Planting Seeds for Engagement

Choice-centered welcoming reflections empower participants to start the session as the partner in the experience by choosing something relevant to them and highlighting their own voice and opinions. This not only starts to shift responsibility for the experience to ownership by the whole group. It also helps participants begin to become fully present in the experience and let go of the outside stressors or distractions.

Starting with a relaxed reflective welcoming, allows for a slow but intentional start to the session. On a practical note, engaging a group in a welcoming activity allows the facilitator to relax and greet people casually or, if necessary, make last minute preparation adjustments or take attendance while the group is engaged in something self-directed and meaningful. It also allows folks who come in late to not feel rushed as they can easily slip into the activity.

Hooks to Engage and Welcoming Rituals 

The first few minutes of an experience are a key time to hook and engage learners, create context for learning, and set a positive and welcoming tone. Metaphoric objects, quotes, and other tangible objects can hook a group’s attention and spark reflection in a low-stakes but meaningful way when chosen intentionally to target your program’s purpose for gathering.

A novel activity immediately engages participants, drawing them into a positive experience and creating buy-in. Participants come to the meeting/training with things on their minds: a stressful commute, a rough morning at home, a challenging social interaction in the hallway before the meeting, or the deadline they are trying to meet. A reflective, focusing activity can help participants transition into the workshop/meeting space and shift their focus to the present and the experience at hand.

Research on learning and retention shows that people remember most about the first few minutes of an experience and, secondly, the last few minutes of experience (Willis, 2014). Cognitive neuroscientists call this the primacy-recency effect. 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” (2008, p. 116). This research validates the importance of welcoming participants with an engaging opening activity and providing a meaningful reflection prompt to tie it all together or “bookend” a learning experience. I like the language around this practice that I’ve seen promoted by leaders in Social and Emotional Learning who use the terms “welcoming ritual” and “optimistic ending” to describe this practice of intentionally infusing welcoming and closing rituals into group sessions.

Start Small for a Bigger Impact

Effective facilitators carefully sequence their programs so that activities build upon the previous ones. They start with less intimidating methods to build comfort, trust, and rapport in the group before increasing the challenge. By starting with simpler activities that aren’t performance-oriented, 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.

I like to put the same thought and planning into sequencing the reflective part of the experience. For example, rather than opening a program with a whole circle introduction, I always begin rapport building and reflective dialogue with a partner or small group sharing activities and blend in simple, non-threatening — but relevant, context-setting — questions or an object, image or quote to use as a talking point. This allows participants to warm up by interacting with just one or two others at a time before sharing with the larger group. This incremental building of connections, one or two people at a time, rather than beginning as a whole group “sharing circle,” helps learners build comfort with each other and the group process, and honors the introverts, leading to more engagement, buy-in, and in-depth reflection discussions later on. To better meet the needs of all participants, I encourage you to reflect upon and possibly rethink the default settings and structures often used in facilitation and teaching.

My favorite rapport builders, “Handshake Mingle” “Concentric Circles” Trade and Share, and Commonalities Mingle, are interactive ways to engage groups in community building, connection, reflection, and dialogue, or content exploration, review or reflection. I have written many articles with variations of these approaches in this blog and my books.

Commonalities Mingle

Commonalities Mingle is an engaging activity for building rapport in groups of all kinds. It is also a useful method to collectively reflect on group norms, and group goals. It can be an engaging way to review and reflect upon training material while at the same time learning about peers or colleagues and exploring common and differing perspectives on a topic.

For team-building and networking programs, it can facilitate the understanding of “who is in the room” and help participants make connections and start a dialogue about reflection topics. Check out this post with more details: Commonalities Mingle Activity for Rapport Building, Reflection, Positive Group Norms and Academic Review/Discussion.

Harness the Power of Metaphoric Reflection

Symbols, images, and objects help people communicate their thoughts and create meaning from experiences. They spark emotions and help people understand and communicate abstract concepts that cannot always be translated into words. Of all the methods in my group facilitation and teaching toolbox, my collections of metaphoric images and objects are the most powerful tools for igniting meaningful reflection for individuals and groups. Reflection sparked by using image cards, pictures, artwork, and tangible objects has a richness, depth, substance, and level of participation that verbal-only techniques rarely bring about. They spark emotions and help people understand and communicate abstract concepts that are difficult to translate into words.

Interesting objects and images capture participants’ attention, arouse emotion, and draw them into an experience or reflective discussion. People often engage more readily and share more deeply when they have a visual or tactile symbol representing their thoughts and feelings. Brain research suggests this might be because using metaphors and symbols in conversation stimulates multiple brain areas involved in other senses.

Postcards, Images, and Object “Hooks”

My favorite methods for engaging and welcoming participants from the moment they walk in the door involve the use of object or image based reflection prompts such as postcards, found images, paint chips, computer keyboard keys, Miniature Metaphors, tools, and other found objects, natural objects, animal figurines or pictures, and household items. People are drawn in by colorful, novel, or intriguing imagery and objects. They often share more readily when they can attach their thoughts and feelings to an item that can be touched and shown to a group during discussion.

Visit these links to read more about using postcards, images, and objects as a welcoming strategy, including some prompt examples. Read more: “Welcoming Activities for Meaningful Engagement, Community Building, and Reflection”

Quotes, Pin-Back Buttons, and Compelling Questions

Quotes: Opening a session by offering a variety of quotes with a context or theme related to your group goal is a powerful way to engage, create context and “frame” or “anchor” an upcoming experience by creating relevancy and emotional connection to the content. Quotes are an engaging transitional, introductory, or reflective activity and a compelling way to explore a subject or discussion topic. Discussing quotes can help group members connect with each other or spark creative thought around a subject. To read more examples of the use of quotes, check out this post from the blog archives. For quotes centered around the theme of experiential learning and change, see my Quotables collection. Or make your own set of quotes based on the theme or topic you are exploring.

Simply posing a brain teaser, word puzzle, or reflective prompt to think or talk about as participants enter can be an easy-to-plan welcoming/focus strategy. Tools like Table Topics and Chat Pack cards are valuable resources for these question prompts and can be found at your local independent bookstore. When using question prompts, I infuse choice into the activity by displaying an assortment of questions and inviting participants to choose a question they would like to chat about with a partner rather than handing questions out or having them blindly receive a question.

Conversation Starter Buttons or Paint Chips 

Conversation-Starter Buttons or paint chips/samples are a fun and easy way to transition into a workshop space. They are a perennial favorite in my professional development and adult learning programs, and I regularly use them to check progress around group projects. This is also a tried-and-true activity for engaging leaders in laughter and dialogue during a professional development session. The buttons bring humor into group settings where individuals are reluctant to participate, helping them buy into the group process. If you don’t have access to the buttons, paint chips can be used similarly. I choose paint samples from my local hardware store based on the paint name as well as color.

Pair Share/Groupings Activities 

Objects like dominoes, match game cards, and playing cards can draw participants into an experience. Using a prop-based activity to help participants first find partners or small groups for partner activities and sharing is engaging and facilitates a sense of comfort, choice, and control within these initial warm-up activities. People have something physical that they can use as a tool for connection. I always allow for choice in interpreting what matching means, so there will be options for finding a partner based on each person’s comfort level.

It also models from the beginning that there will be many answers, possibilities, and options in the upcoming group experience and that the group are partners in facilitating, teaching, and learning. Check out these articles for more examples of online and in person “smaller circles” and “partner dialogue” strategies, including some no-prop options: Setting the Tone: Creating a Positive Environment for Learning, Object and No Prop Pair Share Activities to Set the Tone, Build Community, and Initiate Reflective Discussions, and “Keys” to Community, Group Success, and More: A Multi-Purpose, Upcycled Tool for Reflection.

A welcoming ritual photo/prompt, whiteboard, and choice-centered breakout rooms are ways to facilitate this online. See this article for more Choice-Centered Breakout Rooms to Increase Engagement and Ownership of Learning.

Integrate Art and Creative Expression in Reflection
There is great power when learners create symbols, music, words, or performance to represent feelings and experiences. The very essence of art is expressing oneself. Throughout history, humans have used artistic expression to explore, understand, and share ideas and experiences.

Involvement in individual/group art activities can be a rich, reflective process for participants. Creating one’s own symbol of experience and/or collaborating on creating a group symbol can add depth and breadth to the initial experience and provide a powerful, tangible reminder of the learning. When a symbol is used or created for reflection, it leaves the opportunities for meaningful interpretation of an experience wide open, enhancing emotional connection, retention, and application to real life.

My favorite collaborative artistic methods that are engaging warm-up, entry or ongoing reflection activities include Group Drawing/Sculpture and Graffiti Wall.

Online variations can be found in these articles: Graffiti Wall for Active and Engaging Reflection Online or In-Person and Group Drawing: A Favorite Collaborative Reflection Activity for Online or In-Person Experiences.

A Note on Names 

A key ingredient for creating a positive and productive environment for learning is to help participants and leaders know and use each other’s names correctly from the very beginning of the program. Dr. Angela M. Ward is a thought leader I admire in the education world who offers transformative resources for promoting equity in education. She emphasizes how important it is for leaders to make the effort to learn and correctly pronounce the names of the participants because of the powerful role they play in the positive identity development of each person in their care. Even in the small schools and organizations that I encounter in rural areas — where facilitators and leaders might assume group members already know each others’ names — many actually don’t or are not always using and honoring names in a respectful way. I have found the same to be true with adults in the workplace.

Given names represent choices, thoughts, and feelings on the part of the individual’s family members. Preferred nicknames or new or shortened names chosen by the individual represent a personal sense of self, choice, control, and ownership. Honoring this sense of identity and choice promotes dignity, respect, and positive group culture. Carefully curated and facilitated activities help groups of all ages practice names and explore the concepts of connecting with others, honoring their peer’s strengths and personalities, and showing respect for individualism, identity, and choice. The following are a few of my tried and true activities to help groups learn, practice, and reinforce names in a meaningful but playful, non-threatening, and palatable way. Check out this post for more on “Name Meanings” and a few thoughtfully sequenced name activities. 

Team Tally is my go-to community building, reflection, and review activity for groups in various settings,  situations, and sizes online and in person. Team Tally is a powerful reflection and relationship-building activity because it blends the right amount of healthy competition to draw participants in, and if thoughtfully designed, carefully sequenced questions will keep them sharing in a non-threatening, collaborative atmosphere.

A thoughtful facilitator can create context and blend in targeted review, reflection, and data-gathering questions around specific content, themes, or topics. Because it is participant-directed, it is ideal for transitional times, i.e., when returning from a break or mealtimes. It is also useful when an unexpected change in a schedule occurs, and you need a self-directed activity to engage the group in while you adjust materials or set up. You can adapt the questions to fit the group and situation and always infuse opportunities for choice and ownership by weaving in flexibility as to how the questions are worded.

Competition initially draws the group in, but it’s the choice-centered group sharing, collaboration, and relationship building that keeps them engaged. It works beautifully in online programming with breakout rooms and Jamboard. Check out this article “The Most Versatile Activity in My Toolbox: Team Tally (In-Person or Online)” [Email me at jen@experientialtools.com for example templates you can adapt to your own groups]

Repurpose “Rapport Builders” and Games for Reflection and Content Review

Over the years, I have repurposed the community-building and “ice-breaking” (I like the terms “rapport building” or “community builders”) activities I traditionally use at the start of a program as active reflection techniques facilitated throughout a workshop or meeting. My favorite rapport builders — Handshake Mingle, Concentric Circles, Trade and Share, and Commonalities Mingle — engage groups in active reflection and dialogue for meetings and training content exploration. I bet if you think about it, your favorite activities for building community and rapport to warm up a group can also be repurposed with reflection in mind.

References: 

Medina, John. (2008, 2014). Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.

Stanchfield, Jennifer (2014). Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner: Experiential, Brain-Based Activities and Strategies to Engage, Motivate, Build Community and Create Lasting Lessons. Bethany, Ok: Wood N Barnes Publishing

Stanchfield, Jennifer (2016) Tips & Tools for the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation. Second Edition. Bethany, Ok: Wood N Barnes Publishing

Willis, J. (2014) “Brain-based teaching at The Learning & the Brain Conference: Engaging 21st Century Minds. Boston, MA.

The post Strong Beginnings: Strategies to Enhance Engagement, Create Context, and Set a Positive Tone in Group Experiences first appeared on Experiential Tools.

Making new connections with passionate and thoughtful experiential facilitators and educators from across Japan was also inspiring. Thank you to Suzume Sugimura and the PAFUNN and PACE teams for this special opportunity, and to Sumiyo Shiina for being a fantastic translator.

Throughout the workshops, we explored the power of designing strong beginnings, starting with partner and small group dialogue, the importance of actively weaving reflection throughout experiences, and intentionally giving opportunities for voice, choice, and ownership in learning in group work. While I brought many ideas to share, the true higlight was facilitating an environment for practitioners to network, connect, and learn with—and from—one another.

Engaging dialogue structures, supporting introverted participants, incorporating metaphoric and active reflection, and ending sessions on an optimistic note sparked lively discussion. To explore these practical strategies, including facilitating engaging dialogue, reflection, connection strategies, and facilitating with the introvert in mind, explore more of my blog. My colleagues at PAFUNN and a participant from the TAP Center at Tamagawa University— Yo Mitsukawa—both wrote articles about their takeaways from the workshop sessions (see links below).

Beyond the workshops themselves, preparing materials tailored for my Japanese audience was another highlight of my trip. Creating Japanese versions of my Quotable Cards and Conversation Starter Buttons to welcome participants was rewarding and fun.

During my first days traveling around Japan before the workshops I captured photos of various Japanese street signs to experiment with adding Japanese sign photos to my Everywhere-a-Sign Postcard kit. Seeing participants engage with the Japanese versions of my materials was especially meaningful, as it fostered a sense of creativity, collaboration, excitement, and new insights into cross-cultural perspectives.

We put a lot of love into making the button and quote adaptations. Shout out to Ryoji Fujikashi for helping me choose phrases, my friends Yasuko Parmenter, Tomo Seki, and Takako Miyaaki for helping me with translation, my fantastic graphic designer Johnny DiGeorge for bringing the designs to fruition, and my husband Paul, who spent HOURS making buttons before I left for Japan.

I so enjoyed seeing participants have fun connecting and reflecting with these! Since they were such a hit, I’m working on making them available in Japan.I have some Spanish versions too! For more info and suggestions for more cross-cultural connection ideas please email me at jen@experientialtools.com.

During my stay, I was grateful to spend time with friends and colleagues throughout Japan, revisit favorite spots, and discover new places and events. Thank you to everyone who showed such generous hospitality.

Signs of Fall were starting to appear during my final days in Japan. The maple leaf motif and maples or Kaede(楓) that I witnessed during my visit to beautiful Mt. Takao and throughout the design of the historic Yakuo-in Temple were striking—particularly to someone from Vermont, where maples are so much a part of our culture and identity.

With a history dating back over 1,300 years, Mt. Takao and its temples and shrines are a central place for both mountain recreation and spiritual practices of Shugendō. This Japanese tradition combines mountain asceticism with aspects of Shintoism and Buddhism.

Now I’m back in Vermont, where our maples are quickly turning to red and gold. I love that the symbolism of the maple leaf in autumn, across cultures, of beauty and change, and the ephemeral nature of life, carries so much meaning here and there.

Reflecting on autumn, the symbolism of change and renewal, and the cycle of seasons, I invite you to read my recent articles related to making the most of this time of year, when many programs and school years are still in the beginning phases. Check out the Inspired Educator blog and find practical ideas for embracing community building and fostering growth not only in the fall but all year long.

•PAFUNN article about the workshop sessions
•The TAP Center article by Yo Mitsukawa

The post Notes from Japan • Connection, Community-Building and Reflection first appeared on Experiential Tools.

I created the Pick-a-Postcard kit over eighteen years ago as a curated set of metaphoric images to spark reflection, vision setting, journaling, and group dialogue.

People often find it easier to express themselves through a picture. The ideas and connections inspired by the imagery lead to broader and deeper reflection sessions than when using dialogue alone.

As years passed, I’ve used more of my own photos and developed a second set of “Everwhere-a-Sign” cards. In this latest edition of both sets, all of the cards are my original photographs. With an eye for sparking reflection, I’ve captured serendipitous moments on the road and intentionally composed scenes using elements of nostalgia and history.

I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to travel around the world working with educators and facilitators from a wide range of settings. When I travel, I love taking time to delve into the places I visit –walking neighborhoods, historic sites, and natural areas. I come across many moments of serendipity and beauty during my travels. Many of the cards in both postcard sets capture these inspiring moments on the road.

Receiving— one of the newest cards in the Everywhere-a-Sign kit

This spring I visited Indianapolis to facilitate a workshop for educators and prevention coalition staff. I have family roots in Indiana, so I took some time to explore the places my family lived. I flew into Indianapolis and as I often do, found a bed and breakfast in a historic neighborhood.

As I walked the neighborhood in search of dinner, I came across an Art Deco dream — the former 1920s era Coca-Cola bottling plant now known as the Bottleworks district, a center for commerce history and the arts. Art Deco is one of my favorite design styles, and I was enthralled by the stone carving throughout the building and the stunning former bottling plant tasting room with its stained glass windows and handmade tiles– now a hotel lobby. As I walked out, I passed the loading docks and this Receiving sign. It made me think of all of the gifts I have received in the way of connections and experiences.

Welcome to our Family Home, historic Lafayette, Indiana— a postcard from the Pick-a-Postcard kit

Speaking of Indiana and family history… This photo came from my grandparents’ house, but not when they lived in it! Decades after they were gone, on another road trip to Indiana, I became friends with the current owners. In 2019, I was facilitating a workshop for educators in West Lafayette and visiting Purdue University where three generations of my family attended college. I made a point of driving past my grandparents’ former home where I had many childhood memories of family holidays, the back stairway to the kitchen where my grandmother cooked noodles on her antique stove, the red-glass eyelash window that fascinated my sister and I when we were kids, and other fun aspects of an old Victorian house. As I walked by taking photos of the house, the owner came out and introduced herself. When I told her my grandparents had lived there, she invited me in– and this photo was captured that day.

On a subsequent trip she and her husband took me out for dinner, and we have remained friends ever since. Last spring they invited me to dinner at the house– it was moving to sit and eat in my grandparents’ dining room decades after they passed. I’ve found and shared several old family photos and historical items from the house, but this ornate doorknob is one of my favorites.

Ootori Shrine and Tori-no-Ichi Festival Grounds, Tokyo —from the Pick-a-Postcard kit

Of all the places I get to travel for work, my trips to Japan hold a special place in my heart. The friends I’ve made and stayed in touch with since my first trip in 2011 are some of my most valued friendships. I am always impressed by the warm hospitality of people I meet and the care taken in everyday objects, food, rituals, and human connections. I am fascinated by Japanese art, crafts, cultural heritage and history, and I always try to stay in historic neighborhoods and traditional inns, or Ryokan.

On my last trip to Tokyo, I stayed in Asakusa, an area rich with history. On a walk around the neighborhood, I passed by the entrance to the Tori-no-Ichi open air market and festival grounds, which was decorated with a large colorful bamboo rake, or kumade. I was taken by this beautiful art and learned that the kumade are part of the yearly festival that has taken place on this site for centuries on days that the lunar calendar designates as days of the rooster. This festival celebrates good health, good fortune and good business. The kumade or “bear paw” rakes are adorned with various lucky symbols– such as golden coins and rice bales for a rich harvest– and are believed to “rake in” good fortune and prosperity. In this photo you can see an Okame or “Lucky Laugh” mask, representing joy, playfulness, and longevity. The image reminds me of all the good fortune I’ve experienced in Japan and the importance of intention and celebration.

I’m thrilled to be heading back to Japan next month for two workshops in Tokyo. I can’t wait for more exploration of culture and moments of friendship and serendipity on the road.

I hope these stories inspire you to think about the power of metaphor and the ways you celebrate a sense of place. There are 100 stories that go with the 100 original photos across my two postcard sets, and the latest cards are rolling out in the coming weeks. For those of you who already have a set, please email me to add these to your existing kits. Or, use the code STORIES to purchase either set of postcards. They are also offered as a bundle.

The post Every Picture Tells a Story – Roadtrip Edition first appeared on Experiential Tools.

As many readers know, my Pick-a-Postcard metaphor card kit has featured many of my photos taken in moments during my workshop travels over the years. The newest release coming in June will be entirely my own photos, with additions ranging from a clipper ship in Maine to street musicians in New Orleans.

One of my favorite photos in the kit is a beautiful mural I captured in Detroit in 2016 after wrapping up a workshop with the fantastic group of facilitators at Teen Hype– a youth empowerment organization and launching pad helping young people develop essential life skills during their most formative years.

I walked along the  the Duquindre Cut Greenway– a former railroad line turned into a recreational path linking the riverfront, Easter Market, and several neighborhoods. I had heard from my workshop team that it was a lovely walk and well-known for its examples of urban artwork and murals.

On my walk, I came across the mural by the artist Antonio Agee, a.k.a. Shades–a respected Detroit native, renowned pioneer of graffiti art, and one of the first documented graffiti artists in the city. I was inspired by the hopeful message and bright colors. I captured a photo memorializing an uplifting day in Detroit and a new addition to my Pick-a-Postcard kit. It has become one of my favorite images in the kit– a message of positivity and hope for the future.

A few years after receiving the card, I received an email telling me the story behind it, which made it all the more special.

Hi Jen,
I’m reaching out because one of our friends came across the Tomorrow Starts With “YES” postcard when her school’s teaching staff was doing an activity with your Pick-a-Postcard deck.  


You’ll notice the diamond ring on the bottom right, and I thought it’d be interesting to share with you that I had this piece commissioned to propose to my wife. I wanted something worthy of her and the city, with a duality that applies to more than just that moment. We are still Detroit residents and raising our kids in the city.  


It brings me joy to see it finding meaning with others.
-Ron

It turns out that a friend of Ron’s, a teacher in Brighton Public Schools and a participant in a professional development day at her middle school, used my Pick-a-Postcard kit in a workshop. She saw the Tomorrow Starts With “Yes” image and shared the with Ron, who eagerly reached out to share his story with me.

Ron commissioned Shades for one of the most momentous days of his life! I am honored to have this testament to love, art, collaboration, and the city of Detroit in my collection.

You will notice the updated caption in the newest edition of the Pick-a-Postcard kit:
Tomorrow Starts With “Yes”
Mural by Shades, commissioned by Ron as a proposal to his wife, Katie

About the Updated Pick-a-Postcard and Everywhere-a-Sign kits:

Each photo in my Pick-a-Postcard kit captures a unique memory or experience from my travels. When I first released the Pick-a-Postcard kit as a reflection tool for educators and facilitators, it was a curated collection of historic and artistic postcards. Over the last decade, I’ve moved to include mostly my own photographs for the collection. In this new update, it will now be exclusively my original photos from experiences like the one in this story. I am excited to share them with you!

We are in the midst of a reprint of both the reworked Pick-a-Postcard kit and the new Everywhere-a-Sign metaphorical postcard kits this month. If you’ve recently purchased the latest deck, reach out and I will send you these new cards to add to your kit. If you are purchasing for the first time, please use code INSPIRED20 for a discount on postcards and Bundles.

Both kits are sustainably printed by local printers and packaged in locally printed and constructed boxes.

The post Tomorrow Starts With “Yes” The Story of One of My Most Loved Metaphor Cards first appeared on Experiential Tools.

photo: Spring in Vermont by Jen Stanchfield— One of the newest additions to the Pick-a-Postcard Kit

Here in Vermont, Spring has finally sprung! The Green Mountains are at their greenest, our daffodils and lilacs are blooming, and my hands have been in the dirt, expanding my vegetable garden— all of which bring me joy and put me in the mindset of following social psychologist Dr. Judith Moskowitz’s tenets of noticing, savoring, and celebrating positive events.

In Dr. Moskowitz’s studies on resiliency and positive emotions she identifies eight practices and strength-based skills to reduce stress and cultivate joy: In my  last issue, I focused on #7 setting and working on attainable goals, and #5 reframing events with positive reappraisal.

This time of year, I always offer a post on celebrations and ending the school/program year on a high note, which dovetails nicely with Dr. Moskowitz’s joyful practices, including: #2 savoring positive events, #3 expressing gratitude, and #6 noticing personal strengths. Below are some of my most well-loved strategies that focus on positive reflection and celebration.

Closing Activities to Celebrate, Reflect, and Connect to Future Learning

This post offers excerpts from my Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner book with appreciation activities such as Peek-a-Who Celebrations, Group Drawing, and Celebrations Charades.  Read the full article.

These have been my “tried and tested” strategies for noticing and celebrating strengths and positive events, and creating optimistic wrap-ups to extend learning beyond the experience.

As many of you know, my very favorite strategy is to end the year on a high note using my Pick-a-Postcards with Postcard Appreciations and Postcard to Your Future Self as a reminder of strengths, accomplishments, and goals.  To read more, click here.

The postcard strategies are especially celebratory for me because this spring marks the 18th anniversary of the release of the original Pick-a-Postcard kit! It’s also the 2nd anniversary of the reworked Pick-a-Postcard kit and the new “Everywhere-a-Sign” metaphorical postcard kit both now with all of my own photographs! Both kits are sustainably printed by local printers and packaged in locally printed and constructed boxes.

Over the years I have moved towards using all my own photographs for the Pick-a-Postcards. It has been a wonderful journey collecting imagery during my roadtrips.

We are in the midst of a reprint of both kits this month and will be adding even more of my original photos. If you’ve recently purchased the latest deck, reach out and I will send you these new cards to add to your updated kit.

If you don’t yet have the updated versions, please use the code CELEBRATE for a special discount on single kits or the bundle of both kits (postcards and signs)! if you have a large group that you will be facilitating the “Postcard to Your Future Self” celebration with,  email me for a special custom collection.

References: 

Learn more about Judith Moskowitz at https://pphiglab.com/:  Dr. Moskowitz has devoted much of her career to a positive psychology approach, helping cultivate stress management through strengths-based skills.

• Stanchfield, Jennifer Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner: Experiential, Brain-Based Activities and Strategies to Engage, Build Community, and Create Lasting Lessons Wood N Barnes, 2014

The post More Joyful Strategies: Savoring and Celebrating Positive Events first appeared on Experiential Tools.

All of these qualities come through in her new song. “Joy, Joy!” which resonated with me amidst the stressful news cycle and the darkness of winter. I’ve been thinking a great deal about joy lately and trying to celebrate the small, beautiful things in each day. 

Last fall, I was inspired by an interview with social psychologist Judith Moskowitz on the new NPR segment “Stress Less.” Dr. Moskowitz is director of research at Northwestern Medicine’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and has devoted much of her career to a positive psychology approach, helping cultivate stress management through strengths-based skills.

She identifies eight practices:

1. 1. 1. Noticing positive events
      2. Savoring positive events
      3. Expressing gratitude
      4. Practicing mindfulness
      5. Reframing events
      6. Noticing personal strengths
      7. Setting and working toward attainable goals
      8. Displaying acts of kindness

Just this morning, I happened upon a short follow-up to this interview on NPR’s Morning Edition  featuring people who had been integrating these practices into everyday life. I spent the rest of the day thinking about how this approach informs my work as a facilitator and educator. 

Joy in Learning

I love seeing learners express delight in their accomplishments, connect deeply to the material, or become so engaged in a lesson that they lose all sense of time. Neuroscience research has shown the profound link between joy, motivation, high attention, and productivity. Educational neuroscientist Judy Willis has promoted the importance of joyful learning for years, observing that high-stress instructional practices (think fear or punishment) negatively impact the brain’s ability to synthesize information. But when we cultivate joyful learning–not just having fun, but encouraging a deep sense of accomplishment, pleasure, and positive social connections–we enhance learning outcomes.

Practice #7 above—setting and working toward attainable goals—dovetails nicely with Judy Willis’ work on joyful learning and the dopamine effect. Dr. Willis repeatedly talks about setting achievable challenges that are interesting, engaging, and incremental. As learners build on their successes, the neurotransmitter dopamine is released, and they experience pleasure, which in turn improves their ability to store memories. Likewise, Dr. Moskowitz has found that people who embrace practice #7 increase their self-efficacy. 

Joy as a Practitioner

Dr. Moskowitz also emphasizes the importance of noticing the good. For me, this means recognizing small steps forward and noticing and savoring the delightful and funny moments that come up in our teaching and group work. When we intentionally take time to celebrate even small moments with our students, this amplifies joy for everyone. 

I like to use what Dr. Moskowitz calls “positive reappraisal” when things get tough. This means taking the time to reframe the situation and identify the little ways we can change our mindset. Last year, when a school district invited me to facilitate a professional development program for parent educators in the city district’s family engagement program, my colleague from the district and I found out the day before the workshop that the social service agency hosting had an air conditioning breakdown, so we suddenly had no space. Canceling or postponing would have been the easiest option. 

Instead, I took a breath and sat down with a cup of coffee to reappraise before canceling. I reflected on how I had traveled a whole day to get to the city and really wanted the workshop to happen. I had also been cultivating connections in the city for years, so I immediately started to reach out and make calls to my colleagues there to find a new workshop space. 

My friend, a school principal, invited us into her beautiful new school space in exchange for sending a few of her team to the session. The day was a wonderful success, and her team members provided terrific insights. The new larger space allowed us to invite more family engagement team educators and community members, all adding a depth of connection and understanding that enhanced the learning experience. Almost two years later, folks in that session have shared that the deep connections they made that day continue. 

There are so many moments like this in my practice. Rather than seeing something  as a failure and scuttling the plan altogether, I take a breath, look around, and see what positive learning is happening right now. Then, I try to identify how I can amplify it and reflect on what adjustments are needed to make the learning experience more accessible. Those adjustments have often led to a favorite technique or variation that I have used years later.

Positive reappraisal links with my passion for reflection. I believe ongoing practitioner self-reflection cultivates a positive reappraisal mindset and the ability to do it on one’s feet. Facilitating regular positive reflection with students/participants also strengthens their ability to apply positive reappraisal in learning and life. To read more about the practice of positive reflection and some active techniques, visit this recent post.

I will be following Dr. Moskowitz’s work and her studies on positivity and joy. I’ll also be listening to Valerie June’s beautiful music. Let’s continue the conversation online or in person at a workshop on reflection.

How are you finding moments of joy in your life and work right now?

References:

• NPR Morning Edition. (2024, March 3) From blah to beautiful, this skill can reduce anxiety, help you feel more positive https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/09/27/nx-s1-5082364/anxiety-stress-positive-coping-class-skills
• Joy Joy Youtube Valerie June Official Music Videoyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GUMVuFzKVI
• Allison Aubrey NPR (2024, September 30th) Stressed out? These 8 skills can help boost mood and reduce anxiety:https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/09/27/nx-s1-5082364/anxiety-stress-positive-coping-class-skills
• Willis, Judy Where did the Joy in Learning Go? Psychology Today Radiical Teaching: Links to over a decade of  Dr. Willis’s Articles  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/radical-teaching?page=2 and https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/radical-teaching/201512/where-did-the-joy-of-learning-go
• Willis, Judy ASCD:The Neuroscience of Joyful Education by Judy Willlis:https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-neuroscience-of-joyful-education
• Stanchfield, Jennifer Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner: Experiential, Brain-Based Activities and Strategies to Engage, Build Community, and Create Lasting Lessons Wood N Barnes, 2014

The post Cultivating Joy and Positivity first appeared on Experiential Tools.

I just returned from my second trip to the University of Cincinnati, where, in a light-filled pavilion above Nippert Stadium, I facilitated an active reflection workshop. It has been an honor to work repeatedly with instructors and advisors in the design and engineering co-op programs who provide meaningful, experiential learning to students through internships. It was fantastic to be asked back to UC to present on a topic so near and dear to my heart—bringing learning to life by weaving reflection throughout experiences in engaging ways.

Active Reflection

“We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” This quote, often attributed to John Dewey, speaks to the power of reflection. The UC advisors carved out time for these workshops because they recognize that reflection is the essential ingredient in education, creating lasting lessons and promoting growth in learners.

Reflective practice fosters an emotional connection and helps the learner internalize lessons, create ownership, and develop insight—one of the most critical life-long skills to acquire. When we engage learners in ongoing reflection, we help them retain and apply lessons to other areas of their lives and promote their ability to become more thoughtful learners.

The Brain, Learning, and Reflection

Educational neuroscience shows us that reflection creates context and promotes the development of multiple pathways to learning and meaning-making. Neuroscientists call this patterning — the process in which the brain searches for patterns to construct meaning from the input it receives. Read more about the neuroscience of reflection here.

Impactful reflection begins the moment a group walks in the door- if not before. Reflection is a practice, not an event, and can be woven throughout experiences in many creative ways. Creating an inclusive and well-designed welcoming reflection activity (sometimes called a warm welcome, first five, or hook activity) to start a session primes reflection and creates an opportunity for participants to make positive connections with their peers. It also sets up context around a lesson or experience.

Planting Seeds for Reflection

You can be very intentional about reflection by using a reflective welcome activity targeted at your program’s purpose. At UC, I laid out my new “Everywhere-a-Sign” postcards. As participants entered and gathered for coffee, I invited them to choose a sign representing the school year’s direction or the direction they would like to take for the second half of the year. Read more about welcoming reflection methods here.

Before the Experience

I often begin reflection prior to a learning experience by sending a welcome email with a program goals form. For online offerings, I often include a message ahead of time inviting group members to start reflecting before we meet. For example:

“I invite you to bring an “artifact” from your recent experiences as a facilitator/educator/coach. This

 object could be a tangible artifact from your teaching or facilitating experiences, a success story or highlight from recent work, an object representing a lesson learned, a silver lining, or a challenge overcome. This artifact could also represent an opportunity, inspiration, or hope for the future. During the session, we will blend these “artifacts” of experience into some of our interactive, reflective activities and dialogue.

If you would like examples of my pre-workshop goals forms or welcome messages, email me at jen@experientialtools.com

Start Small for a Bigger Impact

A big focus of our workshop was rethinking the default settings often used in facilitation and teaching. We started by using smaller reflection dialogue structures before the large group sharing circle. To read more about small group dialogue activities, click here.

Repurpose Icebreakers and Games for Reflection

Over the years, I have repurposed the community building activities I traditionally use at the start of a program as active reflection techniques facilitated throughout a workshop or class. My favorite rapport builders— Handshake Mingle, Concentric Circles, Trade and Share, and Commonalities Mingle— engage groups in active reflection and dialogue for social and emotional learning, advisory, morning meeting, or academic training content exploration.

Some of my favorite community-building and active review games, such as Team Tally, Anyone Who, Charades Race, Bag of Nouns, and Peek-a-Who, can be used for reflection and celebration.

Sequence Reflection and Processing in the Middle of Experience

Effective facilitators and educators carefully sequence their programs so that lessons and activities build upon the previous ones. They start with less intimidating methods to build comfort, trust, and rapport in the group before increasing the challenge. I encourage facilitators to do the same with reflection. To read more about sequencing reflection, click here.

Along with thoughtful design and sequencing, the language we use in reflection is powerful. To read more about Reflection vs. Debriefing, click here.

Harness the Power of Metaphoric Reflection

Symbols, images, and objects help people communicate their thoughts and create meaning from their experiences. They spark emotions and help people understand and communicate abstract concepts that cannot always be translated into words. To read more about some of my favorite metaphoric techniques, click here.

Facilitate Optimistic Closing Activities and Appreciations

Like the UC Coop advisors, many of you are wrapping up courses or semesters. An optimistic closing reflection can help you tie it all together with a meaningful and optimistic reflective ending before the holiday break To read more visit this post:

Optimistic Closing Activities to Celebrate, Reflect, and Connect to Future Learning

References and Resources:

See these previous posts or the Inspired Educator  or Tips & Tools for the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation books for more ideas.

The post Reflection: The Essential Ingredient for Impactful Facilitation and Teaching first appeared on Experiential Tools.

One of my most rewarding professional facilitation experiences has been my ongoing work with the Austin Independent School District in Texas. For more than ten years, I’ve had the honor of facilitating professional learning, visioning, and community building with AISD’s social and emotional learning department, mental health counselors, social workers, and multi-tiered systems of support teams. 

The highlight of the workshop was engaging with the Name Meanings activity. Most participants were bilingual native Spanish speakers, and the activity became an opportunity to celebrate participants’ diverse culture and heritage.  In a safe space, people shared stories of name and family, as well as stories about the challenges and frustrations of regularly having their names mispronounced, shortened without their consent, or anglicized. 

Many participants shared that despite growing up and working in the US as native Spanish speakers and habitually reverting to anglicized versions of their names, in recent years they’ve been feeling more confident about emphasizing the correct pronunciation of their names. They’ve done this with professional colleagues and peers as well as within the community. Many shared that it  was the Name Meanings activity that helped solidify this step for them.

Name Meanings helps create a foundation for respect and honor because it gives everyone an opportunity to voice their preference and their story. The activity serves as an invitation and opportunity for their peers to clarify and practice pronunciation in a supportive space. 

I see this often in my workshops— co-workers feel like they can finally ask their peers to pronounce their name a few times and practice back and forth, without it feeling awkward or rude. Many people share that they hadn’t asked about pronunciation because they thought they should know already. Then, uncertain and embarrassed, they’d avoided the name entirely. 

The Families as Partners facilitators discussed how significant this activity was to their work as family support specialists. Names can be incredibly important to families because a great deal of care, meaning, and culture are woven into them. Trust is built when educators honor students’ and families’ names by taking the time to use them correctly.

Last week, I sent the Parent Support Specialists group their “Postcards to their Future Self.” One of the participants, Frutoso, reached out to tell me his postcard had arrived on just the right day. (I get this magical feedback a lot about the postcards). 

I noticed that embedded in Frutoso’s email signature was a NameDrop pronunciation of his name. NameDrop’s company mission states: “We believe that no one should have to hear a broken version of their name. So, we made it easy for you to share your name with the world in your voice. Simply record your name as it’s meant to be said, and get your personal name link.”

I reached out to Frutoso to ask about his experience with NameDrop.  Here is his response:

I noticed NameDrop on someone else’s signature with a unique name from another country. I needed to call her, but I wanted to honor and respect her name and properly pronounce it before calling her. 

My experience is that my name story has been an icebreaker for people asking me about my name and its history. Most have never heard of it or aren’t sure how to pronounce it—first or last name. 

If I’m being completely honest, my name is misspelled. When my grandfather was born in Brownsville, TX,  the nurse wrote his name on the birth certificate as she heard it. My father is a junior, and I’m Frutoso III.  

When I asked my grandfather why his parents named him “that name,” he said it was common to name your child the “Saint” of the day. In his case, January 21 is San Fructuosus Day. 

Of course, as a child, I didn’t believe him, only because I had never heard such a thing. I was familiar with some saints but thought, “Yeah, right, Saint Frutoso, whatever Grandpa.”  

Saint Fructuosus of Tarragona was a Christian saint, bishop, and martyr. He is an important name in the early history of Christianity in Hispania. He was bishop of Tarragona and was arrested during the persecutions of Christians under the Roman Emperor Valerian.

I had a teacher here in Houston from Spain meet me in my office and notice my nameplate on my desk. He shared that Fructuoso was a common and popular name in his country, a lot of the older generation could be found with that name, which is also used for women, Fructuosa, much like Maria and Mario in other Spanish cultures.  As an adult, I appreciate the uniqueness of my name and am honored to be named after my grandfather and Saint Fructuosus. 

Frutoso’s is one of many beautiful stories you might learn if you engage in the Name Meanings activity.

More Resources:

Name drop: NameDrop – a name pronunciation service Namedrop.io

Namecoach: name pronunciations embedded online 

Names That Are Unfamiliar to You Aren’t “Hard,” They’re “Unpracticed” | Teen Vogue

Say My Name | Why Pronouncing Names Correctly is Important | Idealist  

The post Name Pronunciation Resources: A Story from the Field first appeared on Experiential Tools.

When groups come together for the first time, during the first weeks of school or the kick-off of fall programming, thoughtful educators and facilitators weave in intentional time to build community. Introductions, “name games,” and nametags are often part of this—for good reason. 

Names are everything. My practice is all about helping people build supportive, collaborative, and inclusive learning communities. Honoring each other begins with knowing each other’s names and using them with respect through correct pronunciation.

Our names hold our personal identity,  our family history, and culture. They can also give us a sense of belonging. Preferred nicknames or new names chosen by an individual represent choice, control, and ownership. They can strengthen a sense of self. Honoring this sense of identity and choice promotes dignity, respect, and positive group culture.

Brain research has shown us the power of names in activating our brains. Neuroscience research demonstrates that hearing one’s name activates different parts of people’s brains as no other words do. In studies, even people in a vegetative state involuntarily responded to the sound of their own names. 

As educators, we have tremendous potential to engage and connect with our learners, helping them feel valued and increasing their attention and focus simply by using their names correctly. Think about your own experiences with your name. When someone you recently met takes the time to remember and use your name correctly, doesn’t it help you feel appreciated and respected? 

Dr. Angela M. Ward is a thought leader I admire in the education world who offers transformative resources for promoting equity in education. She emphasizes the importance of teachers making an effort to learn and correctly pronounce their students’ names because of the powerful role they play in the positive identity development of each student in their care.

This is why intentionally focusing on names and introductory activities can be so beneficial. However, thoughtful sequencing and ongoing facilitation of this practice are key to making it effective. Sometimes, educators and facilitators only address names in cursory ways on the first day of school or at a first meeting when participants aren’t comfortable yet with the group, so they are not in a place to speak up or correct mispronunciations or misuse of their name.

Many students and adults I’ve worked with over the years shared stories about how people in power have announced to the individual that they are going to change/adapt their names to make it easier for them as the leader/facilitator/teacher – without giving them any choice in the matter. I have often worked with groups that supposedly knew each other well, such as a faculty team who has been working together for a long time or a classroom group midway through a school year, but found that names were being mispronounced or misused. Even in the small schools I encounter in rural areas—where educators might assume students already know each other’s names—many actually don’t or are not always using and honoring names in a respectful way.  I have found the same to be true with adults in the workplace.

That is why I am sharing this article from my blog archives now, a couple of months into fall programming and the school year, to remind educators and facilitators that this is not a “one and done” activity but rather an ongoing effort to build community, respect, and honoring of peers.

Thoughtfully Sequencing Name Activities

Warm the group up first! 

I try to avoid contrived name activities that put people “on the spot” too early or make them feel pressure to memorize or perform—especially early on in group development. I often begin with small group and partnering activities before moving to a whole group activity or discussion in order to build comfort with group process, sharing, and dialogue. My previous posts, such as “Start Off With Style,” offer simple, non-threatening, partner-matching techniques using props and simple reflective and get-to-know-you questions that are useful for this crucial first step. 

Carefully curated and facilitated activities help groups of all ages practice names and explore the concepts of connecting with others, honoring their peers’ strengths and personalities, and showing respect for individual identity and choice. In my book and blog, I’ve shared my tried-and-true activities to help groups learn, practice, and reinforce names in a meaningful but playful, non-threatening, and palatable way. “Name Meanings” is my favorite.

Name Meanings Activity

We can remember a person’s name more easily when we have meaningful information associated with it. When participants already know each other’s names, this activity can help them learn more about each other and lead to a discussion about the importance of honoring a person’s name (i.e., pronouncing it correctly, using it appropriately, and showing respect for each other). This activity works best after a few warm-up techniques like the Handshake Mingle once the group is more comfortable and willing to share.

Facilitation Suggestions:

• First, I use this activity after I have done a warm-up, a connection activity, and a welcoming activity using objects, images, or quotes. I do this for a few reasons: Participants will be more willing to share in this circle when they have already built comfort with the group. Secondly, when they still have the entry reflection object or image in hand, it will naturally give group members something to talk about with their name if they choose (see bullet five).
• I begin this activity by asking the group if they have ever had an experience where someone in the community’s name was repeatedly mispronounced or misused. When I ask this question, hands are ALWAYS raised, and I often notice that more introverted group members—who themselves have struggled with others mispronouncing their names—raise their hands or nod their heads.
• After this acknowledgment, I explain that is why I love this next activity: It is a way to honor each other by clarifying, celebrating, and learning to address each other by our preferred names.
• If a group needs an energizer, I sometimes ask members to line up silently by the number of letters in their name or preferred nickname. But this is not necessary. 
• Next, I ask the group to form a circle and take turns sharing the following: First and most importantly, their preferred version of their name and correct pronunciation so that we can honor them by using it correctly. Second, I invite them to share anything they would like to about the story of their name. This could be the origin, meaning, cultural history, whether it is a family name, or their reasons for shortening it or using a nickname.
• I emphasize that sharing a story isn’t necessary if they don’t have one to share. Because I always facilitate this activity after they have engaged in an object/image welcoming activity, they will have something else to share if they choose, like their quote/button/tool from our previous welcoming activity. Or, I make it clear they can share simply their name—whatever they are comfortable sharing.
• Most importantly, this is an opportunity for participants to take ownership and share with the group the CORRECT pronunciation or nickname, something that often needs to be emphasized in school settings.

Outcomes/Reflections:

Learners of all ages say they prefer this activity to other name games because they get to share factual information. They don’t have to think of contrived additional  information (e.g., a favorite fruit that begins with the same letter as their name). It even works with large groups. People want to listen and share this kind of personal information even if it takes some time—we are all naturally curious and want to hear each other’s stories. 

I have successfully used this activity with all age groups. Even very young children know about their names’ origins and feel strongly about what they want to be called.

Again and again, I find that this activity leads to meaningful group conversations and builds positive group norms. Often, the group discovers that colleagues or peers have been addressing a group member incorrectly for months or years, and that person has not spoken up. 

Once, when I was working with a school’s faculty, a teacher who had been at the school for 25 years revealed that although her colleagues had been calling her “Patty” for two decades, no one else in her life called her “Patty.” In fact, she preferred “Patricia.” 

It turned out that a secretary had arbitrarily shortened Patricia’s name when setting up email addresses 20 years ago, and it stuck. Patricia hadn’t felt comfortable correcting her peers for all of those years until she was given the opportunity during this activity!

Name Meanings can lead to compelling reflection on identity, culture, and history. I’ve seen this working with Indigenous groups, teachers at a local school for the deaf and hard of hearing, and youth in foster care, where we had impactful discussions about honoring names, the place of names in personal identity and American culture, reclaiming names, and more.

In one discussion, a teacher said, “For years, when I’ve had students with the same name in my class, I have assigned them nicknames like Michael, Mike, and Mike A., without asking their preference. I will never do that again.” 

Taking the time upfront to build community through learning and practicing names pays off later. Many adult participants have told me that because they participated in the Handshake Mingle activity followed by Name Meanings, they finally learned the name of the person they had been passing in the hallway for years. And, even months after the in-service day, they often greet each other with the handshake greeting and check in with each other’s names when passing. 

One high school student wrote, after doing these activities, “I am getting to know people better, and I can actually say ‘Hi’ to them in the hallway when before I didn’t have a clue who they were. And there is meaning behind the hello instead of a hello that means absolutely nothing.”

As Angela Ward states in her post on AntiRacist Teaching, “Teachers who are AntiRacist honor the dignity in the given name of each student in their care because they lead their classroom with love.”

References: I initially learned this activity many years ago from a group of teachers in Laconia, NH, and have developed the facilitation of it over time with input from participants. It is also described in my book Tips & Tools for the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation.  

For more suggestions for name activities, visit past issues of the Inspired Educator blog or my book Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner.

The post Why Names are Important & How to Honor Them first appeared on Experiential Tools.

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 talking point. This allows participants an opportunity to warm up by interacting with just one or two others at a time before sharing with the larger group.  This incremental building of connections one or two people at time rather than beginning as a whole classroom or whole group “sharing circle” helps learners build comfort with each other and the group process, and honors the introverts, leading to more engagement, buy-in, and in-depth reflection discussions later on. My favorite rapport builders “Handshake Mingle” “Concentric Circles” Trade and Share, and Commonalities Mingle are interactive ways to engage groups of all ages in this kind of community building, connection, reflection,and dialogue for social and emotional learning, advisory, morning meeting, or academic content exploration, review or reflection. I have written many articles with variations of these approaches in this blog and my books.

Handshake or “No Touch Greetings” Mingle

This has been my favorite rapport building activity and a main staple of my repertoire for many years. Over time I have changed the way I facilitate it as I’ve learned more about the brain and learning, increased awareness about the nuances of facilitation, and become more conscious of the needs of introverts in my groups. I’ve also become more intentional about using it for context setting, reflection, and review to enhance engagement and buy-in. This tried-and-true method is social and incrementally sequenced and useful for building rapport, making introductions, creating connections, reviewing names, and becoming more comfortable with each other.

Though it is playful, it starts with an action familiar in our culture, the high 5 or the no touch version -Air High 5. Even reluctant group members find it palatable because I carefully facilitate it to enhance involvement by using low-risk greetings at first and taking the time for partners to return to each other to build connections with a few partners. There is choice involved, and no one person is in the spotlight. It also works as an active processing/reflection/review activity to start group dialogue on a specific experience or academic/training topic. This activity can be used a number of times throughout a group’s experience to reflect and review.

Materials: None needed, entry-task objects can be woven into this activity such as “domino partners” “Key partners” or “Match Game Partners see Post

Facilitation Note: Facilitators use a variety of greetings in this activity—some of them can get pretty silly. I tend to start simply, using greetings with minimal touch to warm up the group, increase buy-in, and observe the varying physical abilities of group members. I purposely facilitate a slower version of this activity, having people revisit previous partners, so they build connections with at least four or five people in the room (a very different activity than the “quickly visit everyone” version).

Facilitation Suggestions:

• First, invite everyone to find a partner (I usually do this through objects used in a group Welcoming Activity which leads nicely into this one). When they find their object partner, invite them to share about a meaningful reflection question relevant to your group, and when they have finished, give each other a high 5 or “Air High 5.” Whichever they are comfortable with. Have participants recognize this person as their “high 5” partner.

To increase buy-in and facilitate a smooth transition from one activity to another, this first partner could be the domino or playing card partner from the pre-group Welcoming Activity or entry task pairing.

• Next, ask participants to find a new partner, and give each other a low 5. or “air low 5” This is their “low 5” partner. I usually give these partners a reflective or get-to-know-you question, a context-setting/topical question, or ask them to share about their entry activity choice.

• After a few moments of partner conversation, have participants revisit their high 5 partner, then their low 5 partners, moving amongst the group to find those original partners.

• Then invite them to find a “fist-bump fireworks” partner (a fist bump with an explosion that brings some laughter into the activity). I often ask the group what fireworks remind them of. Inevitably someone says “celebrations.” I then ask partners to share something worth celebrating framed around their reason for being in the group. For a group of educators or students it could be “something worth celebrating about this school year: a personal achievement, a success story with a student, a new initiative at your school.”

• Continue this sequence, adding on new partners/activities as appropriate. You will witness laughter, positive interaction, and fun; and participants will remember their partners and conversations.

• Have participants help you come up with new handshakes or present their own; this enhances ownership and involvement. I have integrated participant’s creativity with “rock on” partners, “butterfly” partners, and “pop a wheelie” partners. My favorite is “Make it Up You Go Along” partners in which the partners or small groups make up a greeting together based on their comfort level.

• For a deeper introductory activity or a kinesthetic reflection or review, mix get-to-know-you or reflective questions into the exercise.

• Use this as a closing at the end of a class or program: Ask participants to go back through their handshake sequence and revisit their partners to reflect on their thoughts regarding the program/lesson. Have high 5 partners share something from the program that was worth celebrating or a high point for them.

• This can be used multiple times with a group to reflect on specific questions/academic content.

Facilitation Tips: Be thoughtful and observant and use handshakes that are appropriate, taking into consideration space, physical needs, setting, cultural norms, and the background of your group. Some of my favorite handshakes are “fishing” partners (one is the fisher with reel/rod and the other the fish) and “ankle shake” partners. BUT, I am very careful about when to introduce sillier handshakes, if at all.

If I use an ankle shake partner, I use it to introduce/reinforce the idea or start a conversation about having choice in an experience. I always demonstrate a few different levels of ankle shaking and have them choose their own level or version. The repetitive visiting of partners is one of the most important aspects of this activity, allowing participants to create a connection with the people who are their partners and learn and reinforce names. When facilitators skip this part and focus on quantity of partners versus quality of interaction it takes away from the activity and can turn a positive, rapport-building activity into an intimidating icebreaker. Recent research on the brain demonstrates that engaging in appropriate touch such as handshakes promotes social and emotional learning and attention. With touch, there is a release of dopamine and an increase in brain activity (Linden, 2015).

Resource: I learned this as a community building activity years ago from my colleague Aimee Desrosier Cochran. It has been written up many different ways in this blog and both editions of Tips & Tools for the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation 2007, 2016. An academic review and reflection variation is described in the Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner book.

Concentric Circles

A more reserved, but active partner sharing technique for review and reflection is Concentric Circles. This kinesthetic activity can be used as an icebreaker, a discussion starter, an active reflective approach, or a closing activity. It’s an effective method to break up direct instruction in a training or teaching situation and get participants away from their desks to review academic material or topics for discussion. Each person is only asked to converse or share with one other person at a time, and everyone has the opportunity to participate. This activity can be adapted to most age or size groups. It works especially well with large groups.

Concentric Circles Facilitation Suggestions:

• Divide the group in half, forming two circles with the participants facing each other in an inner circle and an outer circle.

• Ask participants to greet the person they are facing and converse about a topic, a get-to-know-you question, reflective prompt, or why they chose the object they did during the hook activity.

• You might have the inside circle take on one viewpoint and the outside circle the other. Or have participants from one department on the inside and another on the outside to facilitate communication between different groups/differing viewpoints.

• In academic settings, the inside circle could “quiz” the outside circle as a formative assessment and review. See Inspired Educator for a complete descriptor of using this with prepared index cards and tallying for feedback and assessment.

• After a few moments, or when the conversational energy diminishes, have one of the circles rotate a few places: “Inside circle move three people to your right.” Participants form new partnerships, greeting those they bypass along the way.

• Invite the new partners to greet each other, and provide another topic to discuss and/or cooperative activity.

• Continue the activity; alternating movement between the inside and outside circle, followed by review/reflection questions and/or partner activities.

Facilitation Tips: I use this activity as opposed to handshake mingle when I am in a more structured setting or facilitating conversation around a serious topic. Both activities can be used multiple times throughout a program—for building relationships and rapport at the beginning and for reflection and review later on (see Inspired Educator Inspired Learner for more academic variations). The option of placing different departments of an organization or people of differing viewpoints in the different circles is a way to ensure intra-group conversations occur. I’ve used it for data gathering and formative assessment with the inside circle interviewing, collecting, recording information, insights, opinions from the outside circle and vice versa. • For a playful version with a group that knows each other well, incorporate a cooperative partner activity such as Gotcha, thumb wrestling, handshakes, or one-handed partner shoe-tying prior to or following the reflective question. This facilitates social connections.

Resource: I was first introduced to this activity as an icebreaker facilitated during my time in experiential education grad school in 2000 with my colleague Hutch Hutchinson. I’ve re-purposed it over the past 25 years as a reflection activity originally inspired by Luckner and Nadler’s Processing the Experience (1997). Versions are written up in Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner and Tips & Tools for the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation.

References: Linden, D. (2015). Touch: The science of hand, heart and mind. New York: Viking Press

Stanchfield, Jennifer (2014). Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner: Experiential, Brain-Based Activities and Strategies to Engage, Motivate, Build Community and Create Lasting Lessons. Bethany, Ok: Wood N Barnes Publishing

Stanchfield, Jennifer(2016) Tips & Tools for the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation. Second Edition. Bethany, Ok: Wood N Barnes Publishing

Willis, J. (2014) “Brain-based teaching at The Learning & the Brain Conference: Engaging 21st Century Minds. Boston, MA.

The post Increase Engagement and Belonging By Starting With Partner and Small Group Connection Activities first appeared on Experiential Tools.