Conversation Starters

Goals - share your goals and have your student create short term and long term goals

Self esteem – tell your student how you felt about yourself at his age, and then have the
student share his feelings about himself

Responsibilities – talk about your responsibilities. What are your student’s responsibilities?
How does it make him feel to have responsibilities?

Right and wrong – give some “for instances”. Listen to the response

Diversity – what is your student’s feelings about other races or cultures?

Mistakes – share some of your mistakes and how you have grown from them. Have your student look at his mistakes and at what can be done to grown and learn from them as well.

Games – Play a word game while you eat that would not draw attention to your table

Role play – suggest that your student be the teacher and that you are a student misbehaving. Or suggest that the student pretend he is interviewing for a job with you.

Problems – Talk about current problems the student is having

Proper etiquette – discuss table manners, meeting new people, phone conversations, etc.

Hobbies – talk about your hobbies and ask about your student’s hobbies

School work – In what subject is your student having problems? What suggestions can you give him?