High School Homeroom Activities

Homeroom is typically a short period that falls at the beginning of the day. Some school schedules place homeroom about lunchtime or at the end of the day. No matter what time of day homeroom falls, teachers often wonder how to use the time. Because it's not a full period, it's difficult to do anything too involved. Short educational activities work well.

Homeroom is an ideal time for students to seek help on homework. By drawing on the knowledge of the homeroom teacher and other students, a student can gain a better understanding of an assignment. It is important to set up guidelines for homework help to make sure students don't simply give one another the answers. Do some role playing to demonstrate how to help a peer without giving the answer away.

Improvisation is a good way to get students going in an entertaining format. They get to express themselves creatively but also have to pay attention and think about what's going on so they can react. There are many ways to set up an improvisational activity. You can give the students a scenario and let them build off it. Another option is to have them draw two or three words from a hat, requiring them to include all of the words somewhere in the skit.

Set up an organized debate on a topic that interests the kids in your homeroom. School issues typically work well. These might include uniforms, vending machines or attendance policies. Teach basic debate procedures and then assign sides. You might find it easier to spend one day organizing their arguments and the next day actually debating since homeroom is a short period.

Brain teasers or logic puzzles are simple activities for homeroom. They make the kids think, giving their brains a kick start for the day. Read a brain teaser puzzle and see how long it takes for someone to come up with an answer. The kids can work solo or as a class to find the answer.