In my August post I compared the art of group facilitation and teaching to cooking and promised more articles on the key ingredients that make group work and learning successful.

As with cooking, facilitation is an art that involves a combination of practice, observation, knowledge of theory and creativity. Effective facilitators act as a good chef does, adding together the important elements in the right amounts at the right time to create a palatable and hopefully meaningful experience. Through careful observation of all of these elements involved in a group’s personality and setting, they intentionally choose and order activities or “ingredients” in order to maximize learning opportunities.

Many educators call this important aspect of facilitation and teaching “sequencing”.
Sequencing involves consciously and thoughtfully presenting activities in a specific order to maximize learning outcomes and maintain the emotional and physical safety of the group. Being thoughtful, observant and intentional in your planning, presentation and evaluation of activities is one of the essential aspects of effective group facilitation teaching, and team building.

There is no one specific “recipe” for sequencing activities or lessons that fits every group. In cooking there is a lot of room for creativity, style and adaptation but there are key rules and fundamental ingredients needed in order for a cake to rise or a sauce to thicken. The same is true for the facilitation of group learning experiences. Approach sequencing as a dynamic process that takes into careful consideration the personality and dynamics of the group, your strengths and style as an educator, participant’s emotional and physical safety, the group’s goals and agenda, available activities and materials, allotted time, and the physical environment.

In cooking the timing and ordering of ingredients is key to the success of many dishes. Ingredients often need to be added in a certain amount, a specific order and cooked for just the right duration for best results. Good facilitators are in tune to the importance of activity choices, and the ordering and timing of experiences. Effective facilitators pay attention to the group development process, and allow time for trust building. It is important to balance the level of the activity and or challenge presented and the participant’s ability to meet the challenge or activity. Leaders need to continually observe their group in order to be sure the activities they select fit the needs and goals of the group and the specific situation.

The time needed for participants to create relationships and build trust is different for every group. When interpersonal connections and sense of community is developed groups will take learning further and get more benefit out of the activities they engage in. Allow time for this happen by choosing activities that build upon each other.

When sequencing learning experiences be sensitive to the time of day and the physical comfort and attention span of group members. Being flexible as a facilitator in dealing with the unexpected is key. Listen to your group and be prepared to change your plan midstream in order to adapt to the ever changing needs of the group and to take advantage of new opportunities for learning that emerge as a group works together.

Careful sequencing maximizes participation by allowing people to engage at a pace that works for them. Experiential group work can be very powerful. If groups are ready to engage in the process great things can occur. Conversely, if a group is not emotionally or physically ready to encounter certain “learning adventures” the experience could be damaging or inhibit growth and learning. An effective educator approaches activities with intention, thoughtfulness, and flexibility—continuously evaluating their group and refining their plan as they need to.

Sequencing Suggestions

• Be ready with a continuum of activities. It is important to have a repertoire of activities that build upon each other. Having activities in your “back pocket” allows you to be ready to deal with changes in direction and learning opportunities that arise in an ever-changing group.
• Be flexible enough to throw out or let go of that well developed plan if the group needs are different than expected.
• “Indicator” activities are helpful. Know some activities that help you read and evaluate the group and introduce challenges incrementally. For example, over the years I have facilitated many challenge/ropes course programs. These involve physical touch and responsibility on the part of the participants to manage “spotting” each other. Before going on to the course and teaching safety systems I facilitate a series of partnered tag activities that involve moving around in a small space, appropriate physical contact, and the need for be aware of those around them. This introduces the idea of appropriate touch and close personal space important to the spotting techniques the group will be learning. It also helps me evaluate whether the group is engaged and ready to take the responsibility of balancing fun with safe focused behavior.
• Let participants know what is expected of them and the type of activities they will be participating in. Informed consent is critical. Let participants/students know what is expected of them and the type of activities in which they will be participating.  Informing the group about the upcoming activities doesn’t have to give away the novelty of your approach.  Think about informed consent as empowering participants with needed information.  If reluctant students make a choice not to participate, they will at least know what opportunities they might be missing.
• Continually observe your group and re-evaluate your plans in order to be sure the activities fit the needs and goals of the group and the specific situation.
• Be sensitive to the time of day and physical environment when presenting activities
• Take time to build relationships and trust between group members
• Be prepared for the unexpected
• Take advantage of teachable moments. Ongoing processing or reflection is key to moving learning forward. Reflective practice is best when it is a dynamic ongoing part of your lessons, not just something you facilitate as a follow up (see previous posts for processing ideas)
• Choose activities that build upon each other
• Be willing to let go of your agenda to meet the needs of the group

Recognize that each group is unique.  Every group has a different personality and participates in activities in a different way.  Even when working with groups with similar characteristics, in the same setting, with the same program goals, I have found that the actual lesson plan changes with each different group in response to that group’s particular personality and needs.  Activities you carefully plan prior to a workshop or group session may be specifically relevant for one group’s personality and needs and not another’s.  This is one of the exciting aspects of group facilitation.

There is great variety in group experience and varying opportunities facilitate learning. With experience, facilitators develop the art of reading their group and adjusting activities in a creative way throughout group process to move learning and change forward. This is the beauty of experiential education, nurturing spontaneity of experience to take advantage of teachable moments. The art is in balancing this spontaneity and creativity with the key ingredients and timing to make it all come together successfully.

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Today I am returning to the blog after a few weeks offline due to Tropical Storm Irene.

Our little village of South Newfane, Vermont and many neighboring towns were hit hard by flooding during Irene. Some of our neighbors lost their homes. Power, phone and Internet were gone for many days and our roads are still being rebuilt. Though the damage to homes and infrastructure and the sorry state of our rivers and roads is hard to take, we are very thankful to be part of such a wonderful community and proud to be living in Vermont.  This kind of event often forces people to reflect on what is truly important in life and neighbors find themselves serving their community in ways they didn’t have “time” for before and relying on those around them. The moments of reflection and of neighbor helping neighbor have been as impressive and uplifting as the storm was devastating.

I experienced one of these positive moments during a “back to school” team-building session with students at Twin Valley Middle School (TVMS) in Whitingham, VT.  I was scheduled to “kick-off” the school year with community building activities the first week of school. When Irene wreaked havoc on our community, school started a week late. When I arrived to work with students after the delayed start it seemed important to reflect on the flood, and the unusual start to the year along with the excitement, anticipation and stress that comes as a normal part of the beginning of middle school. I engaged students in a reflective activity called “Graffiti Wall” that I learned from Kasey Errico an educator who attended my workshop at the Association for Experiential Education conference last spring.

I taped large lengths of butcher paper on the walls. As students entered the classroom I had them choose their favorite color marker. I set up the activity by asking them to imagine that they are graffiti artists and that this is their can of spray paint.  They have been given permission by a store owner to decorate the wall with graffiti to describe their experiences, thoughts, reflections, questions regarding the flood, what it has been like starting school amidst the recovery, the late start to the school year and what it is like to be an 8th grader.  I asked them to use artwork or words and explained that like a real wall of graffiti others can add to or comment on their artwork or musings. I encouraged them to do this silently (probably an unrealistic challenge for middle schoolers, but something that has been helpful when I have facilitated this activity with older groups).

The activity jumpstarted a meaningful reflective discussion. A few students lost their homes and family businesses and many parents are out of work due to the businesses in Wilmington, VT being destroyed by this record flood. One student who lives downtown shared that she had been keeping a list of all the items that floated by her house.

What emerged from the discussion following the graffiti activity was the increased sense of compassion and understanding students have gained through the flood experience. EVERY 8th grade student shared an example of service they had offered the community during the crisis including babysitting at the red cross center so that their parents could help clean out homes and businesses, working at the food bank, shoveling mud from basements, or sheltering neighbors in their homes.

Since Kasey introduced me to this activity last spring I have used the graffiti activity a number of times with positive outcomes. I like the blend of self-reflection and group collaboration. Often people will more readily express their thoughts through artwork than verbal means. It is non-intimidating to those who don’t consider themselves “artists” because they can blend words and images. Group members can choose their level of participation and learn as much from contributing as they do from observing other’s posts. The graffiti becomes an “artifact” of the group’s thoughts and experiences and can jumpstart meaningful dialogue and reflection.

In past posts I have encouraged educators to think of reflective practice as an ongoing part of their programs rather than something that happens at the end as a “debrief”. This is a great example of a reflection activity that can be used at the beginning, middle or end of a group experience.

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In past articles I have compared group facilitation and teaching to cooking in the sense that successful educators vary ingredients all the time to keep things interesting or to “spice up” their teaching/group facilitation. In doing so they always keep in mind the key components that make it happen. There is a lot of room for creativity, style and adaptation in cooking but there are key rules and fundamental ingredients needed in order for a cake to rise or a sauce to thicken.

Over the past few months I have been inspired by my experiences facilitating workshops with educators from all over the US and Canada who are committed to enriching the lives of the youth and adults they work with. As I reflect on the feedback from participants in these workshops there were common “ah ha” moments or key learnings that participants took away from these group experiences. These all had to do with the importance of taking time to build a strong foundation of understanding, empathy and trust within groups, empowering learners with choice and control, thoughtfully sequencing activities to maximize learning outcomes and the importance of reflective practice; all key ingredients in recipes for group success. In the next few posts I will share articles on these topics.

Here are some of the “key” ingredients or techniques educators should consider as they build a strong foundation for learning within groups and classrooms:

The experience starts the moment a group enters the room (or even before).

Create a “Hook” to engage participants as they walk in the door. The first few minutes of a class or group session can be a great opportunity to draw learners into a positive learning experience and increase engagement. This can be a way to welcome group members or students into the classroom or meeting space and focus their attention on the tasks at hand. It can help learners transition from the experiences at home, on the commute, or in the hallway that impact learning so that they can be fully present in the learning space. Research on the brain and learning is demonstrating that the first moments of a learning experience are a key opportunity to increase engagement and retention (for more on this subject check out the series on engagement in March and April’s Inspired Educator blog posts).

Start off with style!

Introductory activities set the tone for a program and future group interaction. Think carefully about using appropriate beginning activities that build rapport and trust in incremental ways. Take time for this process. When people are given an opportunity to interact and share with each other step by step they gain comfort with the group process and build the capacity to go more in depth later on.

Make thoughtful choices, beware of the “ice-breaker”.

When choosing “ice breakers” or introductory activities find those that build rapport, camaraderie, connections, shared understanding, commonalities and goals in an enjoyable and non-threatening way. Often icebreakers can do the opposite of what was intended when people are put “on the spot” too early in the group process. When people are asked to perform a task like memorizing names or speaking/standing in front of the whole group before they have built comfort and basic trust they actually might “check out”, become embarrassed, and/or form negative associations with the experience. Try beginning with partnered sharing activities. This gives participants an opportunity to warm up by interacting with just one or two others at a time before sharing with the larger group. Thoughtfully sequence activities to build the capacity of trust and sharing over time.

Choice and control are essential.

People learn best when they perceive a sense of control, they have choice and ownership over their learning experiences. Think about creating opportunities that build this sense of choice and control for participants or students from the very beginning of the program or school year. Empowering learners to set reasonable parameters around their participation creates an atmosphere of healthy trust and will actually increase involvement from reluctant participants. In experiential group work, facilitators often aim to create change by pushing comfort zones and challenging learners. People do learn from challenges, but there can be a fine line between a challenge that helps move learning forward and what the educational philosopher John Dewey (one of the earliest proponents of the philosophy of experiential education) would call a miseducative or potentially damaging experience.

Create opportunities for students/participants to make choices within an experience. Consider techniques such as:

• adding rules to an icebreaker that allow the “it” person a way out or an option to participate at their own pace
• inviting participants to volunteer rather than calling on them to share
• allowing participants to pass during group discussion

This will help participants experience what John Dewey called “perceived internal freedom” and help them buy into the group process.

Creating situations that allow introverted group members some kind of out or aid gives them an opportunity to participate fully and warm up to the group process. They learn to trust that you won’t put them in a situation that is embarrassing or puts them on the spot before they are ready. This technique used during a warm-up game can pay off later in the group process.

By building trust in this way, group members start to share and engage at their own pace and become more willing to push their comfort zones later on when it really matters.

It is important for groups to learn and honor names.

Knowing and using each others names in a respectful way builds trust and positive communication establishing a supportive group environment. A person’s name is very important to them and should be honored with correct pronunciation and proper use. Presenting a series of activities that help participants use and practice names can be very helpful to establishing a strong foundation of trust and understanding. I like to weave name activities and practice into introductory activities in a “natural” way starting with simple partner greetings and sharing before engaging participants in a whole group name activity. I try to avoid contrived name activities that put people in the “on the spot” too early in group process or require them to feel under pressure to memorize. In upcoming posts I will share some of my favorite methods for introducing and reinforcing names in a palatable way.

Establish and reflect on healthy group norms.

Help group members create an environment where they feel responsible for themselves and each other and are willing to speak up when there is a breakdown in communication or an issue that affects the safety or potential experience of the group. It is ideal when the group takes that responsibility rather than the facilitator or teacher. Group norms are the behaviors that exist in every group, good or bad. It can be helpful for groups to formalize agreements about acceptable behaviors to improve their ability to work together. In my experience it helps to not do this on the first day or hour of class or group but rather after they have spent some time together so they get to know about their group dynamics and what they will be encountering together. Norms should be reflected upon and revisited throughout the year or program. (There can still be leader imposed ground rules or expectations put forward on day one, but participants should be increasingly involved in defining group norms as they move forward and encounter challenging situations together as a group).

Reflect and “check in”.

Intentionally making time for the group to reflect, and “check in” with each other is integral to group process, so that experiences can be built upon one another and related to real life and future learning.

Reflection brings learning to life. The educational philosopher John Dewey (1933) who is known as one of the forefathers of experiential education believed that in order to truly learn from experience there must be time for reflection. Reflection creates relevancy and meaning in an experience and helps learners make connections between their educational experiences and real life situations. The practice of reflection itself is one of the most useful human skills in that it develops insight, one of the hardest important tools to teach and learn.

Regular “check-ins” create a forum or opportunity for participants to share what is working, what they need from each other, and for celebrating successes along the way. Reflective practice is best when it is a dynamic ongoing part of your lessons, not just something facilitated at the end of an experience or as a follow up.

Take time up front to build your group.

It takes time to sequence and build healthy trust between participants and teacher/leaders. Time and experience together can build comfort enhancing meaningful group sharing of thoughts, ideas and feelings. This builds the foundation that will allow you to engage learners in more challenging activities, fosters more responsibility and control over their learning and increases their ability to move learning forward. You will find that time spent from the beginning of your program or school year building relationships, ownership and reflective skills pays off later in many ways!

Like any good good cook, remember to experiment and blend your own personality, creativity and style with the chemistry of the group into the recipes for positive group experiences. Mix it up and add a little spice here and there, just don’t forget those key ingredients that hold it all together and help make the full flavor of the group come experience through.

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The past few days have marked the end of the school year for a number of programs I work with here in New England. Over the last week I have worked with 5th graders “stepping up” to 6th grade, 8th graders “moving up” to high school, graduating seniors on their way to adulthood and teachers moving into retirement. It is an exciting time worth celebrating, and a great opportunity for making the most of these transitions and creating connections to enhance future learning by reflecting on lessons learned, accomplishments and goals for the future.

In the next few posts I will share some of my favorite reflective activities used for this transition. These activities help learners celebrate their accomplishments, clarify their goals and move learning forward.

Commitment for the Future:

Last week Amanda Dixon, an 8th grade Language Arts teacher and I were brainstorming an activity to “tie it all together” during my last visit to her classroom. We decided to have students send a postcard to their future selves.

At the beginning of the year we used my postcard collection to have students identify a personal strength and write about that strength using figurative language. They then shared their postcard and some of their writing to the class.

During my last day in her classroom we decided to pull the cards out again and invite students to each pick that card that represented their personal strengths. We asked them to think about a lesson they learned during this past school year that will be important to remind themselves of in September when they reach high school. We asked students to write a note addressed to themself that included this lesson and a commitment for the future on their card.  We met with students individually to talk about their lessons learned and personal commitment as a sort of exit interview for the year. We promised to send the cards in early September as they start their 9th grade year.

Topics ranged from handing work in on time, learning to control anger, not waiting to the last minute, asking for help when needed, to not rush through work, to trust their instincts, and to be more understanding of differences in their peers.

Quotes:

“This year I have learned not to take in everything at once. I should take things one step at a time”.

“My commitment to myself is to be myself and not change for others”.

“The commitment I have made is to work harder towards school because I don’t really work hard for school right now. In high school it is going to be even more important to try.”

“My commitment is to be a better listener. This is important because when I get overwhelmed I start talking more than listening which can annoy others- it makes for a stressful day.”

“This year I’ve learned that being popular, and just being yourself are two different things. My hope for next year is to try my hardest and to just be friendly”.

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This time of year many summer recreation and camp programs are gearing up to begin the season. These programs offer great opportunities for youth to develop important social and emotional skills through a myriad of activities. Though many of these programs offer great structured activities led by adults, it is important to allow some opportunities for free play without a great deal of intervention from adults—situations where youth can practice the important social and emotional skills gained through making decisions, learning how to compromise with each other and resolve conflict.

Students often depend on teachers and other adults to pick teams for games, decide who should go first, or who should be it. These are decisions that to read more click here

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My last two posts have focused on methods for positively influencing learning outcomes with groups through strong beginnings. I shared some of my favorite activities for starting off with style and creating a “hook” to engage participants from the moment they walk through the door including the use of postcards, objects and quotes.

These methods can also be used later on in a program as reflective or closing activities to tie it all together. Using these activities for the dual purpose of introductions and reflection is a “brain-friendly” teaching technique. Research on the brain and learning shows that learners remember most about the first few minutes of a learning experience, and secondly the last few minutes of a learning experience i.e. the primacy-recency effect (Sousa, 2005, Willis, 2010).

Here is another engaging activity that works well for both purposes. One of my favorite aspects of this facilitation tool is that it is free, involves recycling, and is easily found in most offices and schools.

Computer Keyboard Keys

Last year my friend Andy La Pointe, Career Development Specialist and Challenge course facilitator at You Inc. a Therapeutic Youth program in Massachusetts shared that he had been inspired after one of our workshops on processing/reflection tools. When he walked by a stack of keyboards in the recycle bin it sparked an idea.

When I arrived at his site for another workshop he handed me a bag filled with the pieces of the keyboard that he had recycled stating, “I bet these would be interesting to try with a group”.

We tried them that day with his colleagues. After engaging in a problem-solving activity we asked group members to choose a key that represented their role in the process. I was impressed with the conversation the keys initiated and the connections group members made to various keys. It can be surprising where conversations can go with such a simple tool.

Since that time I have used them as an introductory or transitional activity as well as a processing tool. On the first Monday in January as middle students I was working with entered the classroom after holiday break I asked them each to pick a keyboard key that represented their new years resolution. I was amazed at how the keys were used by students to represent their hopes and goals.

Some examples included:

 ”I chose the escape key because I know I need to make some better choices about who I have been hanging around with- or at least sitting next to in class- at times I need to “escape” from my friends and distractions so I can get my work done and not get into trouble”.

” I chose the home key because I would like to try and get along with my stepbrother better”.

 ”I chose the question mark key because I know I need to ask more questions and get help during homework club time so I can improve my grades.”

A teacher who attended a recent workshop where we used the keyboard keys reported back a few weeks later that she had success in using this activity with colleagues and students at her alternative school. She stated:

“I really liked the keyboard activity you shared with us in our workshop last month. I’ve used it at the end of some team-building work with students and asking the question “What was the hardest part about your work today” and at a staff training using the question “how would you describe your teaching style”.

I will be teaching a demo lesson on Thursday, and would like to use the activity to open class rather than to close it. I see it as a good icebreaker since the kids have never met me before. The lesson is on (Microsoft) Excel and how it relates to a technology education project (truss bridges) they have been working on. The main point I would like to convey is that Excel will make their lives easier by simplifying the math involved. I’ve thought of asking the question “which key describes how you feel about math” or “describes you as a math student”.

Sandi Lindgren who is a social worker with an organization called I Support YOUth! recently shared her experience with this activity:

“I used the keyboard keys yesterday and the group loved it!  I was speaking to a senior class of social workers at a local college about research/surveys (sharing examples from my dissertation) and then about how to find your dream job as a social worker.”

“I used the keys in the beginning as an introduction. I asked them to choose a key that best represents where they currently are in this class’ research process. The professor was delighted with the on-point honest sharing that occurred. I was then able to reference their examples later on in the session. Examples included: The space key for taking a break and not really doing much with homework. The S key for stress. The tab key for taking a break (the old soft drink tab). The group also later pointed out that the tab key moves one forward.”

“The professor picked the command/apple key, sharing that as a teacher (apple) he’s delighted with the learning and processing and he also has to ‘command’ by telling students what to do. The page down key was chosen by someone who feels their process is really slow right now. The caps lock key was chosen by another student who is so stressed they feel like everyone is talking to them in all CAPS WHICH IS YELLING ON THE SCREEN (that was great).”

Recently I picked up keyboards from both Macintosh and PC desktops and laptops. I have been mixing them together when I use them in groups. This led to some interesting and humorous conversations about learning and personality styles.

As with many tools that I have experimented with having no clear picture as to how it would work there have been many pleasant surprises. I encourage you to take a new look at your recycle bin and see what you might come up with!

References:

Sousa, David. (2006). How the Brain Learns. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Willis, Judy. (2006). Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

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This is the second post in a series that offers ideas for actively involving learners from the first moment they enter the room for a workshop, training or classroom lesson. In my last post I shared information put forward by neuroscientists promoting the idea that the first few minutes of an experience or lesson are a key time to hook and engage learners (See March 12th post).

The activities presented in this series are some of the “tried and true” methods I use to increase engagement, help participants transition into the learning space, make positive connections with their peers and introduce or review the academic material at hand.

Quotes can be a great way to pre-teach or explore subjects with a group prior to a lecture or discussion.  Sharing quotes can help group members find common ground, connections, and spark creative thought around a specific topic or issue.

When facilitating workshops for educators, I often start out the program by displaying my collection of quotes cards/bookmarks with themes around leadership, teaching and learning. As group members arrive for the program I ask them to choose a quote that resonates with them. Depending on the program they later reflect upon this individually, write about it, or discuss it with a partner or the whole group (See previous posts for ways to actively engage groups in active partner sharing activities).  Group members often initiate conversations with each other during this pre-workshop time as they gather at the quote table.

Providing an activity for participants to involve themselves in as the group gathers together prior to a session or meeting can create a welcome focus during what can be an awkward time for some people.  A novel activity engages learners right away and helps them transition into the workshop or classroom space to better focus on the here and now.

Recently, I found success in using quotes to introduce an academic subject while working in a middle school social studies class. The teacher I was working with was preparing to introduce the American Colonial period. He and I found quotes from famous people of the era and quotes describing events of the time.

On the first day of the unit we displayed a collection of these quotes and asked students to choose one that resonated with them. They shared these with partners and eventually the whole group.

We found that this exercise piqued their interest about the subject. This introduction increased the depth of classroom discussions throughout the unit. Students expressed curiosity about the people behind the quotes from that first day on.Many were curious about their quotes author and read ahead in the social studies book or googled information about them on their own. When those topics or people came up in their reading or lecture later in the unit they often remembered the quote and were able to relate it to the events or person that they had discovered through the quote.

Quotes can be used again later in group process or in a lesson as a reflective tool. In my team-building programs or training workshops I often display a collection of quotes as a closing activity. I ask participants to choose a quote that represents a key learning or new perspective they will be taking away from the experience. I then allow them to take the quote card with them as a memento of the experience.

You will find that the process of collecting quotes for use with your groups can also be a rewarding task as an educator. I have found this reflective exercise has jump-started my own thoughts around subjects as I plan and prepare for a group.

There are some great quote books and quote websites. I especially like to seek out vintage quote books in used bookstores. Enjoy your search!

Look for more ideas to create strong beginnings in upcoming posts.

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“The beginning is the most important part of the work”.

-Plato

Starting Off with Style:

Research on the brain and learning is demonstrating that the events or activities experienced the first time learners are exposed to information greatly impact their ability to retain the information. John Medina, author of Brain Rules states: “If you are trying to get information across to someone your ability to create a compelling introduction may be the most important single factor in the later success of your mission”(Medina, 2010).

The first few minutes of an experience or lesson are a key time to hook and engage learners. Evidence shows that people remember most about the first few minutes of a learning experience, and secondly, the last few minutes of a learning experience. (Sousa, 2005, Willis, 2010).  Some educators and cognitive neuroscientists call this the primacy-recency effect (Sousa, 2006).

I have found this research exciting because it validates a practice I have embraced in my own teaching and group facilitation: offering an engaging opening activity and providing some reflective prompt to “tie it all together” or “bookend” a learning experience. This research suggests it also might make sense to create as many introductory and closing moments as possible in your teaching and group facilitation approach.

Find a hook!

Engage participants from the moment they walk in the door.  Avoid using these precious moments in taking attendance, collecting homework or other administrative duties.  Instead involve learners in an activity that helps them transition into the learning environment, make positive connections with their peers and introduce or review the academic or program material at hand. A novel activity engages learners right away and helps them shift their focus to the here and now.

In this article and in upcoming posts I will share a few of my favorite ways to “hook” learners as they enter the room:

Using pictures from magazines, postcards, or other images can be an engaging way to draw in participants.  I often use my Pick-A-Postcard collection as a “get to know you” activity on the very first day of a program or school year, as a way to welcome students and teachers back after school vacations, or clients back after a break between sessions.

For an introductory rapport building activity I lay out a collection of postcards or image cards on a table. As participants walk in the door I ask them to choose a card around a reflective, goal-setting, or “conversation starter” topic. Topics might be: a card that represents what their summer break was like, or a card that represents a goal they have for the program or unique perspective they bring to the group.

Mid-way through a program I often lay out my postcards during a break or before a session. I ask participants to choose a card they would send to a friend to describe the training, conference experience, or in classroom settings to describe their school year so far.

This technique is not only great for building community and initiating reflection, it also is an effective way to reinforce or review academic material. For example, a language arts teacher who is looking to introduce or reinforce the idea of  theme might offer a selection of postcards and ask students to choose a card they are drawn to. They would then ask students to identify their interpretation of the card’s theme.

A social studies or science teacher might gather images that center around a specific topic they will be covering in class.  They would display the images on a table or floor. As students enter the room they would be asked to choose an image that “sparks their interest” or represents something they know or care about. This could jumpstart discussions or initiate inquiry about the topic at hand.

Depending on your group, you could then have participants share their choice with a partner, write about their choice, or share with the entire group. You can attend to the business of taking attendance, handing out materials or collecting homework while participants are engaged in choosing and discussing their card.

Regardless of the educational setting you work in, there is great opportunity for positively influencing learning outcomes with participants through strong beginnings. The tone we set in the learning space, and the frame and context we set for a lesson can greatly impact participant engagement and retention of information.

Look for more ideas for creating a “hook” to engage participants in upcoming posts!

References:

Medina, John. (2008). Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.

Sousa, David. (2006). How the Brain Learns. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Willis, Judy. (2006). Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

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Promoting new ways to engage groups in reflective practice has been a personal passion and focus of my work as an educator. From the beginning of my career as an education and clinician in therapeutic and educational settings I noticed that both facilitators and participants often struggle with engaging in reflection. In books, articles and workshops over the years I have tried to help both participants and facilitators view reflection  as a dynamic and engaging activity rather than a chore through the use of metaphoric tools and active techniques. More and more I have realized that not only our approach, but the language we use around reflective practice impacts how we, and our clients or students view it.

The term debriefing has never resonated with me. Instead I  prefer the terms processing or reflection to describe this fundamental aspect of experiential learning (the process of intentionally creating opportunities for learners to reflect upon experiences and transfer learning to real life and future learning).

I remember talking to my friend and colleague Dave Lockett about this subject many years ago.  Dave, who was formerly a Navy Seal, shared that he didn’t think “debriefing” fit our field at all as it implies a top down military report out to a commanding officer rather than an educational experience.

While reflecting on this topic last summer when writing an article entitled “Processing in the Middle of the Experience” I looked up debriefing in several dictionaries. The definitions reaffirmed Dave’s observation. This term originated in the military and describes a top down questioning or report out of a pilot or soldier after a mission, followed by instruction from commanders to the individual about what they can share and what is confidential.

The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary Definition of Debrief:

Transitive verb:

To interrogate (as a pilot) usually upon return (as from a mission) in order to obtain useful information

The American Heritage Dictionary Definition of Debrief:

de·briefed, de·brief·ing, de·briefs

1. To question to obtain knowledge or intelligence gathered especially on a military mission.

2. To instruct (a government agent, for example) not to reveal classified or secret information after employment has ceased.

Another reason I avoid the term debriefing is that it seems too leader centered and  is very limiting in scope as it implies a one-time report out to a commander. I like to think of processing or reflection as something that starts from the beginning of a program and is woven throughout to create stronger connections between learning experiences and real-life outcomes. Ideally the participant takes more and more ownership and direction in this process as the facilitator/leader/teacher steps more into the background. I use reflective practice to describe this ongoing participant-centered approach to help learners take responsibility for the educational process and its application it to their life.

See my blog post on “Processing in the Middle of the Experience” for more ideas/thoughts on this subject. http://www.experientialtools.com/2010/06/04/processing-in-the-middle-of-the-experience/

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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In my last post I described how I have been re-purposing the well-known ice-breaker Have You Ever? into Anyone Who as a strategy to engage participants in reflecting on or reviewing content from a lesson. I recently had great success using this game in adult staff training days, in guidance groups and in a middle school social studies class. In all of these experiences the level of involvement and discussion went beyond my original expectations. I found the game not only worked as an active review method but also led to engaging conversation, application of the subject material and served as a formative assessment.

I regularly work with students and teachers at a local school here in Vermont. Originally I was brought into the school to facilitate team-building activities to promote a positive school climate and help students practice social and emotional skills. Over the years my role has expanded to integrate the philosophy of experiential education into day-to-day practice, helping teachers differentiate their instruction methods and actively engage students in academic lessons. I have found there are some great activities that serve both team-building goals and as a method for teaching or reinforcing curricular content. Anyone Who is a great example of one these dual purpose activities.

Recently I used it with students in the 8th grade who had been studying Mid 19th Century US History. Their curriculum included topics such as Westward Expansion, the American Civil War and Reconstruction era.  During one of my visits the social studies teacher and I went through the text book and pulled out key events, people and facts from the current chapter and formulated review questions such as: “Anyone who knows who Jefferson Davis was.” “Anyone who knows the outcome of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.”  “Anyone who knows what the Pickwick Papers where.“  “Anyone who can name the confederate states.” We wrote them on index cards and placed them on the question asking spot.

We found students were actively engaged in the game. Many students couldn’t help blurting answers out while they moved. If a person didn’t have the correct answer other students immediately jumped in to help in a friendly and supportive way.

When one student moved impulsively from their spot without knowing the answer and reached the question asking/answering spot, he froze for a moment and then asked me if he could ”phone a friend”. Immediately 5 other students pretended they had open phone lines to help their classmate out.

Students who in the past had not regularly raised their hands in class were actively moving and sharing answers throughout the game. The teacher gained new insights into the more introverted or previously less involved class member’s actual knowledge of the subject. It was great for the high achieving students in the group (who sometimes monopolize class discussions) to see that other students had knowledge and insights to offer the group.

As the game progressed students started to move beyond review questions and answers spontaneously engaging in detailed discussions around topics such as the impact of the railroad on the civil war, and the impact of Westward Expansion on modern day population and industry in their own state of Vermont. The best part was that students were leading the discussion!

I have also used  “Anyone Who” in counseling and guidance groups and found it to be a great way to review factual information or introduce a subject with questions such as:

“Anyone who knows what empathy means”

“Anyone who can name one way to stop a fight without violence”

Though this activity is great for factual review and as a prelude to a lesson I am cautious when using it or any game to discuss feelings and experiences around sensitive issues such as bullying or substance abuse. Using a playful game to share feelings about tough issues could have the potential to trivialize serious and sensitive subjects, put group members in an emotionally unsafe environment for sharing, or cause a group to cross boundaries in a way that can be inappropriate for school settings. As with any activity, carefully consider how it fits with your group’s personality, development, goals and setting for best results.

Many educators report to me that they like Anyone Who because everyone is involved in the review even if they aren’t speaking out or moving from space to space.  Those passively participating can still be learning from the dialogue and review.

The Have You Ever/Anyone Who activities can be used multiple times with the same group. I like to use the Have You Ever? version (see January 13th post) earlier on in a group’s experience together as a “get to know you” activity. Then later in the group’s process re-introduce the game as Anyone Who with the intention of reflection or review. It doesn’t matter if a group has played the game before it is different every time. When participants have familiarity and comfort with the structure of the game itself they are more willing to push their comfort zone with the questions at hand.

References:

Variations on the “Have You Ever” activity are referenced in many publications; I first ran across it in Karl Rohnke and Steve Butler’s Quicksilver, 1995 Project Adventure/ Kendall Hunt Publishing.

Patrick Torrey contributed a reflective variation of a similar game “All My Neighbors Who” in the 2005 book A Teachable Moment-Cain, Cummings & Stanchfield.

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