at the park all day.

  8. What is a hidden talent or skill you have that we might not see in class?

    This gives students permission to brag about something unconventional. You might discover you have a skilled juggler, a self-taught coder, or a bilingual speaker in your room. Celebrating these skills later in the year builds immense trust.

  9. If you could instantly become an expert in any one skill, what would it be?

    This question reveals aspirations and curiosities. A student who wants to be an expert in robotics has different internal motivations than a student who wants to instantly master the guitar. It helps you understand what they value and what they wish they could achieve.

  10. What is one thing you are really looking forward to this school year?

Ending the icebreaker section on a positive note sets a good tone. Their answers will tell you if they are motivated by social events like dances and sports, or if they are genuinely excited about specific academic milestones like art class or a science fair.

Questions about learning preferences and academic goals

Once students are comfortable, you need actionable data on how they learn best. When writing questions about academics, phrasing matters immensely. A closed question gives you flat data, while an open one provides context.

  • ❌ Weak: Do you like math?
  • ✅ Strong: What is a subject you enjoy, and what makes it fun for you?

Why it works: The strong version forces the student to reflect on their own learning process rather than just checking a box.

  1. What is your favorite subject in school, and what makes it enjoyable for you?

Recommended format: Paragraph Asking for the reasoning is more important than the subject itself. If a student loves math because there is always a clear right answer, they value structure and predictability. If they love history because of the storytelling, they value narrative and context.

  1. Which subject or type of assignment do you find the most challenging, and why?

Recommended format: Paragraph This helps you anticipate roadblocks before they happen. If multiple students express anxiety about public speaking or writing long essays, you can plan to introduce those specific tasks slowly with extra scaffolding.

  1. How do you prefer to take in new information during a lesson?

Recommended format: Checkboxes (Provide options: Listening to the teacher explain it, reading it on my own, looking at diagrams or pictures, doing a hands-on activity, talking it through with a partner). Getting a baseline of class preferences helps you balance your lesson plans. If 80 percent of your room prefers hands-on activities, standing at the front lecturing for the entire period will likely lead to behavioral issues.

  1. When you are working on a difficult assignment, what environment helps you focus best?

Recommended format: Multiple choice (Provide options: Complete silence, listening to music with headphones, quiet background noise, talking with a group). You can use this data to structure your independent work times. Knowing that half your class needs complete silence while the other half needs background noise allows you to set up designated zones in the room.

  1. How do you feel about group work compared to working independently?

Recommended format: Linear scale (1 = I strongly prefer working alone, 5 = I strongly prefer working in a group). Group work can be a massive source of anxiety for some students and a vital social outlet for others. Knowing where each student falls on this spectrum helps you group them strategically during collaborative projects.

  1. What is the biggest distraction for you when trying to complete homework or focus in class?

Recommended format: Checkboxes (Provide options: My phone, talking to friends, feeling tired, feeling hungry, getting stuck and not knowing what to do, background noise). Identifying their primary distractions gives you a shared vocabulary to use when redirecting them later. If a student admits their phone is their biggest distraction, you can refer back to that when asking them to put it away.

  1. When you do not understand a concept in class, what are you most likely to do?

Recommended format: Multiple choice (Provide options: Raise my hand immediately, ask a friend quietly, wait until after class to ask the teacher, try to figure it out on my own at home, do nothing and hope I get it later). This is critical for identifying your "silent strugglers." If a student selects that they will do nothing or wait until they get home, you know you need to proactively check their understanding during independent practice.

  1. What is one specific academic goal you have set for yourself this semester?

Recommended format: Short answer Setting a goal requires students to project into the future. Whether they want to maintain a certain grade, finally understand fractions, or just turn all their homework in on time, this gives you a metric to help them track their own progress.

  1. How can a teacher best support you when you are struggling with a topic?

Recommended format: Paragraph Some students want you to sit next to them and walk through it step-by-step. Others want you to give them a hint and walk away so they can figure it out independently. Knowing this prevents you from accidentally hovering over a student who needs space.

  1. What was the most successful project or paper you completed last year, and why did it go well?

Recommended format: Paragraph Success leaves clues. If a student points to a project where they got to choose their own topic, you know autonomy drives their engagement. If they point to a heavily structured group presentation, you know they thrive on clear rubrics and peer collaboration.

Questions to understand social and emotional needs

A student cannot learn effectively if they feel unsafe, unseen, or overwhelmed. This section of the survey helps you gauge the emotional climate of your new classroom and identifies students who might need early intervention or a gentler approach.

Expert tip: When a student discloses significant anxiety, family issues, or peer conflict in a survey, always follow up with them privately in a low-stakes setting. A simple "Thank you for sharing that with me, let me know how I can help" builds immense trust without making them feel exposed.

  1. What is one thing that usually makes you feel stressed or overwhelmed during the school day?

School is an inherently stressful environment for many adolescents. Pinpointing whether a student is stressed by tests, loud hallways, reading aloud, or peer drama allows you to adjust their daily experience and offer specific coping strategies.

  1. How do you prefer to receive feedback or praise when you do something well?

Public praise is a nightmare for some students. A student who hates being the center of attention will actually stop performing well if the reward is public recognition. Knowing who prefers a quiet sticker on their desk versus a class shout-out prevents accidental embarrassment.

  1. What helps you calm down when you are feeling frustrated or upset in class?

Every student has a different baseline for emotional regulation. Knowing that one student needs a quick walk to the water fountain while another just needs to put their head down for two minutes helps you manage classroom behavior proactively rather than reactively.

  1. How comfortable are you speaking up or answering questions in front of the whole class?

Cold-calling can destroy trust if used on the wrong student at the wrong time. This question helps you build a mental list of students who are ready to volunteer and students who need a private warning before being called on to speak.

  1. What is one quality you value most in a good friend or classmate?

This reveals a student's core social values. If they value loyalty, humor, honesty, or kindness, you can use those exact words when mediating conflicts or praising their interactions with peers.

  1. When working in a team, what role do you usually naturally take on?

Group dynamics are complex. Knowing who identifies as a leader, a peacekeeper, the idea generator, or the quiet worker bee helps you construct balanced groups where no one is overshadowed and the work is actually distributed fairly.

  1. What is something you wish teachers understood better about your daily life outside of school?

This is often the most revealing question on the survey. Students may disclose that they work late shifts, care for younger siblings, or lack internet access at home. This context changes how you view missed homework and sleepy mornings.

  1. How do you usually handle disagreements or conflicts with peers?

Understanding their default conflict resolution style - whether they avoid, confront, negotiate, or seek an adult - helps you intervene appropriately when classroom drama inevitably arises.

  1. Who is one adult in this school building you feel you can trust or talk to if you need help?

If a student leaves this blank or says "no one," that is a massive red flag. It tells you immediately that this student needs connection, and you can make it your mission to become that trusted adult for them over the coming months.

  1. What is one thing I can do as your teacher to make you feel welcome and respected in this classroom?

Directly asking for their needs sets a tone of mutual respect. It shifts the dynamic from a dictatorship to a partnership, showing students from day one that you actually care about their experience in your room.

Fun and quirky questions to show student personality

To finish the survey, pivot back to lighthearted, imaginative questions. These oddball prompts often yield the most creative answers and give you a sense of a student's sense of humor.

Question Creative follow-up prompt
31. If you could have any superpower for just 24 hours, what would it be? What is the very first thing you would do with it at 8:00 AM?
32. If you could travel back in time to any historical event, where are you going? Would you try to change the outcome, or just watch it happen?
33. What animal best represents your personality before 8:00 AM? What animal do you turn into by the end of the school day?
34. If you were stranded on a deserted island, which three items would you want with you? Which of those items would you end up losing first?
35. Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses? Explain your battle strategy in exactly one sentence.
36. If you had to rename yourself today, what name would you choose? Why does this new name fit you better than your current one?
37. What is the most useless piece of trivia you know? How did you originally learn this weird fact?
38. If our classroom had a theme song that played when you walked in, what should it be? Which part of the song should play right when the bell rings?
39. What is a common food that everyone loves but you secretly despise? What is the absolute worst thing about how it tastes or feels?
40. If you had to give a TED Talk on any subject tomorrow, what would the title be? Who is the target audience for your presentation?

How to set up your classroom survey in Google Forms

Moving these questions from a list into a functional digital survey takes only a few minutes. Using Google Forms ensures the data is neatly organized in a spreadsheet you can reference all year.

Step 1: Open Google Forms and click Blank form to start a new project. Give your survey a clear, welcoming title like Welcome to 8th Grade Science - Let's Get to Know You.

Step 2: Go to the Settings tab at the top. If you are using a school Google Workspace account, you can toggle on Collect email addresses and set it to Verified. This automatically records who submitted the form so you do not have to rely on students spelling their own names correctly.

Step 3: Return to the Questions tab. Click the + icon on the right side menu to add your first question. Paste the text from the lists above. Google Forms will often automatically guess the correct question type (like switching to a Paragraph format for open-ended questions). If it guesses wrong, click the dropdown menu next to the question to fix it.

If you want to skip the manual copying and pasting entirely, you can use Doc2Form to instantly convert a plain-text list or document of questions into a live Google Form in your Drive. This saves significant setup time, especially if you are building multiple surveys for different class periods.

Step 4: Decide which questions are mandatory. Toggle the Required switch at the bottom right of any question you absolutely need answered. It is usually best to make the basic learning and emotional questions required, but leave the quirky personality questions at the end optional.

Step 5: When your survey is ready, click the purple Send button in the top right. Click the link icon (which looks like a chain) and check the Shorten URL box. You can now copy this link and paste it into Google Classroom, an email, or turn it into a QR code for students to scan as they walk in the door.

If you are looking to build a wider library of resources for your classroom, exploring tailored templates can streamline your workflow for reading logs, permission slips, and parent communication. Later in the year, you might also explore how to turn a document quiz into a Google Form to automate your grading process just like you automated this survey.

Sources

FAQ

How long should a first day of school student survey be?

A back-to-school survey should ideally take students no more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Aim for 15 to 20 highly focused questions rather than a massive list of 50. If the survey drags on too long, students will experience fatigue and begin giving rushed, unhelpful answers just to finish.

Should I make student getting-to-know-you surveys anonymous?

No, getting-to-know-you surveys should require a name or email address. The primary purpose of this tool is to help you build individual relationships, tailor your instruction, and identify specific students who need extra support. Anonymous data prevents you from acting on the personal insights the students share.

What is the best way to share a back-to-school survey with younger students?

For younger students with limited typing skills, keep open-ended questions to a minimum and rely heavily on multiple choice or checkbox formats. You can distribute the survey by generating a QR code and displaying it on your smartboard for them to scan with their school-issued tablets. Alternatively, post the direct link as an assignment in your learning management system.

How can I use the survey data to improve my classroom management?

You can use the data to strategically arrange seating charts by separating easily distracted students from their triggers. Knowing a student's hobbies and favorite subjects gives you natural conversation starters to de-escalate tension on difficult days. Furthermore, understanding their preferred feedback styles ensures you do not accidentally embarrass a shy student by praising them loudly in front of the class.

Taking the time to gather and review this data in the first week pays off for the rest of the year. When students see that you actually read their answers - by remembering their favorite band, avoiding the foods they hate during a class party, or respecting their preference for quiet work time - you build a foundation of mutual respect that prevents countless behavioral issues down the line.