In past blog posts and in my Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner book I have shared about the value of "Gallery Walk" as an engaging structure for group reflection, information gathering, brain storming and collaboration. Over the years I have used it in my work facilitating...
Three Cards to Tell a Story, and a Fourth to Help Us Decide How We Are Going to Get There: During this time of year, I often use my "Pick-a-Postcard" kit to focus on kicking off the school or program year by reflecting on shared vision,...
As you’ve seen in previous posts, I often compare group facilitation and teaching to cooking by exploring the key ingredients, techniques, and mindset that make it a success. Many years ago, during one of my “Facilitator’s Toolbox" conference presentations, I decided to bring this idea...
Over the past week, I've been awakening before dawn, as I often do this time of year —not jumping out of bed to start the day's work, but quietly enjoying the moonlit shadows on the snowcovered trees in our yard, or gazing at our holiday...
In my ongoing community building and professional development with work teams and student and faculty groups, I intentionally wrap up programs or celebrate the end of the year with a "Postcard Appreciations" activity to give participants a morale lift and end the year on a...
Inspire meaningful reflection and dialogue that goes beyond the traditional sharing circle. Spark reflective writing, exploration of positive character traits, or facilitate strong beginnings and optimistic endings. This method is useful for both individual and collaborative reflection and is used in restorative circles and appreciations,...
Taking the time to welcome students back to school and help them build a positive and productive learning community is more important now than ever before. Over the past month, I have been working with schools across the country who are intentionally building in more...
Rather than opening a program or class with a whole circle introduction I always begin rapport building and reflective dialogue with partner or small group sharing activities and blend in simple, non-threatening -- but relevant, context setting-- questions or an object/picture/quote to use as a...
This summer I am facilitating a number of facilitation workshops for college student leaders. One of the most important topics we explore is the essential practice of sequencing which is of course relevant for both online and in-person facilitation. Here is a post from the...
My "Conversation Starters" Pin Back buttons are a playful and engaging way to start a program or class off with style, and a favorite tool of educators and facilitators in all kinds of settings. Over the past few years I have expanded my collection to...
In my February post, I shared how I have been using my favorite closing reflection activity, "Group Drawing," online with a whiteboard app combined with breakout groups. Art and creative expression reflection and review techniques are powerful because they use multiple senses (multiple neuronal pathways),...
Play Doh Pictionary and Charades Race are two of my favorite activities for integrating academic or training content review and reflection with community building and social and emotional learning. Since Zoom has enhanced breakout room capabilities I have been playing both games online with wonderful...
Facilitating a sense of choice, control, and ownership from the very start of learning and group experiences is fundamental to maximizing engagement and buy-in. In past posts, I've shared about this principle and ideas for cultivating it (see "Make Thoughtful Activity Choices" and "Setting the...
Group Drawing is my favorite reflective activity to close a group experience, lesson, or workshop. I made it up on the fly with an in person group more than twenty years ago when I had just a few moments left in a session and wanted...
When my travels to facilitate professional development came to an abrupt halt in March, I couldn't imagine how I would bring my experiential facilitation, teaching, social and emotional learning, and teambuilding practice online. Before that time, I had turned down offers to facilitate online professional...
Excerpt from Experiential Tools Newsletter Oct 2nd, 2020: In the midst of learning about exciting new updates on Zoom, helpful new apps, the latest tech tools, and creative activities for hybrid environments, it is important we don't lose our focus on the "why" behind our choices...
Over the past six weeks, I’ve been facilitating online “Inspiration and Support Sessions” with educators and facilitators from all over the world. In these co-creative small-group weekly series, we explore ways to meaningfully engage participants/students and promote voice, choice, dialogue, and reflection in online and...
This article from the Inspired Educator Blog Archive is as important today as it was a decade ago — if not even more so now in our new online and in-person at a distance teaching and facilitation environments where building connection is essential. I still...