If you’re looking to add a new strategy to your classroom management routine, take a look at this or that questions for students.
Similar to morning meeting questions, this or that questions are short-answer questions that teachers ask students when they want to grab or hold their attention.
For example, you might ask this or that questions to check for attendance instead of having students respond with their names.
Another example is that you could ask this or that questions to students waiting for classmates to settle when transitioning from one activity to the next.
This keeps those already settled focused – not distracted by those still prepping for the upcoming activity.
This or that questions for students also work well as noise-reducing time-fillers during those few seconds just before dismissal when students are packed to leave.
As you can see, these questions can be used for a variety of purposes (Icebreakers are another great idea!).
That’s why they make a great addition to any classroom management plan.
Now you have another way to maintain the structure and order in your classroom in a fun and engaging way that really holds students’ attention.
Here you will find a variety of fun this or that questions for students that you can add to your teaching toolkit.
This or That Questions for Students
1. Do you prefer fish sticks or chicken nuggets?
2. Do you prefer to use crayons or colored pencils?
3. Would you rather play tag or hopscotch?
4. Would you rather have an individual or group classroom job?
5. Do you prefer cupcakes or brownies?
6. Are you more interested in football or basketball?
7. Do hamsters or rabbits make better pets?
8. Would you rather have as a superpower the ability to be invisible or the ability to fly?
9. What’s more delicious…an ice sandwich or cookies?
10. Do you prefer Field Day or taking a field trip?
11. Would you rather play with Legos or play a board game?
12. Are you more interested in art or P.E class?
13. Do you like more fruits or vegetables?
14. Do you prefer recess in the morning or afternoon?
15, Would you rather have pancakes or waffles?
16. Do you prefer to work in a group or independently?
17. Are you more likely to make a phone call or send a text message?
18. Do you keep a messy or neat locker?
19. Do you prefer in-person or distance learning?
20. Would you rather read fiction or nonfiction books?
21. Are you a cat or a dog person?
22. Do you put your right or left shoe on first?
23. Are you right or left-handed?
24. Do you prefer to learn by reading or doing?
25. Would you rather hang out in the cafeteria or hallway?
26. Would you rather spend time with animals or humans?
27. Do you prefer summer or Spring Break vacation?
28. Do you like breakfast or lunch foods best?
29. Would you rather watch TV shows or movies?
30. Do you prefer corn dogs or hot dogs?
31. Would you rather sleep in on the weekend or get up early to go bike riding?
32. Are you more interested in video games or board games?
33. Would you rather eat mozzarella sticks or French fries?
34. Are you more drawn to pastel colors or primary colors?
35. Would you rather give up breakfast or dinner?
36. Is Sunday or Monday the start of the week?
37. Do you prefer water slides or roller coasters?
38. Are you a morning or night person?
39. Do you prefer an essay or a multiple-choice test?
40. Is your morning or afternoon routine more hectic?
41. Would you rather be a pro at speaking several languages or playing several instruments?
42. Do you prefer to be around animals or people?
43. Are you more interested in ebooks or physical books?
44. Would you rather be a character in a book or a character in a movie?
45. Do you think babies are cute or gross?
46. Would you rather paint or draw?
47. Would you rather play indoors or outdoors?
48. Do you prefer stuffed crust pizza or plain-crusted pizza?
49. Would you rather get into trouble with your parents or the principal?
50. Do you prefer pizza with broccoli or ice cream with ketchup?
51. Are you more afraid of a flying roach or a flying snake?
52. Would you rather spend the night in a haunted house or a house full of snakes?
53. Do you prefer smooth or crunchy peanut butter?
54. Are you more offended by stinky feet or stinky breath?
55. Would you rather be a teacher or principal for the day?
56. Do you prefer to live theater or a movie theater?
57. Would you rather have a scary or educational Halloween costume?
58. Would you rather do math or reading all day?
59. Would you rather do two blocks of science or social studies?
60. Do you prefer to eat at the kitchen table or on the couch?
61. Is a talking dog or talking cat more strange?
62. Would you rather trip and fall in front of a younger or older student?
63. Would you rather visit Venus or Saturn?
64. For 30 seconds, do you prefer sour or spicy food in your mouth?
65. Do you prefer a hamburger with or without cheese?
66. Do you prefer a swimming pool or the ocean?
67. Are you more comfortable singing or humming?
68. Do you prefer to go out to eat or cook at home?
69. Would you prefer to ride a bike or a motorcycle?
70. Do you prefer reading or writing?
71. Do you prefer autumn or spring weather?
Final Thoughts: This or That Questions for Students
Now you have a treasure-trove of this or that questions for students that you can use for a variety of purposes.
Related: Check out this fun This Or That game students will love!