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Effective Group Facilitation in Education

How to Energize Meetings and Manage Difficult Groups

By: John F. Eller

Practical pointers for maximizing meetings and motivating team members!

From pre-meeting preparation, to a meeting's critical first few minutes, to its conclusion and beyond, this manual provides step-by-step guidance to help you shine through the entire facilitation process. It is packed with proven do's and don'ts for team building, brainstorming, motivating, overcoming problematic situations, reaching goals, and assessing results.

Special features include:

Templates for easy implementation
Straightforward tactics for managing difficult participants and emotionally charged situations
Realistic examples
Surefire methods for delegating in a meaningful and respectful manner

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781412904629
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2004
Page Count: 224
Publication date: March 29, 2004

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Description

Practical pointers for maximizing meetings and motivating team members!

At their worst, meetings can waste time, lack focus, foster a combative spirit, or be just plain boring. At their best, meetings can be a positive, dynamic experience that nurtures individual strengths while inspiring teamwork to successfully accomplish an established task. The fate of a meeting lies in the skill of the facilitator, and this easy-to-use guide has all the tips and tools necessary to make you shine in this challenging role.

Anyone charged with navigating a group of people toward a desired objective will benefit from this book's indispensable features, which include:

Templates for easy implementation at every stage of the facilitation process
Straightforward tactics for managing difficult participants and emotionally charged situations
Realistic examples to help you avoid pitfalls
Surefire methods for delegating in a meaningful and respectful manner

From pre-meeting preparation, to the meeting's critical first few minutes, to its conclusion and beyond, this manual provides step-by-step guidance for the entire facilitation process. It is packed with proven do's and don'ts based on psychological principles, research, real-life experience, and field-tested best practices. The user-friendly strategies focus on such key areas as team building, brainstorming, motivating, overcoming problematic situations, reaching goals, and assessing results.

Key features

Research based, using adult development and learning, cognitive coaching, Essential Elements of Instruction, brain and neural-linguistic studies, and power and influence
Includes practical strategies from the field, using experienced facilitators
Demonstrates how to adapt strategies to specific situations

Author(s)

John F. Eller

John Eller has had a variety of experiences in working with adults over the years he has been in education. His experiences include work educational leaders at Virginia Tech University, developing teacher leaders in a Maters program, serving as the Executive Director of Minnesota ASCD, work as a principal’s training center director, a position as an assistant superintendent for curriculum, learning, and staff development, and several principal positions in a variety of settings. In addition to the work he does in training and supporting facilitators, John also does work in the areas of dealing with difficult people, building professional learning communities, employee evaluation, conferencing skills, coaching skills, strategic planning strategies, school improvement planning and implementation, differentiated instruction, leadership for differentiation, employee recruitment, selection, and induction, supervisory skills, and effective teaching strategies.

He has his PhD. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University-Chicago and his MS in Educational Leadership from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. John has authored books on substitute teaching, wrote The Training Video Series for the Professional School Bus Driver, The principals’ Guide to Custodial Supervision contributes articles for the publication Superintendents Only. He wrote Effective Group Facilitation in Education: How to Energize Meetings and Manage Difficult Groups, and co-authored So Now You’re the Superintendent, the best selling, Energizing Staff Meetings and Creative Strategies to Improve School Culture all through Corwin Press.

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

1. What am I Getting Into?

Why do We Get People Together to Meet?

When Do We Use Teams?

The Impact of a Facilitator on the Effectiveness of a Group

The Unique Position of a Group Facilitator

Internal Versus External Facilitators

Characteristics of Effective Facilitators

Your Mission as a Facilitator

Summary

2. Get Ready, Get Set...

The Importance of Planning to a Successful Session

Factors to Take Into Consideration When Planning Meetings

Breaking the Meeting Tasks Into Parts

Planning for the Effective Delivery of Directions

Summary

3. Go

Setting the Proper Tone for a Meeting

The Use of Music

Foundation-Setting Activities

Good News

The Use of Framing

Active Learning Strategies

Watching Team Member Behaviors During the Start of a Meeting

Opening the Session

Setting Norms and Ground Rules

Summary

4. Connecting All Members of the Team

Interdependence/Community and Its Importance to Team Operation

Community

Team Building

Conflict Resolution

Conflict and Chaos

Protecting Team Members During the Decision-Making Process

Protecting Team Members When Announcing the Results of Their Decisions

Keeping Uninvolved Stakeholder Groups Informed About Decision Progress

Summary

5. Reaching Peak Performance: Connecting Their Minds

The Need to Minimize/Maximize Energy

Diagnosing Group Energy

Working/Processing Combinations

Grouping and Regrouping Strategies

Other Group Processing Strategies

Summary

6. Working the Brain

Brainstorming Techniques

Brainstorming Strategies and Ideas

Summary

7. Reaching the Goal

The Problem with Goals

Typical Issues Inhibiting Goal Implementation Success and Facilitator Implications

Other Important Considerations for Success in the Goal Process

Summary

8. Putting On Your Oxygen Mask

Important Factors for Facilitators to Track

Importance of Self-Protection

Understanding Your Role as the Group Facilitator

Use of Positive Presuppositions

Gesturing

Use of Charts, Papers and Other Visuals to Deflect Anger

Use of Positioning in the Room

Developing an Exit Plan

Reflect Emotions/Content Back to the Group

Summary

9. Transforming a Difficult Group

What is a Difficult Group?

Problem People

Identification Strategies

Starting a Session

Music and Difficult Groups

Foundation-Setting Activities

Framing

Use of an Agenda

Summary

References

Index

Effective Group Facilitation in Education

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Author(s)

John F. Eller

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