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.

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.

Advisory group leaders report that they are always looking for new ideas for facilitating advisory sessions with students. Many educators are planning for the remaining few months of school, summer programs and the start of next school year. The Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset Maine and the Southern Vermont Learning Collaborative in Dummerston, Vermont are each hosting a one day workshop designed for advisory group leaders, counselors, teachers, camp and after school program staff.

This workshop explores activities and experiential approaches that teach and reinforce important social and emotional skills such as positive communication, conflict resolution, decision making, reflection, community awareness, respect, responsibility and problem-solving. Attendees will leave with many practical activities they can use in any size space with simple materials. They will learn helpful facilitation tools and techniques and strategies for creating “buy in” from participants, building a positive environment for learning, and helping students make connections from activities done in advisory group to real life situations. These experiential activities and approaches can be applied to academic, therapeutic and recreational group work and adapted to all age groups.

This workshop is a great resource for any group leader!

• Workshop Tuesday May 11th 9:00-3:00 at the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset, Maine is $95.00 including lunch. For more information or to register, contact jen@experientialtools.com

• Workshop Tuesday May 18th 9:00-3:30 at the Southern Vermont Learning Collaborative, Dummerston, VT is $120 including lunch. For more information or to register visit: The Southeast Vermont Learning Collaborative