Suggestions for Using this Facilitation Manual
The educational materials presented in in this book can be adapted to many different contexts and purposes. I have used combinations of these activities for everything from stand alone one-hour workshops, to 5-day staff training events to 14-week Resilience and Life Skills courses. Here are some ways you might engage with this facilitation manual so that you can make these activities relevant to your goals and contexts:
Cook Book Style
Browse through the chapter titles like you might look through recipes in a new cook book. Notice if there are ideas or phrases that capture your interest. Dig deeper into the activities that fit for your context and find something you might want to try out with your group of learners.
Knowledge seekers and those wanting to understand the theories and philosophies behind these activities
You might be more interested in the topics listed than the actual curriculum and lesson plans. Go to an area of interest and find the links, resources, videos and quotations that can point you towards portals for exploring these topics. The chapter on Resources and Inspiration in the back matter section includes my personal play lists of books, web-sites, training courses and podcasts that have influenced my work with people and each of these could provide jumping off points for many different intellectual, psychological and spiritual journeys.
Visual Dabblers
This book is filled with photos and art work from the sessions described. You might be someone who would enjoy learning about these approaches by looking through the images. Sometimes pictures show the learning and engagement more vividly than words. Browse through the photos of these learning activities or watch some of the embedded videos and notice which ones excite you and inspire you to try out a new approach with your group or class.
Workshop or Class Designers
Here is a brief example of how I might set up a one-day staff team building workshop.
Again using food metaphors for educational planning, I like to think of a starter course that sets expectations and starts the bonding process, a main course with a specific theme where conversations can deepen, and a dessert course with reflections and closure.
Choose a workshop theme that fits for your group and objectives and then go through the book finding activities that help you to fulfill your learning outcomes:
Example: One-Day Team Building Workshop
- Welcome and personal introductions using Personal Flags Exercise
- Discussion on Group Agreements and/or the Tree of Expectations
- Host a World Cafe focussed on organizational culture. Three rounds of questions could explore: What is one of your favourite moments you have had while working here? What are some of the challenges you face in your current position? What do you think our organization could do to increase a sense of belonging and wellbeing?
- Create small group Dream Murals with action items on how to take these ideas for belonging and wellbeing forward into their workplace. Post murals and do a gallery walk to look at other groups’ offerings.
- Ask people to write down one practical action that they could implement starting this week. When, how and with who will they make this action happen? Who else needs to be recruited to help this vision move forward?
- Close with a sharing circle (or circles) where participants describe their action plans and take-aways from the event.
