Focus: Introductions
Have everyone sit or stand in a circle. Ask them to take their shoes off and immediately toss them into the middle of the circle. Begin by having one volunteer pick a pair of shoes; describe the owner (without knowing who it is). Ask for things such as age, hobbies, or attitude. When he is done describing the owner, he must guess whom the shoes belong to. Then, the real owner comes forward and continues the activity.
Category : Games
Category : Games
Focus: Having fun, Visual communication
Stand in a circle. One person has the “clap” in their hands and turns to face a person next
to them. About when they make eye contact or just when they are facing each other, they
clap simultaneously. Then, that next person has the clap and turns to pass it on. After it
has been passed around once and everyone has the hang of it, begin to time him or her.
Encourage people to move around, jump into a different part of the circle, and reverse it.
Step 1. Before: Select an activity that’s good for your team.
The best team-building activity can become the worst team-building experience when there is no clear objective. Why spend the time, effort, and money on an activity if you can’t identify the business reason or team benefit you expect as a result? If all you want is to have some fun and kill some time, play a parlor game and enjoy. But if you want to improve your team’s effectiveness, you need to select an activity that will give you your desired results!
Start with a clear objective in mind. What, specifically, do you want your team to learn or accomplish? Think about it. Your goal should be:
➤ Attainable by your team.
➤ Relevant and applicable to where they are as a team right now.
➤ Something that will be reinforced long after this activity.
Plan on this activity being one of many small steps your team will start taking now. Remember, an effective team is built primarily on trust. Trust, and thus team-building, can rarely be accomplished in one giant leap.
Match your goal to the activity in this book that will best help you get the results you want. If there is more than one good match, do one activity now and another one at a later date.
A NOTE ON COMPETITION: Competition can be a good thing. It can excite, energize, and challenge people to participate better. Do not assume that competition naturally brings out the best in everyone, though. It can also deflate, discourage, and create unnecessary lingering conflict.
As the final judge in competitive activities, you risk becoming “the bad guy” as well. So only you can say how competitive you want your team-building activity to be. The most important thing is to be deliberate in your decision, so you can justify it with a clear objective if necessary. Consider:
➤ The current level of competition within the team.
➤ The emotional health of the participants in dealing with defeat.
➤ How intimidating or intimidated the participants are.
➤ Your ability to diffuse real conflict among the team members.
Step 2. Before: Prepare for your team-building activity.
You want to make sure you are ready for everyone to have a great learning experience. Fifteen minutes of planning and preparation ahead of time may not guarantee success, but it will certainly help you prevent disaster. Your activity will be most effective if you go into it feeling competent and confident.
Read through the entire activity several times. Make sure you are clear on what is to happen and when, why, and how. Visualize that activity happening successfully.
Obtain all necessary materials. Check the materials to make sure they will work well for the activity. For example, see that the dates on the pennies are legible, test the markers for any that have dried out, make sure there are no cards missing from the deck, and so forth. Assume nothing! Always have a few extras on hand, just in case.
Practice what you are going to say when you start the activity with your team. The best way to do this is to explain the activity to a friend or colleague. If he or she doesn’t understand you, figure out a way to explain things more clearly until he or she does.
If the activity requires you to have a role (card dealer, judge, moderator, etc.), practice your comments or actions. This will help you feel less nervous during the activity. It will also free your mind to focus on more important things (the participants’ reactions, the participants’
learning, your own observations, etc.) during the activity.
Set up the room. Make sure the tables, chairs, flipcharts, and/or other items are placed so that they contribute to the activity’s success. A classroom style row of chairs is usually the least conducive to team-building activities. Better choices include a large circle, a “U” shape, or small table groups (several individuals gathered around each table). Any specific setup information required for an activity is noted within that activity.
If the activity’s rules or steps are lengthy, write them ahead of time, and post them on the wall so everyone can see them throughout the activity.
Anticipate potential problems. Visualize the activity with your team, in your location. Ask yourself what could go wrong. Take action to prevent those problems from occurring and/or plan the corrective actions you can take if they do occur. The most common problems and how to avoid or deal with them are discussed in the next chapter.
Step 3. During: Explain the activity to the team.
A 1-minute introduction can make all the difference in setting your team up for success! People engage better when they know why they are doing something. They also participate better when they understand all the rules up front, and when they are clear on exactly what is expected of them.
Set the mood. Welcome the team with enthusiasm and optimism. Team-building is fun! Convey this right away. You don’t have to be a cheerleader; even a smile or a warm comment will let your team know they are in for a great time.
Explain what the activity is. Give a very brief overview of what you have planned, so the team can start getting interested and excited.
Explain why you are doing this particular activity. Share with the team what you hope to accomplish in the next 15 minutes. The more they see purpose to the activity, the more likely they will participate and learn what you want them to learn. For a few of the activities in this
book, however, you would ruin their impact by sharing the objective up front. In those cases, tell them there is an objective that will become clear to them in a few minutes. Make sure that objective is called out during the Debrief (the discussion that is held immediately after the
activity).
Explain the activity’s rules or steps. Don’t be afraid to read from this book, use notes, or even have them posted on the wall. Speak slowly, and pause after each one. Remember, they haven’t had time to read and reread the activity like you have. It’s usually easier to explain the
activity all at once before responding to any questions from the team.
Have the team move through the activity’s steps as you explain them. For example, if the first step of an activity is to divide the group into smaller teams, have them actually do that before you tell them the next step.
A NOTE ON TEAM SIZE: Most activities will not be ruined if smaller groups
are not exactly the same size. If the correct size is critical, the odd participant or two could be assigned the role of “Observer.” The Observer role is to quietly watch the others participate. During the Debrief, the Observer shares his or her unique observations.
A NOTE ON PAIRING UP: When an activity requires the participants to pair up, use your own participation to even things out. Participate if the number is odd; observe if it is even. Distribute the materials after you’ve fully explained the activity.
Otherwise, you risk people getting distracted by them and missing key points. Distribute the materials before the explanation only if you have found that the materials help people understand things better.
Step 4. During: Check for understanding before beginning.
People often hesitate to ask for help when they are confused. You can clarify misunderstandings with patience and some simple review questions.
You can keep competition from getting out of hand by laying down a few ground rules, but they must be agreed upon up front.
Make sure your team understands the activity. Asking “Do you understand?” is the least effective way to check this (who wants to answer “No” in front of the group?). “Do you have any questions?” is a little better.
“What questions do you have?” is even better. However, the best way to check their understanding is to ask questions that force the team to review the steps or rules of the activity.
For example, “How many minutes do you have to complete this?” or “What happens if one of your balloons pops?”
When the activity will result in one or more winners, make sure everyone is clear on what criteria will be used to determine who wins.
Then, ask a review question such as “How exactly does someone win?” If ties need to be broken, explain how that will be done.
Declare up front that you are the final judge on all disagreements about who wins. You don’t want the team to argue about who won and lose sight of the real purpose of the activity.
When you are confident everyone understands the activity and is ready to go, ask one last time, “What remaining questions do you have before we start?”
Step 5. During: Run the activity.
Letting the team go through the activity, and possibly even fail, may be difficult for you to let happen. Remember, the activity is a low-risk alternative to letting the participants learn from failures on the job!
People learn and retain better when they experience lessons, rather than when they just hear them. Sit back, observe, and let your team experience.
Once they begin the activity, see that they are following the steps or rules. You want them to at least get started down the path to success.
Hold off on correction for just a moment, though. They may check themselves. If not, gently bring them back to task.
Encourage and support them all. Especially thank anyone who goes first in an activity. Being first is a scary situation for many. It takes courage to go first and risk embarrassment or failure.
Make yourself available to clarify steps or redirect the team. If appropriate, walk around quietly and watch for opportunities to help the team succeed. Be careful not to do their task for them, though.
Throughout the activity, watch for things you will want to bring up later during the Debrief. It is OK to jot down a note or two to remember.
If the activity is timed, watch the clock, and give a “time check” occasionally. For example, “Time check: you have 2 minutes left.”
Don’t stop the activity unless it really runs amuck. Otherwise, let it run its course. There will be plenty of opportunity to comment on lessons learned during the Debrief.
Step 6. During: Debrief the activity.
The Debrief is the most critical part of the team-building activity. It is the time when effective questions will guide the participants to link what they experienced in the activity with their behavior on the job. If this step is skipped or glossed over, most of the impact of the activity
will be lost in a matter of days. If you do the Debrief well, the lessons learned during the activity will stay with the team indefinitely. Ask the questions outlined in this book immediately. For most questions, there is no right or wrong answer. Allow all answers to be OK. Try not to evaluate or critique any answer; just nod and accept each one as you listen to it. The questions for each activity should lead the team to the conclusions you want them to reach without you having
to spell it out for them.
It is fine to read the questions from this book or to use notes. Stop talking, silently read the question, look back at the team, and then ask the question. The few seconds of silence while you read are less noticeable and less offensive to the group than if you read the question aloud while looking at it. Also, making eye contact while you ask the question is more likely to result in responses than if you do it the other way.
Another way to ask the questions is to write them on index cards beforehand. Pass the index cards out, and ask the participants to take turns reading the questions and soliciting responses.
Try not to call on anyone by name unless you have to. Be comfortable with the silence. Once you have asked a question, stop talking and slowly count to 10 in your head. The silence may feel like an eternity to you, but it feels just as long to the group. Eventually someone will answer! Remember, they have never heard the question before, so it may take a few seconds to formulate a response.
Watch for heads nodding, smiles, and other indications that they agree with what is being said by others. Not everyone has to respond to every question for the entire group to learn. If you see reactions that suggest disagreement, ask, “Does anyone disagree?” or “What about an opposing view?” Call on the one disagreeing only as a last resort.
Repeat or quickly summarize each response offered. If anyone gives an off-the-wall response or one that is just plain wrong, ask the group how they feel about it rather than correcting someone.
This technique will keep it “safe” for all participants to continue answering questions without fear of a reprimand from you.
Even if the activity did not go quite as well as planned, most participants probably learned something. No matter what happened, you can always ask if the group has ever seen anything like this happen back on the job. Ask what can be learned from this experience. The answers may include what can be improved for future team-building activities!
Step 7. After: Reinforce the learning back on the job.
With your help, the activity can continue teaching the participants long after it is over. Reminding participants of the activity and keeping the lessons learned alive will extend its impact. Keep your team focused on behaviors that support the kind of team you are trying to build.
Display anything the team created for the activity back in the workplace. Each time they see that sculpture, flipchart, or cardboard structure, they will be reminded of what they did, how it made them feel, and what it taught them.
If any new terms or special words came up during the activity, use them frequently. Like the visual items mentioned above, these words will prompt a recall of what happened and what they learned.
Refer to the activity and the lessons learned often when you are coaching, giving feedback, or conducting staff meetings. Look for examples of people exhibiting good team behavior related to the activity, and call it out for them and others to see.
If the activity was a huge success, you may want to repeat it soon. Plan follow-up activities that will reinforce, emphasize, and build upon what was learned this time.
Watch for examples of how the participants used what was learned in the activity and got better results. If you can quantify how their actions are benefiting the organization, call it out for them and others as evidence of success.
Ask participants in your next staff meeting to share what impact the activity has had on them. If you are in remote locations, use e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, and so forth to keep the learning alive.
A learning style as the more or less consistent way in which a person perceives, conceptualizes, organizes and recalls information. People learn in different ways. Some learn best by seeing, others by hearing, and still others by touching. Knowing our preferred learning style helps us learn and remember new things.
Many people recognize that each person prefers different learning styles and techniques. Learning styles group common ways that people learn. Everyone has a mix of learning styles. Some people may find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. There is no right mix. Nor are your styles fixed. You can develop ability in less dominant styles, as well as further develop styles that you already use well
Your students will be more successful if you match your teaching style to their learning styles. Your students’ learning styles will be influenced by their genetic make-up, their previous learning experiences, their culture and the society they live in.
Why should teachers know about learning styles?
Students learn better and more quickly if the teaching methods used match their preferred learning styles.
- As learning improves, so too does self esteem. This has a further positive effect on learning.
- Students who have become bored with learning may become interested once again.
- The student-teacher relationship can improve because the student is more successful and is more interested in learning.
What are the types of learning styles?
learn through seeing… .
These learners need to see the teacher’s body language and facial expression to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people’s heads). They may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information.
learn through listening…
They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.
Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners:
learn through , moving, doing and touching…
Tactile/Kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration
Auditory learners often:
- enjoy oral discussion
- remember by talking out loud
- need to have things explained orally
- have trouble with written instructions
- talk to themselves while learning something new
- repeat a telephone number in order to remember it
Visual learners often:
- remember visual details
- prefer to see what they are learning
- like to have paper and pens handy
- doodle while listening
- have trouble following lectures
- like to write down instructions or telephone numbers
Kinesthetic-tactile learners often:
- prefer activities
- want to actually do whatever is being talked about or learned
- like to move around while listening or talking
- often "talk" with their hands
- like to touch things in order to learn about them
- remember things by recalling who did what rather than who said what
Even though we have a preferred learning style, we can still learn in other ways. People have varying degrees of preference – some are highly auditory, some are highly visual, some are highly kinesthetic-tactile (k-t), while others seem to have a moderate preference for all three styles of learning.
At any age, your learner will learn more easily using his preferred learning style, but this doesn’t mean he can’t and won’t learn any other way. In fact, he should be encouraged to use and improve all modes of learning. The more senses we use to learn about anything, the more information we get! A good guideline is to allow your learner to use his preferred style when learning essential information (eg., road safety) and to practise using other learning modes for things that are not as important (eg., words to songs you sing on car trips). The auditory learner will enjoy listening to tape-recorded songs; the visual learner will enjoy reading the words as he hears them sung; the k-t learner will enjoy dancing or acting as the music conductor.
Young children are all kinesthetic-tactile learners. Babies put everything in their mouth and toddlers reach out to touch and explore their world. Visual and auditory preferences may emerge later. Schools have traditionally used visual and auditory teaching styles, especially in the upper grades. Children who learn easily through these modes are usually successful in school, while k-t learners often find school difficult. Most of us – not only young children – learn better if we are actively involved in our own learning.
This process is negotiated between teacher and learner and can be broken down into six steps:
1. identify what is to be learned
2. identify the learner’s motivation for learning
3. agree the best way of achieving learning
4. agree the type of learning program with the learner
5. record the outcomes
6. enable the learner to access that program
Key Questions
We can think of learners’ needs in terms of key questions:
1. How would they like to learn?
2. Which methods in their previous learning experience have they liked best?
3. Are learners’ levels of physical, social and/or emotional development likely to affect their learning?
4. What learning progress have they already made?
5. What have they already achieved?
6. Which skills are they confident in?
7. What is their current level of knowledge and understanding?
8. Which skills and/or knowledge might need to be revisited and/or upgraded?
9. Do they have specialist needs in terms of health, disability, diet, language?
10. (For older learners) what are their aims for education, long term career aspirations and life goals?
The teacher in the photograph could be asking the learner one of our ten questions.
We could easily add to this list of questions. If you read it through again, you can see that if we ask all these questions and more, we are asking learners to provide a lot of information. You need to decide what questions to ask your learners, and how and when to ask them.
Ways To Find Out
Teachers can find out about learners’ needs in various ways. You can select one or more of these techniques.
• Observation of learners in first week of programme
• questionnaire
• diagnostic testing
• ‘live’ questionnaire
• talk to parents
• informal chat to learners at induction event
• interview with learner
• role play exercise
• review of previous school reports
• examination of CV and reference material
• teacher/learner discussion
• scrutiny of previous work
• review of previous achievements
• discussion with learner’s previous teachers
Special Needs:
Teacher should identify the special needs of learners–considering their health, disability, diet, language etc, in the learning process.
Components to determine the learners’ needs:
- Environment
- Existing educational system /national curriculum
- Existing knowledge of the learners
- Culture and gender
Educational and non-educational atmosphere- learners’ age, schooling, socio-economic background are very important determinants of identifying learners’ need. Sometimes national curriculum, learners’ existing level of knowledge, grouping also helps to identify the learners’ needs.
The teacher should facilitate a successful learning for every learner. The interaction between teacher and learners is the heart of this Diploma. Asking your learners about their needs is a vital step in ensuring the success of your learning program. The teacher’s role is very complex and challenging- but it is also very exciting and rewarding.
Learning Need can be referred to as the "Gap between what an individual knows, understands and can do at any moment in time and what that person needs to know, understand and do to reach defined learning outcomes"
Learning needs are some times contrasted with learning desires. A learner may desire or want to learn something but this may not necessarily be what the learner needs. E.g. a learner may want to be able to write a letter but may need to learn basic language structure first.
The term “needs” is often used in relation to the development and learning of all learners.
The concept of learners’ need comprises the following components:
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
Teacher should care about the learners’ intellectual, social and emotional development, since these likely to affect their learning.
Learners require the change in three major aspects i.e. cognition, skills and behavioral changes, that will reflect in their attitudes. Teacher should consider these three components while making an effective lesson plan.
In an effective lesson plan teacher should convey some concrete message i.e knowledge. If learners can apply their theoretical knowledge in their practical field, then fruitful learning will take place. Only fruitful learning will make a learner more confident – if it reflects in learners’ attitudes.
Course name:
Date:
Location: _____________________________________________
Pre-Course Checklist
Reserve room
Reserve AV equipment
Confirm with lecturers by email/phone/physical
Send lecturers confirmation letter and agenda
Schedule caterer
Purchase participant and lecturer parking passes
Send participants initial confirmation letters and pre-course documents
Assign clinical/laboratory practicum schedule
Send practicum schedule to preceptors
Order binders and separator sheets
Order nametags
Order certificates
Gather copies of pre- and post-tests
Create participant roster in Microsoft Word
Create lecturer roster in Microsoft Word
Create lecture and program evaluation forms in Microsoft Word
Order copies of all documents for manuals
Check AV equipment
Check laser pointer
Check lapel microphone
Order batteries & bulbs if necessary
Make nametags
Collate manuals
Print out Program Director’s introduction
Create Sign-in Sheets (one for each day) in Microsoft Word
Set up room
Put out sign on day of training
Post-Course Checklist
Pass out certificates at end of course
Collect evaluations and post-tests
Return room to original set-up
Summarize evaluation instruments
Grade pre- and post-tests
Category : Formats & Forms
Thanks a lot, _____ (name)!
I appreciate your interest you have shown me. Often times I encounter
difficult purchasing agents and sales managers. That’s why a warm reception
such as the one you gave me is a delightful experience. I hope that we will
continue our mutually satisfying relationship.
Thanks again!
Cordially,
name)
Category : Formats & Forms
(your name, street
city, state, zip)
(date)
(name
street
city, state, zip)
______________________
Dear ____ (name):
Thank you for your recent request to establish credit. We appreciate your interest
in ____ (name of store). However, based on numerous credit information, we can
only make shipments to you when cash is received with the order.
We apologize for this but we know that you understand. If we can be of service
to you further, please let us know.
Sincerely,
(name)
(title)
Category : Formats & Forms
(your name, street
city, state, zip)
(date)
(name
street
city, state, zip)
____________________
Dear ____ (name):
Thank you for your interest in —- (name of company) and your request for a
credit line. Unfortunately, we are unable to grant you the open credit you requested.
This was decided based on the information you gave us as well as from our normal
sources. However, if you can supply us with additional references and current
financial statements, we will be most pleased to reconsider our decision.
In the meantime, we will welcome any orders made by a cash payment.
Sincerely yours,
(name)
(title)
