mastering the art of training &...

MASTERING THE ART OF TRAINING & FACILITATION

“I ne ve r te ac h

my pupils, I

only atte mpt

to provide the

c onditions

in whic h the y

c an le arn.” – Alb e rt Einste in

VOLUME 1: INTRODUCTION & FACILITATION

The mission of Texas CASA is to support local CASA volunteer advocacy programs and to advocate for effective public policy for children in the child protection system.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writer:

Sean White

Researcher:

Sean White

Graphic Designer:

Kim Wilks

Wilks Graphics

Committee:

Texas CASA Training and Communications Department

Emma Ledford

Leslie Morton

Caitlyn Perdue

Antoinette Villarreal

Sean White

We envision a safe and positive future for all Texas children.

Copyright © 2016 Texas CASA. All Rights Reserved.

OUR VISION

OUR MISSION

1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

MASTERING THE ART OF

TRAINING & FACILITATION

Where we explore the different skills every trainer needs and how this workbook addresses

each one to help you become the best trainer you can be.

And where we explore the meaning of the following:

CONTENTS

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Course Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Why Are You Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

What Does It Take To Be A Trainer?. . . . . . . 6

Blended Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Training Is About Adding Value . . . . . . . . . . 8

Teaching Versus Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

What Is Learning? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

What Is The Best Way To Teach?. . . . . . . . 11

Are You Training Or Facilitating? . . . . . . . . 11

Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Our job is not to teach.

Our job is to help adults learn.

Their success is our success.

2

PREFACE

Did you know that only 25% of nonprofit organiza-

tions provide volunteers with training?

One of the things that sets CASA apart in the nonprofit world is the required 30 hours of training that each

volunteer must complete prior to serving as a Court

Appointed Special Advocate. This pre-service training

sets the stage for the volunteer’s experience with your

organization.

Needless to say, the person facilitating pre-service

training has a critical role in preparing the volunteer

and setting the tone for their experience. But how

many trainers and facilitators in the CASA network

have had formal training in what it means to be an

effective trainer or facilitator? It’s probably close to the

25% figure we saw previously.

This workbook was created to support CASA trainers

and facilitators, and to provide them with the

training and resources they need to begin mastering

the art of training and facilitating “The CASA Way.”

The CASA Way is a creed, created by Texas CASA, to

represent our culture and the way that we do business.

The CASA Way means:

We have an uncompromising belief that we will achieve

what others think impossible and that each of us is an

essential part of the solution.

That may sound like a bold statement, but considering

the condition of the child welfare system in Texas and

our country, how could we do less?

As a trainer or facilitator, when you stand before a

group of people and share information on any topic,

your attitude, tone and delivery is as critical as the in-

formation you are sharing. As a facilitator of pre-ser-

vice training, you have the longest contact with new

volunteers before they serve a child. That contact

comes with a great responsibility to be a stellar repre-

sentative of the CASA organization.

We have created this workbook to help you develop

the skills you need to become that stellar represen-

tative as you begin to master the art of training and facilitation.

The materials in this workbook and the associated

in-person and e-learning courses were designed to

help two similar but slightly different groups of people:

• Novice Trainers: Those with little formal edu-

cation or background in training have told us that they often feel ill-equipped and unprepared to lead training sessions. This material is intended to help build their skills and confidence and give them a combination of theory and practical tools they can put to use right away in the classroom, secure in the knowledge that what they’re doing is in the best interests of their learners.

• Experienced Trainers: Those of us in the CASA network who train come from diverse backgrounds. Many of us have formal degrees and years of experience in different classroom environments. But training “The CASA Way” is unique, and in working with trainers from across the network Texas CASA has learned that there is a need for a more consistent approach to train-

ing for both volunteers and staff. This material in intended address that need.

In addition to working to address the needs of diverse

audiences, we’ve found that there is a nearly-infinite vari-

ety of books and other resources available for purchase

or through a simple Web search. Unfortunately, much of

the time these resources are designed by academic edu-

cators for other academic educators, meaning they’re

full of too much theory and data to be of immediate use

to those of us working “on the ground.” On the other end

of the spectrum, there are also numerous resources that

are easy to understand and put to use in the classroom,

but it’s often not at all clear WHY suggested activities are

effective as there is little to no explanation of how they

address the needs of learners.

3

Let’s start with some reflection…

How would you define the term training? Take a moment and write down 2 or 3 things that sum up for you what training means or requires:

Now think about facilitation. How is it different from training? Take a moment and write down 2 or 3 things that constitute your definition of facilitation and how it’s different from, or the same as, training:

DEFINITIONS

We have attempted in this workbook to bridge the gap

between these two extremes and give both novice and

veteran trainers a variety of materials and activities

they can put to use, as well as a theoretical frame-

work to help them understand why they’re doing what

they’re doing.

Above all, the fundamental purpose of this workbook

and all the other materials that come with it is to give

you all the tools necessary to become the best trainer

you can be.

Or, to put it in terms a trainer can relate to:

By the end of this course, you will be able to plan any

type of training session, design learner-centered activ-

ities, confidently facilitate training sessions and eval-

uate both your learners’ performance and your own.

It’s a tall order, we know. But we also know that serv-

ing the best interests of children in foster care requires

that we do everything in our power to be the best we

can at what we do. We hope this will help you make

the most of the many skills you already have and build

upon them to become the best trainer you can be, for

the volunteers, for your colleagues and ultimately, for

the children we all serve.

Begin with

the end in mind.− Stephen Covey

4

COURSE OVERVIEW

• How can rearranging the seating in a room help

ensure a more successful class discussion?

• How can your breathing help you feel less ner-

vous in front of an audience?

• How can your posture help you feel more confi-

dent in the classroom?

• Is a picture really worth a thousand words?

• What separates great training from terrible train-

ing?

• What’s the best way to teach?

• What can I do to make learning effective AND

engaging?

• How is course design like a 5-paragraph essay?

This workbook, and the associated in-person and

e-learning courses that accompany it, model a 3-part

approach to training known as blended learning.

Any one of these three components can be used on

its own to help you develop a basic level of under-

standing and skill, or (and this is our recommenda-

tion) you can tap into all three components to help

you develop mastery as a trainer and facilitator.

Part 1 of this workbook, volumes 1 – 3, focuses on you, and building your component skills to

improve your abilities in various ways that will help

you be a more effective trainer and facilitator.

Part 2, volumes 4 and 5, focuses on the

fundamen-tals of instructional design: learning

principles (how people learn), teaching methods

(the “best” way to teach under your particular

circumstances), cur-riculum design (how to

design courses and class materials) and, finally,

how you can teach the Pre-service Volunteer

Training (PSVT) curriculum or anything else you

might be called upon to teach.

Each chapter in this workbook also includes activ-

ities to help get you thinking about how you can

apply this material to your particular needs. You will

also find resources in each chapter to help you take

a “deeper dive” into the material should you wish

to learn more.

Each chapter in this workbook answers one of the above questions. More importantly, each chapter helps you develop your skills and abilities as a trainer and facilitator.

Throughout this course we will be using lots of terms

you’re probably already familiar with, but to avoid con-

fusion, here’s how we define those terms and how we

will be using them throughout this workbook:

Training: In this course, we use this term in the

broadest possible sense to refer to any sort of edu-

cational intervention that serves to build or change a

person’s knowledge, skills, abilities or attitudes. It is the

umbrella term we will be using to encompass the more

specific training-related terms below.

Facilitation: Though it is often used as a syn-

onym for training, here we use this term to describe

specific situations where you are working to lead a per-

son or group to a particular goal related to a shift in

attitude, building consensus, etc.

Instruction: We use this term to describe situa-

tions in which you are helping a person or group learn

how to perform a particular task or process, such as

how to write a court report or how to properly fill out

a form.

Presentation: We use the term presentation

(and occasionally, lecture) to refer to situations where

information is being shared both verbally and visually

with an audience in a mostly one-way flow intended to

build knowledge.

Learner: Because this course takes a learner-cen-

tered approach to training, rather than refer to them

as students or participants, we refer to the people in

your classroom as learners.

5

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

Whether you’re a veteran trainer or you’ve never taught

a day in your life, it’s safe to assume that you’re reading

this because you want or need to develop or improve

your skills as a trainer.

There are a number of related, component skills (com-

petencies) that every trainer needs to develop and even-

tually master in order to become an effective trainer.

To assist you in that process, the materials in this course

are based on an approach to teaching and learning

known as competency-based learning1.

Rather than focusing exclusively on how to teach the

materials in the National CASA pre-service volunteer

training curriculum2 (because we all know that your

job as a trainer consists of much more than just the

first 30 hours of volunteer training), this course will

help you develop the skills required to teach just about

any subject.

In other words, if you think of training like a puzzle full

of interlocking pieces, we want to start by breaking the

puzzle apart and focusing on each individual piece

before putting the puzzle back together and working on

the whole picture.

So, what are the pieces of the puzzle?

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competency-based_learning

2 http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5466267/k.A2B7/Training_Staff_Volunteers.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competency-based_learning

6

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A TRAINER?

Trainers wear lots of hats, and regardless of your job title

or other responsibilities, you’re probably going to need

to tap into most or all of the different skills discussed

in this course whenever you’re training a group to help

them develop new skills, facilitating a group process or

discussion or giving a presentation to help raise aware-

ness or inform an audience about a particular topic.

CommunicatorListening, speaking and writing are all important parts

of our day-to-day work and everything else we do. Our

work is also collaborative by nature. Good communi-

cation is critical to our success.

FacilitatorFacilitation is the art of guiding a group of people to

a desired result. Training, meetings, discussions and

more all require a skilled facilitator to help us get

where we want to go.

Public SpeakerWhether you’re a trainer, recruiter, fundraiser or all of

the above, public speaking is one of the most critical

skills in your toolkit. It’s also one that people feel the

greatest amount of nervousness about.

PresenterMuch of the training work we do comes in the form of

giving presentations. Learning what makes a presen-

tation great and knowing how to put best practices to

use will help make you a more effective trainer.

Body LanguageCommunication is a critical part of what we do, and non-verbal communication (body language)

is as important as speaking, writing and all the

other forms of communication we engage in.

DesignerWe design both instructional materials and learning

experiences. At the heart of learning is the confluence

of objectives, activities and assessments. Good design

helps us ensure all three work together to create a suc-

cessful learning experience.

GuideIn addition to being trainers, we are also consultants,

mentors, coaches and assistants. Helping our learners

learn - guiding them through the process - is one of

our most critical roles.

Regardless of your job title, you’re probably called upon to wear lots of different hats.

7

Project ManagerWhether you’re teaching a 30-minute info session or

30 hours of pre-service training; planning, coordinat-

ing and managing all the variables is crucial if we want

to ensure we achieve our objectives and our learners

can do what we need them to do.

EvaluatorRegular and periodic review of content and materials,

and also of ourselves and our learners, helps us make

sure we’re making the best use of our time and our

learners’ time. Evaluation is as critical for us as it is for

our learners.

RelationshipsGiven the deep emotional investment involved in the work

we do, all of us must be skilled at building and maintain-

ing relationships with volunteers, staff and others.

We will cover these ten topics in different ways through-

out the chapters in this course - in most cases explic-

itly, in some cases, indirectly.

As with the wearing of many hats and the ten exam-

ples above, the approach of this course is to provide

you with multiple routes through the material and with

multiple ways to learn the information you need to

help you become the best trainer you can be.

Take a moment to consider

the following:

Of the ten topics listed in this section, which of them do you feel are your greatest strengths as a trainer and facilitator? Write down all that apply, and feel free to add any additional strengths you have:

Now, which of those ten topics do you think are areas where you can improve? What specific areas would you like to focus on to help you become a better trainer? Take a moment and write down whatever comes to mind:

Communicator

Facilitator

Public Speaker

PresenterBody Language

Designer

Guide

Project

Manager EvaluatorRelationships

Facilitation & Training

8

design, etc.). It’s also intended to give those trainers

who may not have any formal pedagogical educa-

tion a better understanding of how to develop

courses and materials, and also why certain

methods and approaches are more appropriate than

others for different audiences and at different times.

Simply put, we hope this

will help fill in the gaps.

TEACHING VERSUS LEARNING

To draw you must first learn to see.

When people are taught to draw or paint, the most

important skill they develop isn’t pencil or brush tech-

niques, nor is it color theory or anything else. The most

important skill they learn is how to see.

Drawing and painting isn’t so much about what your

hand does or even about what your mind thinks. It’s

about what your eyes see. And training your eyes to

see, learning how to observe the world around you,

is the first and most fundamental skill all artists must

learn, whether they realize it or not.

A similar principle applies to the work of trainers and

facilitators. To teach others, we must first forget what

we think we know. We must first learn how to learn.

All too often, however, people are chosen to facilitate

or train not because they understand learning, are a

“good teacher” or have a background in education,

but because they’re an expert in the particular field or

subject that’s being taught.

BLENDED LEARNING

This manual, as well as the associated in-person

and e-learning courses, comprise a 3-part approach

known as blended learning. Instead of the traditional,

one-time in-person training, after which you’re set

free to either sink or swim, Texas CASA is

endeavoring to create a more holistic approach to

training that gives you the training materials and

support you need when you need them.

Each of the three components of this blended-learning

course (manual, e-learning, in-person training) can be

used on its own to help you develop a basic, begin-

ner-level understanding and set of skills, or (and this

is our recommendation) all three can be combined to

help you develop an intermediate to advanced level of

knowledge and skill.

This approach also offers you a variety of ways to

absorb the material and a longer period of time to

integrate it into your work.

TRAINING ISABOUT ADDING VALUE

One of the reasons Texas CASA developed this course

and all the materials that accompany it is because we

realized that there is a gap between what was being

provided and what local CASA programs need. We

realized that both National and Texas CASA were

providing programs with some information and the

necessary resources to teach the pre-service volunteer

training curriculum, but many trainers at these pro-

grams told us over and over again that they needed

more: they needed to know how to actually use those

resources in the classroom, and they also needed to

know how to develop training sessions and resources

beyond pre-service training.

This book, and all the other materials that make up this

course, is not intended as a replacement to pre-ser-

vice training curriculum or anything else. Instead, it is

intended to work side-by-side with it, as a supplement,

to help trainers at local CASA programs develop some

of the skills that every trainer needs but which are

often taken for granted (public speaking, curriculum

It’s impossible to “teach” something to someone

unless we first understand what learning is and how learning works.

9

Being an expert is by no means a bad thing, but just

because I’m an expert on a particular subject does

not mean I know how to teach that subject to some-

one else. In fact, it’s more likely that because I’m an

expert, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a novice and

will overwhelm the learners in my class with too much

information.

To avoid this, we must return to what’s called the

“beginner’s mind.” We must remember what it’s like

to know little or nothing at all about a subject, because

only then will we be prepared to teach someone in a

similar situation.

REALITY

Whether or not you agree with the philosophical perspective above, here’s a dose of reality that we can all relate to

from personal experience:

A teacher standing and lecturing before a group of students is a form of human interaction that stretches

back at least a millennium and a half.

The roles are clear: the teacher with the knowledge tells the students who lack it everything they need to know.

The teacher projects, the students absorb. The teacher speaks, the students listen.

But just because it’s been that way for a long time doesn’t mean it’s the best way to teach.

Source: http://radioboston.wbur.org/2014/06/02/are-lectures-on-the-way-out

Or as Master Yoda famously put it:

But what is the “best” way to teach?

And, what does it mean to be a “good” trainer?

More importantly, how is this material going to help you in your job?

You must unlearn

what you have learned.

10

What it means to be “good” at anything is somewhat

subjective… but good in this case means focusing on

the needs of your learners (learner-centered) rather

than (primarily) on your own needs or the organiza-

tion’s needs. It also means continuously improving

your skills and knowledge in the various skill sets that

every teacher, trainer, facilitator or instructor needs

(e.g., public speaking, lesson planning, etc.).

Finally, it means mastering the art of training and facil-

itation such that you have the tools necessary to quickly

become “expert enough” to teach virtually any subject

to an audience of beginners, and have the skills to

build your knowledge enough to eventually teach that

same subject to even an advanced-level class.

Cold Hard Truth

Whether they realize it or not, most people who train

adults do so in a way that is reminiscent of our school

or college days. Although we were often bored or con-

fused by our teachers and professors back then,

we as trainers and instructors tend to repeat the

same practices we hated in others.

Whether we realize it or not, 12 or more years of edu-

cation has taught many of us to teach in a particular

way. Unfortunately, it’s not usually the BEST way. It also

makes learning harder for your students, not easier.

How Can We Make Learning Easier?This book aims to help you better understand what

learning really is so you can create a more effective,

“easier” learning environment whether your “stu-

dents” are volunteers, CASA staff, board members or

anyone else.

As a trainer, regardless of the subject you’re teach-

ing, the fundamental principles of learning can help you (and your learners) get the most out of any learning experience.

Those fundamental learning principles and how to

apply them are the primary focus of what will be cov-

ered in this book. In addition to that, we will also spend

some time helping you develop or improve your skills

in some areas that often go ignored in “teacher train-

ing” classes, namely, the importance of non-verbal

communication and public speaking, and the differ-

ence between presenting, facilitating and instructing

and what the best practices are in all three cases.

And finally, we’ll tie it all together by giving you some

actionable advice to help you make the most of your

time training future volunteers or anyone else.

WHAT IS LEARNING?

This will be explored in much more depth in chapter 6.

But for the time being, let’s stick with a simple definition.

Learning Is Change

Learning is the process by which people change (and

increase) their basic knowledge and skills, change their

behaviors and change their attitudes. Whether you’re

training, instructing, teaching or facilitating, your pri-

mary responsibility is to help other people learn, to

help them change. That’s what “teaching” is.

Learning results from

what the student does

and thinks and only

from what the student

does and thinks. The

teacher can advance

learning only by

influencing what the

student does to learn.

– Herbert Simon, one of the foundersof the field of Cognitive Science,Nobel Laureate, and UniversityProfessor (deceased) atCarnegie Mellon University

11

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TEACH?

The truth is, it depends.

Based on the definition we just saw and which we

will explore in more detail in chapter 6, the best thing

you can do for your learners is to stop thinking about

“what they need to learn” and start thinking instead

about “what needs to change.”

To help you develop training classes and materials

to encourage that change, there are literally dozens

of different theories, models and frameworks that

address how people learn and help guide trainers and

facilitators in deciding the “best” way to teach. We will

explore this in much more depth in chapter 7.

For now, keep this in mind: there is no one “right” or

“best” way.

How YOU should teach depends on three things:

1. Who you are

2. What you’re teaching

3. Who you’re teaching it to

ARE YOU TRAINING OR FACILITATING?

Regardless of your title or your job description, the truth

is that at different times, you’ll be training (some folks

also use the term instructing), at other times, you’ll be

presenting (or lecturing), and in other situations you’ll

be facilitating. In many, if not most, training situations,

you’ll be doing a combination of the three.

One of the important distinctions we’ll explore

throughout this course is the difference between training,

presentations and facilitation.

Facilitation: When you’re leading a meeting, help-

ing guide a group discussion, building consensus

among members of a group, etc.

Presenting: What you do when you want to share

information with people. Basically, it’s when you’re “on

stage” talking TO (and hopefully not AT) your audience.

It’s mostly a one-way form of information exchange

where the audience is listening and you’re talking.

Education is not the

filling of a pail, but

the lighting of a fire.− William Butler Yeats

12

Training (Instructing): When your learners spend

most of their time engaged in some sort of learning

activity. This could be group discussion, hands-on or

experiential activities, etc.

There are also three general types of information and

learning that volunteers are exposed to during pre-ser-

vice training.

1. Knowledge

2. Skills

3. Attitudes

These three terms can be defined in a few different

ways and they are NOT mutually exclusive, but for

the sake of simplicity, for now, let’s relate these three

things to the three things we mentioned earlier.

Knowledge: Basically means adding new information

to your brain. Knowledge can be gained in lots of ways,

but in a learning environment such as PSVT, one of the

ways you’re most likely to help your volunteers acquire

new knowledge is going to be through presentations.

Skills: Things that have to be practiced so that some-

one can develop from beginner to intermediate to

advanced. This could be anything from writing a court

report to communicating with people from different cul-

tural backgrounds. To develop skills, training is the ideal

mechanism because it gives people an opportunity to

try things out and get immediate feedback from the

trainer and from other learners and then try it again.

Attitudes: These are a little trickier because help-

ing people develop new attitudes or change their

“old” attitudes often takes a mixture of all 3, but it’s

mostly a matter of facilitation. Changing someone’s

attitudes about things requires that person go on a

sort of journey. No one can force you to have one atti-

tude or another. But a good facilitator can help guide

someone on a journey that MAY result in a new set of

attitudes and ideas.

To be an effective CASA volunteer, your trainees need to

acquire new knowledge, new skills, and new attitudes.

To help them do that, in your role as a trainer for your

CASA program, you will alternately work as a facilita-

tor, a presenter, and as a trainer. And in many cases,

all three at once.

Seems like a lot, doesn’t it? Don’t worry. The whole

purpose of this course is to help you develop some of

the specific skills necessary to help you become more

confident and more comfortable in all three roles.

Type of

LearningType of

Instruction

Trainer’s

Role

Knowledge Presentation Lecturer

Skills Training Coach

Attitudes Facilitation Guide

These are not mutually exclusive categories.

Frequently, all three of the above are happening in

some combination or at the same time. Many training

sessions might begin with a brief lecture to cover the

basic information (presentation to build basic knowl-

edge) followed by targeted training to practice and

reinforce fundamental skills, followed by a facilitated

discussion or debrief to build or reinforce the devel-

opment of attitudes and ways of thinking about the

material.

The important point in distinguishing one from the

other is that the most effective educational strategies

will vary from one to the other. In other words, the

“best” way to “teach” depends as much on what’s

being taught as it does on the method being used to

teach it.

13

NEXT STEPS

The remaining chapters in this workbook will dig

deeper into many of the things we’ve only hinted at

in this chapter. In addition to focusing on building

your individual component skills, each chapter is also

designed as a learning experience in itself.

Just like this introductory chapter does, each chapter

will contain a variety of activities to get you involved

and thinking about how you can make use of this

material. Each chapter will also contain numerous

links to additional print and digital resources so that

you can take a deeper dive and continue building your

own skills. Lastly, each chapter will contain a short

quiz to help you assess your own understanding of the

materials covered.

Once you’ve completed this workbook, Texas CASA rec-

ommends you enroll in the online course of the same

name and then attend the in-person course to help con-

tinue building this skills we’ll begin covering here.

Good luck!

15

MASTERING THE ART OF TRAINING & FACILITATION

CONTENTS

What Is Facilitation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

What Does A Facilitator Do?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Are You Training Or Facilitating? . . . . . . . . . . 17

Why Do You Care? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

How Can You Improve Your Skills? . . . . . . . . 18

Step 1. Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Step 2. Prepare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Step 3. Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Personal Action Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Beyond The Basics Of Facilitation . . . . . . . . . 26

10 Tips For Better Facilitation . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Handouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Where we see how rearranging the

seating in a room can help ensure a

successful class discussion.

By the end of this chapter, you will

also know how to:

Identify strategies to help create a clear, realistic

and achievable goal.

Choose an appropriate process

to help achieve your goal.

Identify strategies to help design a realistic and effective agenda.

Identify strategies to help guide and control the event to ensure

a successful outcome.

CHAPTER 2: FACILITATION

16

A facilitator is a guide. And like a tour guide or any

other sort of guide, as a facilitator you need to call on a

wide range of skills and tools, from problem solving and

decision making, to team management and communi-

cation. In lots of situations – especially in group discus-

sions where people may have different views, interests

and backgrounds – good facilitation (a good guide) can

make the difference between success and failure.

WHAT IS FACILITATION?

Facilitation is an art. It’s the art of guiding but not

leading, of encouraging learning but not lecturing,

of engaging but not directing. Coming from the Latin

facilitar, meaning, “to make easy,” the role of a facili-

tator is not to do for others, but to bring out the abili-

ties of a group of people to accomplish a specific goal.

A facilitator is a guide. The facilitator is there to guide

the group (whatever the group size) toward the desired

result. This chapter is about helping you develop some of

the fundamental skills necessary to help you do just that.

WHAT DOES A

FACILITATOR DO?

What a facilitator does is plan, guide and then man-

age a group event (e.g., discussion, training, meet-

ing, etc.) to ensure that the group’s objectives are met

effectively, with clear expectations, full participation

and everybody’s buy-in.

Effective facilitation requires objectivity. Guiding the

group in this process often requires the facilitator to

remove his or her own ego from the equation. This

doesn’t mean you’re an outsider, but it does usually

mean you’ll need to remain neutral on most issues

and allow the group to work through the process.

Regardless of what hat you wear or what your job title is, when it’s time to “do training” one of the most important things you’ll do and one of the most important skills you’ll need is facilitation.

The secret of effective facilitation is a group process

that flows. This means creating an environment and a

process that will allow the group’s ideas, solutions and

decisions to develop and progress naturally, organi-

cally, from beginning to end.

Your key responsibility as a facilitator is to create this

group process and a safe, inclusive environment in

which it can flourish, and so help the group reach a

successful conclusion.

No man can reveal to you

aught but that which already

lies half asleep in the

dawning of your knowledge.

The teacher who walks in the

shadow of the temple, among

his followers, gives not of his

wisdom but rather of his faith

and his lovingness.

If he is indeed wise he does

not bid you enter the house

of his wisdom, but rather

leads you to the threshold

of your own mind. — Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

17

ARE YOU TRAINING OR FACILITATING?

Facilitation and training are NOT the same thing.

While they have a lot in common and some of the skills

required are the same between the two, there are also

major differences.

However, because of the nature of the work that we

do and that CASA volunteers do, we have to wear lots

of hats. This means we all, trainers, facilitators, vol-

unteers and everyone else, must develop a variety of

interrelated skills and abilities as well as the knowledge

and wisdom required to know when to apply one set of

skills or another. This applies to your role as a facilitator

as much as it does to anything else we do.

Regardless of your title or your job description, the

truth is that sometimes you’ll be training, instructing or

presenting. At other times you’ll be facilitating. Most of

the time, you’ll be doing a little of everything. As you

may recall from the previous chapter, what hat you

wear will depend on what type of learning outcomes

you hope to achieve (knowledge, skills, and attitudes).

The difference between training and facilitation isn’t

always clear cut, but generally, if you’re showing some-

one how to do something or coaching them in the pro-

cess of developing specific skills, you’re training. On the

other hand, if your goal is some sort of shift in attitude,

or to develop group consensus, you’re facilitating.

Before we move on, take a moment to reflect on your past experiences as a facilitator. When you’re facilitating a discussion or a training session, what do you feel you do well? Where do you feel there is room for improvement?

Write down whatever comes to mind and we’ll come back to this information later on.

Things I do well:

Things I would like to do better:

18

WHY DO YOU CARE?

What difference does it make if you’re training, facilitating, lecturing or anything else?

Some of the issues that CASA volunteers deal with,

such as cross cultural communication, poverty, drug

abuse and so much more, require a number of different

“soft skills”, and facilitation is definitely one of them.

If for no other reason, you need to know what it means

to be a good facilitator so that you can teach your

volun-teers how to be better facilitators themselves.

The skills we focus on in this chapter are

transferable skills. That means, not only will they

help you become better at training your volunteers

(or anybody for that matter), but you can also teach

these same skills to your volunteers to help them get

the most out of situations where they need to

facilitate (e.g. family meetings and discussions,

building rapport with the child(ren) they serve,

building consensus among dif-ferent agency

employees, etc.).

HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS?

Facilitation takes a lot of mental effort. It can be

hard to think about and contribute content while

facilitat-ing. The facilitator is not only responsible for

planning sessions but also for guiding the group

process from beginning to end.

Once you have a clear idea of the group’s goal, you

can begin preparing for the event. Your job is to choose

(or design) the right group process and develop an

effective agenda to help you reach that goal.

Whatever type of session, discussion or process you’re

facilitating, there are three main steps you can follow to

help ensure you get where you want to go:

1. Plan: “A goal without a plan is just a wish” – Before

you begin facilitating, it’s crucial that you know what

you want to get out of it and what you want your

participants to get out of it. You have to have a goal.

And you have to have an agenda designed to help

you achieve that goal.

2. Prepare: Nothing should be taken for granted and

nothing should be left to chance. Know your audi-

ence, know what types of materials and resources

you’ll need and make sure you have them, know the

technology you’ll need to use, etc.

3. Guide: Getting people to the outcome you intend

can be tricky, so you’ll usually have to guide people

in that direction, carefully and compassionately but

remaining in control of the situation the entire time.

Ask questions that prompt discussion but make sure

things don’t go “off the rails”, make sure everyone is

participating, even the introverts, etc.

STEP 1. PLAN

What Is The Goal For The Session Or Group Discussion That You Are Facilitating?

Goals define exactly what you hope to accomplish. Using

the S.M.A.R.T. goal concept will help you define your

goals. The goal of your session should be:

PECIFIC: concise and easy for everyone to u

nderstand

EASURABLE: something that can be observed

or demonstrated

UDIENCE-APPROPRIATE: based on who the

learners are and appropriate to their needs, not yours

EALISTIC: targeted at solving specific problems

which you’ve already identified

IME-BOUND: limited in time and scope so that

they can be achieved during your session

Always keep the goal in

mind while planning. And

make sure that you (and

your learners) know

explicitly how each

individual session or

topic contributes to the

goal of the overall event.

19

Do You Want An Open Discussion, Or A Structured Process?Depending on your goal, a well-facilitated open discus-

sion may be the simplest option for your group. How-

ever, without careful planning and structure, open dis-

cussions can easily get off topic. So, ask yourself whether

you’ll be able to manage the discussion and get the

participation you want. The more people involved, and

the more controversial the topic, the more challenging

this can be. Can you cover all the topics you want to in

the time allotted? Will you have time to get everyone

involved and get their contributions?

What Structured Process Should You Choose?Typically, the larger the group, the more structure you

need to achieve positive results. If you need to accom-

modate participation from a large group, consider

smaller “break out” discussion groups. Are you con-

cerned about getting enough participation? Then give

people time in the agenda to think about and write

down the things they want to contribute. If you want

to get ideas flowing, consider including some sort of

brainstorming session.

World Café is a great example of a compromise between

open discussion and structured process that is a great

tool you can use to help facilitate large group discussions.

For a detailed explanation of World Café, including instructions for how you can incorporate it into your

next training session, refer to the Handouts section of this workbook.

DESIGNING A REALISTIC AGENDA

Do you really need an agenda? Absolutely!

If your goal is the destination, your agenda is the map

you’ll follow to help you get there.

Designing your agenda is a critical part of planning your

session and goes hand in hand with defining your goal

and deciding which process will be most effective for you

and your group. Often, you’ll design the process and the

agenda at the same time, and as you iterate between

process and agenda, the event will start to take shape.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

− Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Here’s an example goal: “The goal of this 2-hour course is to help novice computer users learn how to communicate more effectively by writing clear and concise emails.”

Let’s analyze this goal based on the 5 previous

criteria. Answer yes or no to the following

questions (circle your answer):

Is this goal easy for everyone to understand? Is

it specific? Yes No

After the course, can it be observed or demon-

strated? Is it measurable? Yes No

Is it based on the needs of your audience? Is it

audience-appropriate? Yes No

Is it targeted at solving specific problems? Is it realistic? Yes No

Can it be achieved in the allotted time? Is it

time-bound? Yes No

Can you think of anything you could add or

change to make this goal better? Write down

whatever comes to mind:

Things I would like to do better:

20

By the end of the design and planning stage, you should

have a detailed agenda, which focuses on outcomes,

and provides a good flow and structure for the event.

STEP 2. PREPARE

Remember the Boy Scouts motto? Be prepared!

You won’t be able to control some factors. Murphy’s

Law is real, after all. However, with careful preparation

and prior consideration of what you’re trying to accom-

plish, you may be able to change some constraints to

make the most of the time you have and prevent prob-

lems before they arise. As part of this, consider:

• The number of learners

• The nature of the topics being discussed

• The type of involvement you want from learners

• The background and position of each learner

• How well they know the subject – and each other

• The time you have available

Remember, whatever process you choose to follow, stay focused on outcomes.

Information and Materials – What do participants

needs to know or do BEFORE the event? How will this

be provided to them?

Room Arrangements – What room setup will best

encourage participation? Are separate rooms needed

for break-out groups?

The Importance of Room Arrangement

As a facilitator, one of your responsibilities is to create

an environment that will foster communication and

learning, help your learners feel comfortable sharing

information and ideas, and help you and the group

achieve your goals.

One critical aspect of creating a positive, comfortable

learning environment is the room and the way it’s

arranged. You may or may not have much control of

this, but it’s good to know the relative advantages

and disadvantages of different styles of room layout.

When planning your agenda, ask yourself the following questions:

• In what order should topics be presented?

• Do your learnersalready know eachother?

• If not, how will they getto know each other?

• How will they gain acommon understanding ofthe objectives?

• How much time should be allotted to each topic or question?

• Will each learner be involved in each session and to the same extent?

• Will sessions consist of one large group? Or will there be smaller, break-out sessions?

• How will break-outs report back to the larger group?

• When will you recap and summarize?

• How will the outcomes of one session flow into the next?

• How will you achieve closure of the overall event?

• What about next steps?

21

Description Advantages Disadvantages

Classroom The traditional setup we’re all familiar with from school.

Good for lectures and pre-sentations where the speak-er is the one doing all or most of the talking.

Also great when the audi-ence must take notes or for computer-based training.

Can be difficult for everyone to see the speaker, presen-tation.

Does not encourage group work or discussions.

Theater As the name implies, simu-lates the setup of a theatre or auditorium.

This set up allows the most people for a given size of room.

Good for very large groups, i.e., 100 or more people.

Great for seminars and conferences.

Communication tends to be one-way and does not allow for much interaction.

Not good if participants need to take notes or for any sort of group interaction.

Chevron Also known as “caba-ret-style” or “clusters” allows for medium to large num-bers of people divided into groups of 6 – 10.

Good for workshops where each group will work inde-pendently from others.

Encourages mixing and allows trainer to easily circu-late throughout the room.

Some participants will have poor visibility.

May encourage lack of attention.

Often requires addition of co-facilitators to manage group work and interactions.

Boardroom The traditional setup for board or committee meet-ings.

Typically reserved for meetings, not training or facilitation.

Good for small groups of peers who will spend most of their time talking.

Good for seeing and in-teracting with others and sharing resources.

Not good for groups of 10 or more.

Encourages hierarchical seating (and thinking).

No “front” makes presenting difficult.

U-Shaped Open at one end the U or horseshoe shape allows for groups of up to 50 people to all see each other and presenters.

Preferred by many trainers as it allows eye contact with all and greater intimacy with participants.

Encourages participation in group discussions.

Optimal for presentations and demonstrations.

Discourages “hierarchy positions.”

Limited to small or medi-um-sized groups.

Those seated closest to the presenter or screen must turn to be able to see.

Circle of Chairs The open circle of chairs can be arranged in any shape (square, rectangle, etc.) and precludes the use of tables.

Excellent for group discus-sion with up to 50 people.

Doesn’t allow a place to “hide” and encourages interaction and discussion.

Makes note taking difficult.

Limited to small or medi-um-sized groups.

22

Supplies – What supplies or props do you need? Pens,

flip charts, etc. are just the beginning. Make sure you

have everything you need for the agenda and process

you’ve planned BEFORE you get into the room. And

especially if you’re using technology, like a projector

or the internet, make sure you have a backup plan,

just in case.

• Check the Room: Take a close look at and actually walk through the room where your ses-

sion will take place.

• Know Your Audience: Learn as much as you can about who your learners are beforehand. Send pre-class surveys or questionnaires to gauge things like previous experience, needs, anxieties, etc.

• Check the Technology: Make sure all techni-

cal equipment you’ll use works correctly and that YOU know how to make it do what you need it to. For example, make sure you know how to turn on the laptop and open your PowerPoint slideshow.

• Check the Temperature: Make sure you know how to adjust the thermostat.

• Don’t Be Late: Arrive at least 30-45 minutes early on the day of your class. Make sure you have time to set up without being stressed. If you are, your learners will know it and feel it right away.

• Practice Ahead of Time: Rehearse your ses-

sion in the room where you’ll be teaching; prac-

tice the first 5-10 minutes of your class out loud.

• Have a Backup Plan: If technology fails, what then?

For a more detailed checklist, including suggestions for

how to handle situations when you’re co-facilitating, refer

to the Facilitator’s Checklist in the Handouts section.

STEP 3. GUIDE

Once you’ve planned the session and have a clear

agenda on paper, it’s time to think about how you’ll

guide and control the event. There’s still some plan-

ning and preparation to do for this, and then, of

course, there’s the event itself.

The final stage of planning and preparation is to think

about how you want to guide and control things as

they occur during your event. This is where you pre-

pare the ground rules for the event, polish your facil-

itation and presenting skills and also consider some

“what if” scenarios: What if there’s a major disagree-

ment? What if people just aren’t “getting it”? What if

the air conditioning breaks down?

At the event itself, as the facilitator, you set the tone

and ensure that everyone knows what the ground rules

and expected outcomes are. By doing this explicitly,

you help everyone stay focused on the task at hand

and increase the chances of a positive outcome.

Things you’ll need to do:

• Establish the Ground Rules: What rules should everyone follow? How should people inter-

act? How will you ensure that learners respect one another? How will questions be handled?

You should prepare some basic ground rules in advance, things everyone will be able to agree on,

like turning off cell phones. Then, at the begin-ning

of your event, take some time to develop “mutually established goals” with the entire group. This gives them a chance to contribute right from the beginning and since they had input into mak-

ing the rules, they have some “skin in the game” to make sure they all follow them throughout.

• Clarify the Expectations: Make sure you explain upfront exactly what the agenda for each session is and what the objectives are, so that everyone is on the same page, knows what to expect and knows what will be expected of them. Note that this is different from the “mutually established goals” we just discussed. In this case, you’re explaining the actual learning objectives to your learners. This will be explored further in chapters 6 and 7.

• Get Things Flowing and Set the Tone: To get things off to a positive start, make sure everyone has a chance to introduce themselves (or reintroduce themselves) to others in the group. One way to do this is to include a variety of ice breakers throughout, not just in the first session. If people already know each other, try something else, another ice breaker or quick activity, to get them interacting with each other in a positive, constructive way.

23

• Monitor Time and Summarize: Stay in control of the agenda, and repeatedly let people know what they’ve achieved so far by summarizing often. If things begin running behind schedule, you may want to reassess the agenda and make changes to it.

• Intervene Only When Necessary: Sooner or later, you’ll need to intervene. Someone is domi-

nating the conversation, or things are getting

over-heated. Be sure you’re prepared for this.

Rehearse when and how you’ll handle these

situations. Given the material being covered in

pre-service training, for example, often you’ll

know in advance when a topic is likely to be

controversial or when some form of intervention

is required, so make sure you have a plan for how

to respond to this before your event even begins.

To be an effective facilitator you must know when to

take a leadership role, and when to be neutral and

take a back seat. This can be a very difficult balance to

maintain. The key to managing this balance is to plan

and guide your event carefully and remain focused on

the group and its goals and objectives rather than on

specific content or opinions.

For more information, including tips to help you guide and facilitate group discussions, refer to Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching1.

Remember, like we said at the beginning of the chapter,

facilitation is an art. And, more than anything else, a

facilitator is a guide. Mastering that art takes practice,

and for most of us, lots and lots of practice. But these

tips, as well as those that follow, should help you plan,

prepare and get off to a good start.

True teachers are those who

use themselves as bridges

over which they invite their

students to cross; then, having

facilitated their crossing,

joyfully collapse, encouraging

them to create their own.− Nikos Kazantzakis

When energy is flagging, you need a change of pace or simply

need a way to transition from one activity to another,

consider the following activities:

Stand and Stretch

Encourage the entire group to stand up, stretch and reach as high as they can, stamp their feet,

anything to get them moving for a few seconds and get some blood flowing.

What’s on Your Mind?Ask the entire group to stand up and one-by-one ask each person to say one word that sums up what they’ve learned and/or how they’re feeling.

Six Silly Seconds

Invite everyone to stand, pick a partner and do something silly for six seconds: high fives, jazz hands, make silly faces, etc.

In every case, you’ve probably already noticed, the point is to get people up, get them doing something different, give their brains a chance to rest and get some blood flowing. For more activities to try out, refer to the Handouts section.

• Monitor and Maintain the Energy Level: As the facilitator, it’s your job to make sure learn-

ers stay focused and engaged. If you notice that energy levels are dropping or that learners aren’t engaged, it may be time to take a break or to try something different to re-energize the group.

• Talk Less, Listen More: As a facilitator, it’s critical that you remain neutral on issues being discussed. But you also need to stay alert, listen actively, and remain interested and engaged. This not only sets a good example for your learners but it also means you are always ready to intervene if things get off track. Is everyone engaged? If not, how can you intervene to bring them in?

1 https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/discussions/

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/discussions/

24

PERSONAL ACTION PLAN

Now that you’ve read through the materials in this chapter, take a few minutes to reflect and think about how you can apply it in your work.

What are some things you will do to ensure that you have a clearly defined goal the next time you facilitate?

What strategies will you use to help you design a realistic and effective agenda?

What are some things you will try out the next time you facilitate to help you guide and control the event?

25

NOTES

26

BEYOND THE BASICS OF FACILITATION

Adapted from “Instructional Design that Soars”

by Guila Muir (more information is available in the

Resources section).

Be Prepared for Turbulence

Given the emotionally charged nature of many of the

things we deal with as CASA staff and volunteers, sooner

or later, you’re going to encounter turbulence (difficult

situations) of one form or another: a participant who’s

resistant or non-responsive, technological or logistical

issues, a dominating (or domineering) speaker, or

even (rarely) open hostility. To combat this, prepare

yourself mentally, emotionally and physically to deal

with turbulence before it occurs.

Make sure you:

• Know your content. Be prepared, not only for

questions but for challenges.

• Follow the checklist above and make sure the

training environment is prepared.

• Rehearse! Out loud! You may feel silly speaking

to an empty room, but practice really does make

perfect. So, practice your content before you get

into the classroom.

• Focus on transforming nervousness into excitement.

• Have a backup plan. Have a few alternative

activities you could substitute, just in case.

• Get a good night’s sleep and make sure you get

enough to eat and drink before your class.

• Don’t take things personally. It’s not about you. If

trouble arises, fix the problem and move on.

For more in-depth information, especially regarding how to handle difficult group discussions or “hot button” issues, refer to Vanderbilt University’s Center

for Teaching 2. And for suggestions regarding how to handle difficult individuals, refer to the Handouts

section.

Setting Clear Expectations

One of the most common problems in just about any

communication scenario is misunderstanding caused

by unclear expectations. We’re all human, and all of

us at one time or another has made the mistake of

assuming that what we want is clear and obvious to

other people without us explaining it or even stating it

outright. Just because something might seem clear to

me, however, doesn’t mean it is to someone else.

One of the best ways to achieve your expectations is to

make sure other people know and understand exactly

what those expectations are. Your expectations in the

classroom are probably not that different from what

you’d expect in any business meeting. But that doesn’t

mean you should take them for granted or expect

other people to “just know” what they are without

stating them clearly and explicitly.

Whatever type of session (or class) you’re facilitating,

your expectations might involve:

• Use of cell phones and other electronic devices

• How and when you wish to deal with questions

and comments

• Participant involvement during the session

• Timing of breaks

• What actionable steps you expect to take or

decision you expect to make with the group

State your expectations clearly, and ask for participants’

questions before moving on. It’s also a good idea to

have them on display (on a flip chart, for example)

so they’re easy to return to as needed for clarification

during your session.

2 https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/difficult-dialogues/

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/difficult-dialogues/

27

For more information regarding ground rules and

expectations, refer to the Handouts section.

Listening and Asking Questions

Listening can be defined as making meaning from

sound. And listening may be the single most important

skill that we as CASA staff, and especially

CASA volunteers, need in order to be successful.

So, why don’t we teach people to become better listeners?

We hear with our ears, but we listen with our hearts

and our minds. As a facilitator, listening is one of

the many ways that you can display respect and

consideration for the people in your classroom. And

as a facilitator, you not only need to listen to and pay

close attention to what people say, but you also need

to listen carefully so you understand what they mean.

Additionally, you need to listen to what they’re

not saying because, often, this can tell you as

much, or even more, than what they do say.

Sometimes, without us even realizing it, certain things

influence our ability to listen, such as:

• Culture

• Language

• Values

• Beliefs

• Attitudes

• Expectations

• Intentions

To illustrate the influence that these filters have on our

ability to listen and really hear what someone else is

saying, consider this:

When was the last time you heard someone say, “That’s not what I meant.”?

Often, miscommunications of this sort are caused simply

because the person speaking didn’t clearly communicate

his or her intentions or ideas. But just as often, maybe

even more so, it's because when we listen, we filter

information through the prism of our own culture, values,

intentions and so on. In essence, we make assumptions

about what we THINK the other person means based on

our own cultural and other filters.

If you want to learn more about listening, check out

some of the great free resources available on YouTube:

Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better3

Playlist (9TED Talks): Talks to help you be a better listener4

So, what can we do to become better listeners?

R.A.S.A. is an acronym (and a series of steps) that can help you practice and improve your listening skills.

• Receive – Pay attention tothe person you’re listening to.

• Appreciate – Show that you are listening by nodding your head, making eye contact, making small noises (“Oh, ok…”, “I see…”, etc.).

• Summarize – Restate to make sure you’ve understood (“So, what I hear you saying is…”).

• Ask – Ask clarifying questions after the person is done speaking.

3https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSohjlYQI2A

4https://www.ted.com/playlists/92/listen_up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSohjlYQI2A


https://www.ted.com/playlists/92/listen_up

28

The Parking Lot

The Parking Lot is a great tool for just about any

training situation, but especially when you’re facilitating

group discussions or decision making. The Parking Lot

gives you a way to record ideas that are important

but not immediately relevant to the topics currently

being discussed. “Parking” these ideas gives you a

respectful way to record the ideas for later discussion

while ensuring that the group doesn’t lose focus.

Instead of derailing your current discussion, let the

individual know that it’s an important topic and that

you’ll return to it later. Record the idea on flipchart

paper marked “Parking Lot” that everyone can see.

At the end of your session or during a break, bring

the idea back to the attention of the group and ask

for suggestions about how it should be addressed.

However you handle Parking Lot topics, you owe it

to your learners and to yourself not to allow these

admittedly important but tangential topics to prevent

you from reaching your goals and learning objectives.

Your Own Behavior

Your behavior as a facilitator is essential in preventing

issues (turbulence) before they happen. By setting clear

expectations and by modeling the type of behavior you

expect to see in others, you set your class up for success.

If you want to learn more about modelling strategies,

check out some of the great free resources available

on YouTube:

Behaviour Strategies - Behaviour Modelling Strategy for Teaching 5- Anna Sabramowicz

Modeling behavior versus setting rules 6 - Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D

Two types of behavior you should practice modeling in

your classroom for your own and your learners’ benefit

are assertiveness and cooperation.

Assertiveness

Being assertive in your classroom does not mean being

forceful, heavy handed or domineering. It does mean

providing your learners with strong guidance, clear

expectations and unambiguous consequences.

5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVoLCXal90k

6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnU54cx49PU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVoLCXal90k


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnU54cx49PU


29

For example:

• State your learning outcomes clearly.

• Provide clear instructions, both verbally and

visually.

• Make behavioral expectations clear.

• Set a good example through your own behavior.

• Follow through with consequences.

• Be proactive and respectful, not reactive and

vindictive.

During your class, this means using assertive body

language, tone of voice, and so on. Maintain an upright,

assertive posture. Speak clearly and deliberately,

especially if there is any inappropriate behavior. And,

most importantly, maintain your composure.

Cooperation

Cooperation means working together to achieve a

goal.

In the context of facilitation, it means you demonstrate

in word and in action that you care about the needs,

opinions and concerns of everyone in your classroom.

It models that behavior for others and helps to build a

sense of teamwork.

For example:

• Take a personal and authentic interest in your

learners.

• Learn about who your learners are, their interests,

their strengths and their anxieties, both inside and

outside the classroom.

• Talk with your learners informally both before and

after class.

• Learn people’s names and greet them that way.

• Ask questions and respond to the questions that

are asked.

• Say “Thank you.”

When you model these behaviors, you not only help

prevent problems, you also encourage the same

behavior in your learners while they’re in your class

and afterward.

Assertiveness and cooperation are two of the most

important skills any CASA volunteer needs. Don’t

underestimate the importance of modeling that very behavior in your classroom.

Use Your Whole Body

Presenting, training, facilitating and public speaking

are all physical activities. Whether you’re facilitating

a discussion session or teaching a full-day training

course, presenting in front of any sort of audience

requires not just your head and your heart, but your

entire body.

Practicing beforehand is one of the best ways to

be aware of your body and make sure you are fully

present, physically and mentally, for your presentation,

meeting or discussion session. Many professional

trainers and presenters don’t consider themselves

fully prepared unless they’ve practiced several times,

out loud, on their feet. How many times you should

practice really depends on your level of experience

with the material and your level of experience as a

trainer and facilitator, but especially for beginners, 3

to 5 times at a minimum is a good idea.

Physical Skills of Training and Facilitation

Think back to when you were in school. Were there any

teachers who really got you excited about learning?

What was it about those individuals that caught your

attention?

30

Chances are, of all the things that might have crossed

your mind, “energy” is one of the things common

to the teachers we all remember who get us excited

about learning.

Here’s something you can do to have that same energy,

enthusiasm and excitement in your own classroom:

Be BIG

Regardless of your actual body size, don’t be afraid to

own the room. Taking up more physical space is one

way to do this, to become a “bigger you.”

• Stand up straight.

• Strike a “wonder woman” pose (or superman…).

• Use your arms and hands to create space around yourself.

• Fill the room with your voice. Don’t yell. But don’t be afraid to speak up. What you have to say is important.

• Commit yourself physically 100%, and be present.

• Make eye contact.

For people who are naturally more introverted, this

may feel inauthentic at first. So, do what works for

you. Begin with what you’re comfortable with, and

then add to it. Push yourself, bit by bit, outside

your own comfort zone. The more you do this, the

easier it gets and the more natural it feels.

Or, as one TED presenter, Amy Cuddy7 puts it, “Fake it until you BECOME it.”

Now that you’ve read through the material in this

chapter, think back to what you wrote at the beginning

regarding what you do well and what you’d like to

improve when you’re facilitating.

You’re probably already doing some of the things we’ve

suggested. Hopefully, there are also some new things

you can try out in your next training or discussion

session to improve on your skills as a facilitator.

10 TIPS FOR BETTER FACILITATION

Facilitation is the art of guiding but not leading, bringing

learning but not lecturing, engaging but not directing.

Even experienced facilitators sometimes fall into

counterproductive habits. To help you avoid that,

keep the following in mind whenever you’re preparing

to facilitate a training session, group discussion or

anything else:

1. Don’t Overload the Agenda: Make sure you leave plenty of room in the agenda for discussion, questions or extra exercises. Leave

What things have you learned that you can incorporate into your repertoire as a facilitator?

Things I will try out or do differently when I facilitate:

7https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en

https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en

31

space for learners with different educational

backgrounds and levels of experience. Also

make sure you leave some time for reflection,

hands-on exercises and things you may have

“parked” in the parking lot.

2. Visualize: Prior to an event, many people, like athletes, practice visualization. They run through the race, fight or game in their mind, preparing their body’s neural pathways for the real thing. Facilitators should do the exact same thing. Close your eyes and mentally walk through your entire session. Image training can include thinking about how you will handle difficult situations calmly or rehearsing jokes and stories. Often, this will also help you feel less stress and may even help you remember things you forgot to add to the agenda. This can also be a lifesaver in those cases when you didn’t have enough time to practice.

3. Use Technology (Carefully): Technology can be enormously helpful in any training situation. However, if used poorly or inappropriately, it can make learning harder, not easier. For example, many people like to use visual tools like PowerPoint in the classroom because it can make sharing information so much easier than simply saying things or forcing people to read. But if you do use tools like PowerPoint, make sure that they are adding value to the experience rather than distracting from it.

4. Stop with All the Jargon Already: Jamming a bunch of technical terms, acronyms and other jargon into a session is a sure way to make people feel less valuable in any group situation. To prevent this in your classroom, create a “jargon junction”: a section of white board or a large flip chart that everyone has access to where you can write down all the jargon you’re using and its definition.

5. Make Lists: Giving people the objectives for the session at the beginning, and in the order in which you’ll be addressing them, gives people

a sense of order and time. But more

importantly, it lets people know what to expect

and what will be expected of them.

6. Pay Attention to Body Language: It’s critically important to be aware of body language

and the role of non-verbal communication. As a facilitator, you should practice and model positive body language. At the same time, you also need to pay attention to the body language of your learners.

7. Stop Talking and Start Listening: Thankfully, facilitators are not paid by the word. Facilitators need to get things started, and then shut up. The facilitator needs to keep things on track, and if things get derailed, get them back on track, and then, again, shush. The more a facilitator speaks, the less time the group will have. The more the group speaks, the more they expose the issues at hand and the more likely they are to learn and remember.

8. Debrief: After any activity or group discussion, debriefing is critical. This not only gives smaller work groups a way to “report back” to the larger group, but it also gives individuals and you as the facilitator a chance to assess understanding and clarify things if necessary. As a facilitator, this also gives you an opportunity to find out what additional next steps might be required.

9. Take and Use Feedback Immediately: Asking for feedback can be difficult and can sometimes be a humbling experience. But telling people, “You won’t hurt my feelings, please tell me a few things I can do better next time” is not only a great way to help you improve your skills and abilities but it’s also a great way to let people know that you genuinely care about the job that you do and that you care about them as individuals.

10.Next Steps: Learning doesn’t stop when your class or meeting ends. Let your learners know what you will do and what you expect them to do next. If there are pending action items, homework

or any other tasks that need to be completed after

class, make sure everyone knows that. It’s also a good idea to follow up your class or meeting with a follow-up email that not only summarizes what was covered but also details next steps and who’s responsible for them.

32

What Do Facilitators Do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDLGjKBHSXg

Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are | Amy Cuddy | TED Talks

https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_

language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en

Facilitating Effective Group Discussions: Tips (Brown University)

https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/sheridan-

center/teaching-learning/effective-classroom-

practices/discussions-seminars/facilitating

The Role of a Facilitator: Guiding an Event Through to a Successful Conclusion

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/

RoleofAFacilitator.htm

RESOURCES

National CASA Volunteer Training Curriculum

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/lookup.

asp?c=mtjsj7mpise&b=5466395

National CASA Training of Facilitators Materials

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/

b.5625113/k.3466/Facilitators_ELearning_Modules.htm

Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching – Discussions


Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching – Difficult Dialogues

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/difficult-

dialogues/

BC Recreation and Parks Association Facilitator Training Manual

http://www.bcrpa.bc.ca/fitness_program/documents/

TFLFacilitatorManual-2014.pdf

A very thorough and well-written example of what

facilitator training manuals usually look like.

“Instructional Design that Soars” by Guila Muir

http://www.amazon.com/Instructional-Design-that-

Soars-Shaping/dp/1937454738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8

&qid=1457807523&sr=8-

1&keywords=guila+muir

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/lookup.asp?c=mtjsj7mpise&b=5466395

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5625113/k.3466/Facilitators_ELearning_Modules.htm


https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/difficult-dialogues/

http://www.bcrpa.bc.ca/fitness_program/documents/TFLFacilitatorManual-2014.pdf

http://www.amazon.com/Instructional-Design-that-Soars-Shaping/dp/1937454738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457807523&sr=8-1&keywords=guila+muir

http://www.amazon.com/Instructional-Design-that-Soars-Shaping/dp/1937454738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457807523&sr=8-1&keywords=guila+muir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDLGjKBHSXg



https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/sheridan-center/teaching-learning/effective-classroom-practices/discussions-seminars/facilitating

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/RoleofAFacilitator.htm

33

Julian Treasure: 5 Ways to Listen Better


MindTools – Active Listening

https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm

8 Talks on the Importance of Listening, and How to Do a Much Better Job of It

http://blog.ted.com/8-talks-on-the-importance-of-

listening-and-how-to-do-a-much-better-job-of-it/

Playlist (9TED Talks): Talks to Help You Be a Better Listener

https://www.ted.com/playlists/92/listen_up

TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Vogt - The Art of Facilitation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfZOvSU8PJE

Behavior Strategies - Behavior Modelling Strategy for Teaching - Anna Sabramowicz


Modeling Behavior Versus Setting Rules


That’s Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships by Deborah Tannen

http://www.amazon.com/gp/

product/0062062999?keywords=thats%20not%20

what%20i%20eant&qid=1457807070&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfZOvSU8PJE



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062062999?keywords=thats%20not%20what%20i%20eant&qid=1457807070&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062062999?keywords=thats%20not%20what%20i%20eant&qid=1457807070&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

http://blog.ted.com/8-talks-on-the-importance-of-listening-and-how-to-do-a-much-better-job-of-it/

35

BEFORE THE SESSION

• Know your audience: learn as much as you can about who your learners are beforehand.

Send pre-class surveys or questionnaires to gauge things like previous experience, needs,

anxieties, etc.

• If you’re conducting any type of pre-session assessment send it electronically several days

before the training or facilitated session

• Send a reminder email to all attendees (and presenters) a few days before training

• Check the room: take a close look at and actually walk through the room where your session

will take place.

• Have supplies ready (sign in sheet, name tags/tents, handouts, toys, flip charts, markers)

• Make sure there is a transition or segue between sections that ties it together.

• Consider drinks/snack location, bathroom location, exits

• Make sure the seating arrangements are best suited to meeting your learning objectives

• Check the technology: Make sure all equipment you’ll use works correctly and that YOU

know how to make it do what you need it to. For example, make sure you know how to turn

on the laptop and open your PowerPoint presentation.

• Check the temperature: Make sure you know how to adjust the thermostat.

• Don’t be late: Arrive at least 30-45 minutes early on the day of your class. Make sure you

have time to set up without being stressed.

• Practice ahead of time: Rehearse your session in the room where you’ll be teaching; practice

the first 5-10 minutes of your class out loud.

• Have a backup technology plan. If technology fails, what then?

• Have an activity backup plan. Have a few alternative activities you could substitute, just in

case.

• Know your content. Be prepared, not only for questions but for challenges.

• Focus on transforming nervousness into excitement.

• Get a good night’s sleep and make sure you get enough to eat and drink before your class.

Training Facilitator Tips

36

DURING THE SESSION

• Start with a hook not with introductions.

• State your learning outcomes and expectations clearly. Let attendees know what’s in it for

them and what you expect them to do

• If there will be breaks, tell attendees in advance when and how long they will be

• Providing clear instructions, both verbally and visually.

• Make your behavioral expectations clear:

• Use of cell phones and other electronic devices

• How and when you wish to deal with questions and comments

• Participant involvement during the session

• Set a good example through your own behavior.

• Handle housekeeping/agreements/ground rules/parking lot early, but not at the very

beginning.

• Be proactive and respectful, not reactive and vindictive.

• Take a personal and authentic interest in your learners. Learning about who your learners

are, their interests and passions, their strengths and anxieties, both inside and outside the

classroom.

• Learn people’s names and greeting them that way.

• Stand up straight. Strike a “wonder woman” (or superman) pose

• Fill the room with your voice. Don’t yell. But don’t be afraid to speak up. What you have to

say is important.

• Commit yourself physically 100% and be present.

• Make eye contact.

• Don’t take things personally. It’s not about you. If trouble arises, fix the problem and move

on.

• Ask questions and respond to the questions that are asked.

• If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so. Never pretend to know more than you do.

• When writing on flip chart, use a different color marker for every other line.

• Always debrief after a section – a training is in the debrief.

• REMEMBER to shift or change something every 8 minutes.

• POWER WITH not POWER OVER the students – side by side.

• Do not get HOOKED by one participant’s questions/interruptions.

37

• Use lots of eye contact as you move around the room.

• Wait 10 seconds for people to raise their hands.

• When explaining an activity or exercise:

• Repeat directions 2-3 times

• Always start with “In a moment”

• Tell them what resources they will need and where to get

• When asking them to turn to page give them time to do so

• Always let people know if writing activity will be shared or private

• When someone shares or asks a question, always say “thank you”

• At the end, thank all your attendees for coming

• Let them know you will be sending an electronic assessment AND a separate satisfaction

survey

• If there are next steps or any other expected action items for attendees, make sure you state

this explicitly before ending the session

AFTER THE SESSION

• Be courteous. Leave the room the way you found it.

• Send a follow up email thanking attendees which includes links to any handouts or additional

resources and also reminds them that you will also be sending the assessment and

satisfaction survey

• If you’re conducting any type of post-session assessment send it electronically within 24 hours

of the session (this is not the same as a satisfaction survey)

• If conducting a satisfaction survey send it after the assessment but within 72 hours

• Debrief your own performance, what can improve, what went well, etc.

39

Whether you call them expectations or objectives or mutually established goals or ground rules, clearly

articulating the expected behavior of your learners (and presenters) from the beginning of your

session(s) is one of the best ways to maintain a productive classroom climate.

Ground rules can be set in advance by the trainer or they can be created by the students themselves, or

both. Some people believe learners will stick to the ground rules more if they’ve had a hand in creating

them. Ground rules should reflect the objectives of the course and the trainer should explain the

purpose they serve (for example: if the objective of the session is a group discussion, the ground rules

should encourage open, honest interactions but prevent things from descending into chaos).

In some cases, especially for longer training courses involving multiple sessions, trainers might want to

have each individual learner sign a contract based on the ground rules. In other cases, such as for

shorter sessions, a verbal agreement may suffice.

Sample Ground Rules for Discussion • Listen actively and attentively

• Ask for clarification if you’re confused

• Don’t interrupt someone else

• Critique ideas, not people

• Do not offer opinions without supporting evidence

• Put-downs are not allowed (even humorous ones)

• Take responsibility for the quality of the discussion

• Do not monopolize the discussion

• Speak from your own experience, do not generalize

Sample Ground Rules for a Lecture or Presentation • Be on time

• Turn off your cell phone

• Ask questions if you’re confused

• We’re all adults. Try not to distract or annoy other learners

Ground Rules

40

A Method for Learners to Create Their Own Ground Rules Having learners create their own ground rules is a great way to get buy in and give your learners a sense

of ownership of their personal learning process. However, this is typically best suited to longer training

situations such as multiday workshops, pre-service volunteer training, etc. It is often too time consuming

for shorter, 1 – 4 hour training sessions.

1. Ask learners to think about the best group discussion they’ve ever participated in and reflect on

what made that discussion so satisfying.

2. Next, ask learners to think about the worst group discussion they’ve ever participated in and

reflect on what made that discussion so bad.

3. For each of the positive characteristics identified, ask learners to suggest three things the group

could do to ensure these characteristics are present in the current discussion.

4. For each of the negative characteristics identified, ask learners to suggest three things the group

could do to ensure these characteristics are not present in the current discussion.

5. Use these learner suggestions to draft a set of ground rules to which you all agree, and

distribute them in writing.

6. Periodically ask the group to reflect on whether the ground rules established are working, and

make adjustments as needed.

41

Guided self-reflection is one of the most critical tools in self-improvement. This is as true for trainers and

facilitators as it is for individuals in any other profession.

Use these questions either before you train to help you identify areas where you might need more work and

after you train as a way to debrief your own performance. Keep in mind also, however, that we are often

our own worst critics, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

How would you define your personal style as a trainer or facilitator?

How do you feel as a trainer or facilitator?

What do you feel you do well?

What could you do differently?

What are/were the goals of your class or presentation?

Facilitator Feedback

42

The best thing that could happen/happened in my training session is:

The worst thing that could happen/happened in my training session is:

The thing(s) that I enjoy most about training / facilitating is/are:

The thing(s) that most annoy me when I’m training / facilitating is/are:

When I’m training / facilitating, the thing I’m most afraid of is:

What areas can you identify where you would like to receive feedback on your style?

43

Handling difficult situations and personalities in your training room can be

one of the biggest challenges for trainers and facilitators. Here are some

examples of personalities you are likely to encounter and some suggestions

for how to deal with them.

The Seven Dwarfs and Other “Characters”

Characteristics How to Handle

Bashful • Not talking at all

• When she does speak, speaks

in a muffled voice

• Expresses incomplete

expressions and allows others

to finish sentences

• Waits to hear what everyone

else says before speaking

• Asking questions that are “easy”

to answer. (ex: how long have

you been working here)

• Putting people in pairs. They will

come out of their introverted style

a little when working in small

groups.

• Giving them time to jot down

reactions to questions before

calling on them.

• Avoiding asking them to respond

in an impromptu manner.

Dopey • Look interested but only speak

when spoken to.

• Just doesn’t “get it”.

• Offers comments that don’t

seem to have a relevant point.

• Smiles self-consciously.

• Asking them to elaborate a little

more.

• Saying, “That’s an interesting

point”.

• Telling them there is no “wrong

answer” (when appropriate to do

so)

Doc • Is a “know-it-all”

• Monopolizes the conversation,

taking over every easy question.

• Asks rhetorical questions to the

rest of the class, and calls for

consensus from the class on his

views.

• Reminds everyone of her

status, knowledge, title, etc.

• Acknowledge expertise

• Take pressure off him by saying

things like “We don’t want “Doc”

to have to tackle all our

problems.”

• Try the “Two Cents” trick.

• Call on her last.

Difficult Participants

44

Grumpy • Sitting with arms crossed,

rolling eyes, looking annoyed.

• Negatively critical or

judgmental of whatever is

being said.

• Being a “hostage” in the class.

• Being argumentative.

• Refusing to participate in small

group activities.

• Meet them where they are –

acknowledge their frustrations.

• Restate his comments and open

them to the group.

• Decrease eye contact.

• If necessary, talk to them at

break, and ask them to leave.

Happy • Give “Yes! I agree too”

• Tries to guess right answer

• Making jokes and trying to be

the “class clown”

• Praising differences of opinions.

• Tease them by saying, “Oh, we

have a comedian in the group!”

• Decrease eye contact.

Sleepy • SLEEPING!

• Looks bored, yawns.

• Daydreams, starring out the

window.

• Ask for their input.

• Walk over to them; stand by their

table.

• Taking a break; stretch

• Turn to a group activity

Sneezy • Being physically ill, coughing,

blowing nose, clearing throat.

• Interrupts with complaints

about environment- too hot,

too cold, chairs too hard.

• Acknowledge her issue, letting

her know you care about her.

• Adjusting temperatures, if

possible.

• Ask others to change seats if

possible.

Chatty

Cathy

• Carries on side conversations

• Answers cell phone in class

• Walk over to them; stand by their

table

• Ask “Is there something else you

want to contribute?”

• Asking the cell phones to be

turned off ahead of time, and

take calls outside of class if they

must leave phone on.

Busy Bob • Doing other work not related to

the course

• Not paying attention to the

instructor/class

• Give a break

• Break people into small groups

for an activity

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