I Facilitate Experiential Education

Six Cheap Ways To Sharpen Your Facilitation

2011-03-21T17:07:00.013-04:00

There are lots of times and places to learn new facilitation skills in this field. Some can come to you watching an episode of a crazy spanish "amazing race" type show (true story!).

Others are more structured and intentional, like attending ACA Tri-State in Atlantic City. It's been a while since I attended AEE Mid-Atlantic in 2010, and this year's Mid-Atlantic conference is a long haul. Your organization might have, like mine, eliminated all professional development funding. In tight times, there are a lot of low-cost options to take learning and growth into our own hands as instructors.

(Left, a page of the AEE conference proceedings where Rick Curtis will "provide a basic understanding of the internet" and encourages us to "learn how to ride [the information superhighway]" What year was it, friends? Reply in the comments!)

Take advantage of others during program processing. It's awesome to hear the adjunct that I work alongside share new activities, truly brilliant ones, that they use to transfer learning to our students. It's easy to want to be off at the end of a program, but leaving with new activities and ideas is always worth the extra few minutes.
Reading 'blogs, such as Jennifer Stanchfield's Experiential Tools, Michael Cardus' brilliant Create Learning 'blog, or even old standby's like the 'blogs hosted by Rick Curtis at OutdoorEd.com . I use Google Reader to keep track of mine.
Newsletters remind you that other things are going on in the world and make it easy to keep up with peer organizations (or competitors!) I love seeing the work going on at CityWild in Denver, CO every month.
Watch a TED talk. I know a lot of experiential educators are afraid that technology will ruin their pristine wilderness experiences, but practitioners who leave technology behind will soon find themselves left behind. I recommend those themed The Rise of Collaboration.
Ask questions of the community. Two of my favorite resources are the listserv [ROPES LIST] hosted by ACCT and communities like the Association for Experiential Education on LinkedIn.
Attend or host an unconference, where the agenda and direction of the day is determined by the participants that show up. I am attending one of these Facilitator Play Days for just $18 a head down at EDGE at George Mason in Manassas, Virginia, a fraction of the cost of a conference. I am eager to do some networking, share some of the bigger questions I've been pondering as a facilitator (like, "is this really working?"), share some insight on use of technology for personal professional and organizational development, and have a good time. Too far away? Hosting one may be a cheap way to bring professional development to your staff, adjuncts, and colleagues!

What do you do to get back into the swing of things after the quiet season? Do you miss attending conferences, or is networking online with colleagues enough? What's the best bang for your buck professional development-wise?

Adult schpeil

2010-09-02T10:57:00.005-04:00

I wish this was funnier, but I do think that it will be useful when I'm working with postgraduate students tomorrow. This is my introductory speech for 8-12 adult participants in team-building activities on property. Once again, a few lines credited to Jeffery Gosnell (Challenge Course Manager, Eagle Crest Adventures at Lake Williamson Christian Center) from a posting on the Ropes listserv.

Today, we will not be hugging, holding hands, or singing “kumbaya.” We are not going to be getting in touch with anyone's inner child, we don't want to see your feminine side (unless you're dying to show it to us), and my personal policy on trust falls is only at participant request.

What we are going to be doing is different physical and mental challenges that will aid you in developing your communication skills, learning how you can adapt to problems, and help build a sense of trust and safety within the members of this group. Your program wants you to leave with new information and skills that you can take back with you.

It is my job to provide opportunities for learning, which comes out of the process of working on tasks and figuring out what went well, what didn't, and what could be improved next time.
As your facilitator, I promise that I will always give you any new information you need to keep yourselves and each other safe. I promise I will never bring you to a task that is impossible to do. And I promise that I will never lie to you.

There are lots of activities on property, and every small groups’ journey to reach the goals of this program are going to be different. Understand I’d like to stay focused on the present moment and task at hand. I won’t choose the next activity after we have gotten as much as we need to out of the present one, so if you ask what we are doing next, I probably don’t have a good answer yet.

You have complete control on how involved you are in any given task, how you wish to be challenged is your choice. If you feel uncomfortable or unwilling to participate in a challenge as I have presented it, please let me know, and I will gladly adapt the challenge to address those concerns or even move on to something different. Likewise, if you have a group or individual need that I am not meeting, please let me know so that I have the opportunity to do something about it.

Dealing with hecklers.

2010-08-30T19:40:00.003-04:00

A colleague pointed me to a mailing list that is pretty handy for inspiration, actively posted on by many colleagues in this field:. Browsing archives, I found a topic of great interest:

The Ropes List Service was established in May of 1997. It was designed to allow ropes course and adventure education builders, designers, facilitators, and operators the opportunity to discuss in an open forum type setting the questions, answers, concerns, and comments that arise from such programs.
The members of the Ropes List Service represent a wide variety of backgrounds and represent a number of different organizations within the Adventure Education and ropes/challenge course field.
If you are interested in subscribing or changing your subscription status, please use the form proved at http//:onbelay.com/mailman/listinfo/ropes-list

In a message I found browsing those archives, a person described being publically and formally "heckled" by a group of adults they were facilitating a few months ago, called "annoying," by their participants. This reply I think bears repeating as I go into a segment of the year characterized by a lot of adult group facilitation by Jeffery Gosnell of Lake Williamson Christian Center.

I find that in the first hour with a professional group, I'm dealing with the stereo-type of teambuilding--trust falls, affirmation circles, and frequent usage of the phrase "think outside of the box." It's not you they find annoying, it's the perception of what you represent (One of my favorite commercials is of a businessman desperately trying to find a flight to get him out of a team building seminar.).

I generally start off any adult group with a variation of the following:

"Today, we will not be hugging, holding hands, or singing 'Kumbya.' We are not going to be getting in touch with anyone's inner child, and I don't want to see your feminine side unless you're dying to show it to us. What we are going to be doing is a series of challenges that will aid you in developing your group's communication skills and help build a sense of trust and safety within the group. You have complete control on how involved you are in any given task. If you feel uncomfortable or unwilling to participate in a challenge as I have presented it, please let me know, and I will gladly
adapt the challenge to address those concerns or even move on to something different..."

I've often noted a visible sense of relief on the faces of participants as I have said this. Some have even told me that they only reason they participated is because of that little speech. Perception is everything.

Jeffery Gosnell, Challenge Course Manager
Eagle Crest Adventures @
Lake Williamson Christian Center

2: Relationships are important.

2010-06-10T17:26:00.003-04:00

Recently I've been working hard with colleagues of mine to "repair" some poor lines of communication which have created strained relationships. It was hard work, spending an entire day just hashing out the small stuff that I'd allowed to accumulate over the past months.

Our relationship was like an old house with a failing stone foundation, crooked rock upon crooked rock made something that was kind of flat, but ultimately, not very pleasant to look at and something rather problematic to be settling into.

No students, no facilitation, just good ol' chin yanking. But it was also a lot of energy in a place where there was a lack before.

Adequate relationships can be on accident and haphazardly formed, coming from a certain amount of je-nes-se-qua. Great relationships, however, require energy, effort, awareness, and intentionality in quantities that I had not been expending.

Ultimately, the saving of that energy (and time) was really to my own detriment and that of my organization, because we then had to spend a whole day getting things sussed out. By not rocking the boat and figuring out where our messages were getting twisted, we were in fact making more work for later.

So, now we're back down to the foundation. I think we've got a pretty good slab of concrete, and I hope that my own actions: working harder to listen, being more attuned to what I am doing and how that looks to other people, and consciously saying please and thanks, will be nice, stable, flat bricks setting onto that foundation as we will be co-facilitating some of our newly-arrived summer staff during the next 5 weeks.

We'll see in a couple weeks how things are progressing! And I'll be sure to let you all know, too.

How have you handled rocky foundations in work relationships in the past? What role did intentionality play in resolving conflicted relationships?

1: Mini-bites of 'blogging (inspired by Michael Cardus).

2010-05-06T14:02:00.008-04:00

So much has happened in the last few months! We've been so busy at my organization--a blessing for an industry seen as expendable in today's economy. So, here are a lot of updates in a small space. Think of them as bite-size blog entries, an appetizer for an update I hope to make soon.

Michael Cardus of Create Learning in Upstate NY is one of the best examples of an Experiential Education 'blogger. These things are NOT mutually exclusive people, and as more millenials join your ranks I hope my colleagues see, like so many others have, that technology is your friend.
Goal: By April 15th, 2011, have made at least 52 new 'blog posts here at I Facilitate.
Through social networking I have linked two experiential educators to jobs in the last two months and am not only earning good networking karma, but am recieving more exposure and contacts to networks because of all the forwarding and linking that happens as a result.
I can predict with great accuracy whether I will know my students names at the end of a program based on 1 thing: Did I ever write them down? If yes, then I'll be able to recall them. If not, then I won't. Pretty funny, huh?
If you set 11 really great goals, even accomplishing 6 feels pretty fantastic. Keep your eyes peeled for an updated goal list (whittled down from the 27 I started with for 2011 @_@)
Buying expensive sunglasses when you work outdoors for a living and wear hardcore sunscreen every day has been fantastic, no tinting peeling from the acetate frames. Now I just need to learn to take better care of them.
A good trail name, when called by it, will be accompanied by a rush of strong emotions. Remind me later to tell you all the story of how I got the name Baby D.
While tough after a few days on trail, a well-facilitated debreif born out of 90 minutes planning on the ride home will leave participants and supervisors with nothing to add, and a HUGE feeling of accomplishment. It is a good reminder that all the front-loading and thumb-balls in the world cannot make up for a little reflection and a plan.
Trailheads and side-trails near parking are harder to find than one might tell from the map. Ask questions on forums beforehand to avoid delayed outset and cancelled trips (learned that the hard way).
Backpacking is much easier today than it was a year ago. I have a stove, certain packing systems and habits, a set of trekking poles, and most importantly: I make it easy to go. I have an entire bankers' box full of trail ready food, energy bars, lipton meals, veggie jerky, gatorade pouches, etc. that is always ready to go. I don't need to borrow anything, just make a plan, find shuttles, and pack. Food outlets have been my very best friend in building this cache, which often includes organic and light-weight options.
This spring I made a visual guide for setting up a rescue-bag for our high ropes course. I hope to do the same for our Dam Rappel set-up sometime in the summer.
Being an RA in college has followed me ever since. A few weeks ago I visited a friend who's finishing her BFA this week! I saw a quilt of hers in a show, and noticed a patch of stitching that looked eerily familar. She'd gotten it from my woodgrain textiles. This week I got her commencement postcards in the mail.
Volunteering with outside organizations while living in an intentional community has been really great. Not only has it opened up the small town I've lived in for two years, but it gives a sense of purpose and identity outside of work, which is something that I struggle with a lot as an American.
Attended AEE Mid-Atlantic. Colleagues who have been in this field for a few years consistently give the ho-hum to the regional conference. I still find so much new information, new techniques and seminars. This time around in conversing with someone I met at a workshop in passing post-conference, I even have a plan for a proposal I'd like to make for a workshop of my own! The best use of my time at this conference was definitely the workshops of Tiffany Wynn, an Adventure Therapist and Counselor who works out of Ohio. Tiffany is able to facilitate a workshop where theory meets practice, and the needs of those attending are of primary concern. I can't wait to see her again!

What are you up to this weekend?

Here it's the busy season, and I'm keeping myself busy, too. This weekend I'm hitting the trail, with plans to cover some A.T. in PA, a trip with students on the A.T. in New Jersey next week, and then taking my brother with me to finish New Jersey's A.T.!

Oh, I guess I SHOULD tend my garden someplace in there. Maybe I can make it into an initiative...

Urban NJ HS Juniors on-track for Ivy League Schools

2010-01-15T12:55:00.006-05:00

I love working with high school students. Where college students challenge and deviate, high school students from programs like this one are on the ball and generally very present. I had a great discussion with a student who lives in a group home, and who wants to be a program coordinator at a group home one day. I gave him a CD that Nyle made when he was a freshman at NYU (Frosh)

I remembered them from last year because I did a Full-Value Contract I've only ever done with that group (which involved burning pieces of paper symbolically).

This program has a middle-school group which comes to our campus each summer, but this group of students are high-schoolers selected through an application process. Their families must make under a certain amount each year, and the students do 3 weeks residential each summer and go to school every Saturday to prepare themselves for the goal of placement in Ivy League schools.

Last year their communication needed more work, but this year we were asked to focus on SMART Goals.

This worked really well since I had Juniors and I took the time to make a handout for my students. It's covered by Creative Commons but is available for non-commercial use here on my own web space. It's targeted at high-school students. but may be good for middle school and early college students. In fact, even my chaperone, the program coordinator, and I did these worksheets right along with our students, to fantastic results.

It tries to walk students through some brainstorming of values, prioritizing, selecting what they want to work on, how to turn that into a SMART goal, and a place for them to create three smaller goals and sign the document. I also included a half-sheet with many of my SMART goals from this past year.

After they finished filling out their sheets, I copied them onto
bright yellow paper and gave them to my students right before they started
loading on the bus. As I did, I reminded each of them to put it on their wall as soon as they got home. Out of sight, out of mind. As a bonus, the coordinator of their program got to keep their originals, which will be a boon to their program instructors, I hope.

In a lot of ways, revisiting SMART goals with my students reminded me of the goals that I need to update for the last few months before my second performance review in April.

Next time, I'll try and be more efficient with getting the goal-setting done so we can do more outdoor activities. But my students who got to sit inside and sip hot chocolate all morning would probably disagree with that.

University LAX team

2010-01-15T12:46:00.006-05:00

A couple weekends ago a group of about 50 male athletes came up for come general team-building and high ropes activities.

My Δ feedback that I want to remember:

For other adult groups: If they want to fool around, then that's fine. They are more than old enough to understand that there are consequences for their actions, and my students did turn out to have extra time.
Also, I did an activity called Tap 2, where two people's hands are squeezed, those people tap two people according to facilitator guidelines before silently returning to their spot. I should have selected more students at a time, and this was not a group that could handle having eyes closed and not messing with one another.
At the final debreif, I got the impression that the program coordinator really wanted me to do a Yurt Circle silently (I led Tap 2 and Yurt Circle as large group closings), however I am really not all about facilitating something for the first time in a large group context. I'll save it for something special, and I don't know that it would have worked with this group.

On the + spectrum of things, I really feel much more comfortable facilitating the high element Multi-Vine after this second time going at it.

Recent non-primary-service facilitations

2009-09-22T11:19:00.004-04:00

I've facilitated three non-primary-service-population groups in the last month or so and I'm doing a little check-in on how my facilitation went and how it could be improved.

Ideas on ways in which non-primary service population groups are challenging to me historically:

Not who I accepted this position to work with, not generally at-risk.
Groups of students can be less obviously dysfunctional in trust and communication faculties.
Not the kids I grew up with for the most part, so not students I traditionally identify with even though outwardly we are often very similar.
It's easy to even have feelings of ange or jealousy towards students' priviledge (whether they are aware of it or not).

Because of the above reasons I don't always gain rapport like I do with my primary-service groups. I have also had difficulty both meeting program goals and challenging students at times.

Things that went well this time around:

+ In the past I have been more of a micro-manager when I facilitate. Now that I've got a good pair of facilitator legs on me, students respond better in general (including this population).

+ Instead of fighting their need to socialize or just relax gunneled up in canoes, I just co-opted it for "bonding." I'd give a topic of conversation and say "switch" during hikes and students had an opportunity to be one-on-one. I even had them come up with paired handshakes.
+ Give lots of compliments for positive behaviors: "Thanks for chipping in with the restoration process, that went really well!"

+ Honoring the knowledge they do have. If students know how to put on helmets and harnesses, having them help check each-other (works with students who have just learned, as well).

Things that I could do better at:

Δ It's easy to let students take breaks and give up when they get
frustrated; Frustration comes with struggle, and when my students have to
struggle, I know I'm doing my job right. At the same time, when a group says
"no," it's important to respect that, as well. I could do a better job in this arena.

Δ I had a student with an injury during one group who had a hard time being involved; I had to constantly remind him that he needed to interact in some way. Finding other ways to engage with students like him in the future, to see if I can get better outcomes.

Δ I was being really good about giving copies of the schedule to my chaperones. My chaperone talks have improved with the addition of a "cheat sheet" on the back of my clipboard. I need to get back to doing my mini-schedule, writing down my students' names, and giving a copy to my chaperone.

Δ 'Blogging before the program is off of my mind. I've probably lost a lot of opportunities for improvement from not being as religious about this as I could.

Donnelly program preliminary reflection

2009-08-12T17:17:00.002-04:00

We are all weak, finite, simple human beings, standing in the need of
prayer. None need it so much as those who think they are strong, those who know
it not, but are deluded by self-sufficiency.
-Harold C. Phillips

One thing I need to work on for this 'blog, but also for facilitation, is increasing my consistency.

Δ More consistency.

Δ Learn to say "no" and practice it often. Even when well-rested and just back from two weeks vacation, always saying "yes, I don't need your help." "Yes, you can take care of that need," trains people that in general I do not need or want support. And that's not true.
I feel like this program I habituated others to being lazy, and I got mad that they weren't around. Saying "yes" is good. So is saying "no."

Δ Need to work on my facilitation of creek-hopping. No standing/walking in water? Seems like a lot of foot/ankle danger would be mitigated by this rule. Move along the bank to explore, if you find a spot you like have a sit.

Anyway, disorganized thoughts in no particular order:

+ I was able to get my 12 students out to the back 40 where we had a crate lunch which had the right amount of things in it. An accomplishment because I packed it myself.
+ Got to take my 12 students creek-hopping, a favorite activity of mine.
+ Even after packing my own crate lunch for Tuesday, Monday I had enough energy to stay at work until 10 helping to finish pack-outs for two/three expeditions that were going out the next day.
+ After 10 days of vacation I had enough steam last night to help three facilitators get a group of pretty challenging foster students (from Trenton?) out to their campsite a little more efficiently. I threw a bear bag and went back to main camp to do a night walk, then went back to bring ice for a student with a bum ankle and tissues for another.
+ Made up a new activity, TP Walks (The good old line-up-log or telephone pole activity with people going backwards or blindfolded, hands clasped as for trust leans. At the beginning, commands are said, then the person leans to the left and the right to feel their spotters next to them before attempting to traverse the log. I see very little reason to do trust falls, like, ever, and I think this is a good, active compromise.)
+ My students asked if they could baptize me in the creek in our back 40, which was pretty funny.
Having one younger student among the 12-15 year olds' really brought out a lot of leadership, in all involved (including the shockingly insightful kid, and the surprisingly ignorant/disrespectful 16-year-old Junior Counselor they brought with).

I have to end this post with a story. Yesterday I came in from canoeing, lifeguarding swimming, and hiking out to Power Rock and the back 40 for lunch, and as I walked past the porch two chaperones said "Long day, huh?" informing me of how bushed I must have looked. I felt pretty good, but it was a good long day, too. Sometimes I don't realize how tired I am until someone says "you look tired."

When I was back out at the campsite of the group with the foster kids in it, I saw in two of their facilitators what those two women must have seen in me: Exhausted, but smiling (because sometimes if I didn't smile I'd cry.) Laughing, but not at anything in particular (because sometimes if I didn't laugh I'd scream.) Quiet and capable of thought, but eyes show surprising vacancy (lights are on but nobody's home, all brainpower used up.)

BSS Spring 08

2009-07-06T08:47:00.002-04:00

"Do you hear that? I believe its the sound of us not canoeing"

In preperation for my intimate group of kids from BSS coming up this afternoon for a 5 day, 4-night unchaperoned program, I am typing up the May 8-9 overnight with the same school in the spring.

The thing I loved about working with these students who we do in-school programming with during the year is that outside of their "toxic" environment in Newark, where the neighborhood is rough and fronting is a requirement for survival, these students very much flourished out in the country on our experiential education campus.

It was great to hang out with the students and to spend 23 hours a day with them, and I am looking forward to this program. Nothing makes me prouder than becoming a lifeguard on Friday, except for the fact that the Program Coordinators are trusting me to take these 6 middle-schoolers with my co-facilitator out on the Delaware this Wednesday.

There should be more kids coming up from the city on this trip. There should be half a dozen groups staying on-property. However, the fact that we didn't get paperwork for them all means that my students and I are going to have a really intimate experience.

Two things to remember: I need to constantly be asking my co for delta feedback to get it. Also, last time BSS was here I left my keys attached to a pack on a porch, which I haven't done recently.

In the spring, to prepare these students for their overnight camping in a tent, we set up a crazy scavenger hunt for them, and they really rocked it out. It gave them a familiarity with what a campsite is going to look like, which is really exciting.

10th Grade PSP 6/25-26/2009

2009-07-03T11:03:00.009-04:00

In 140 characters or less, describe this program, population, and their goals in bringing their group to our facility.
An intensive University preparatory program for promising young H.S. students from Ewing, Trenton, Princeton, and other areas, 2-days w/10th graders.

What did you like or enjoy about your group?
These kids were very open, honest and had a great sense of humor. They were sweet and not too serious, I loved working with our rising 10th graders.

Also, one of the instructors, who joined us the second day, was someone I was blessed to work with last year, and he has such an ease and rapport with the students, and has a real ease with debriefs, creating analogies to math (his subject of choice) it was truly a joy.

What were the soft facilitation skills you feel you did well?
I was paired with T-Money, who's an adjunct and summer facilitator, and she wanted three things from our partnership: 50/50% split in sharing the workload; To work on creating transference from our adventure course activities and the games we played back to these students' intensive summer school experiences and back to school in the fall; And to aid her in being thorough with her directions. I think I helped T meet those needs well, and I think we had a good rapport as co-facilitators.

Also, we had to leave the climbing wall early in the afternoon due to thunderstorms. T and I combined our rising 10th graders with Ryan and Salome's group and we did a large group get-to-know-you with the participants' name tags, then the two groups did pipeline side by side (I facilitated the brief, Ryan spearheaded the debrief). The skill I used when we combined groups was my flexibility and creativity.

What activities did you do that were new to you during the program?

Puzzle/# debrief which T showed me, similar to an index-card name game where you switch after talking with a partner.
Hard-boiled egg Full-Value Contract.

What were challenges you encountered while facilitating this group?
I think the one thing I could have improved was urging my co-facilitator to go easy on debriefs in the beginning, making them short and sweet, and then upping the ante towards transference in the end. I think we front-loaded well for transference of skills and learning however fell victim to some over-processing in the middle.

How can you apply what you learned during this program next time? (What groups might it be applicable to?)
Δ Next time this group comes up, we need to work on setting a better pace for debriefs during the starts of the norming stage and adding variety to debriefs:
-Use Chiji cards
-Use LOLCards
-Physical objects (Racecar/Knot debrief from Tony Alvarez @ Association for Experiential Education International Conference last year)
-What-So What-Now What? (KIS)
Δ Because the faculty rotates around, being very creative with get-to-know-you and name games will be key. Think of lots of physical ones.
Δ Have some good tag games for high-schoolers in mind.
+ Relied and trusted a lot in my co-facilitator because I did always know where she was and felt confident leading things.
Δ On the next programs, I need to push my co to give me delta feedback! I didn't get any this go-around which made me sad as that's one of the best parts about summer and co-facilitating (which we don't do a lot during the year).
Δ Increase awareness of my tone and language, want to sound gracious, genuine, and not condescend (which is something I have definitely heard before). For this I will need specific examples from my co-facilitator and alternative ways to get meaning across.

Trial by Fire, or, Experiential Education at Its Finest

2009-06-19T08:43:00.002-04:00

Two days ago I felt put on the spot in being responsible for teaching figure 8 with follow through, water knots, double fisherman knots, bomber figure 8 (double figure 8) and butterfly knots to summer staff, the way we like to see them on our high ropes elements. I had never learned the butterfly knot my own self, seeing as how there is only onbe group belay element on our adventure course.

Yesterday, we stayed inside all morning doing belaying on the ground, where I checked off returning staff. In the afternoon, we all headed out to the climbing wall where we would put into practice the hard skills and individuals would be able to choose their challenges.

I've got to say that besides being a blur, the afternoon went extremely well, and I wonder if after I was stressed out the day before by being put on the spot, I wasn't as stressed as I may have felt yesterday otherwise. Trial by fire for me is not the best way I perform, however it did put me in a position, I feel, to be successful the next day.

Everyone stayed safe and is beginning to get those hard skills down, today is more facilitation/goal-setting/transference-creation added to the mix, something I am very excited about. And then this afternoon I am getting rescue-trained on our elements, so that's awesome, too.

Summer Staff versus Full-Time Staff

2009-06-18T11:36:00.005-04:00

As of June 7th, 2009, I have been in my current position for one year. Now that I am the one that is doing the training, I have learned many things that I'd like to apply for next years' summer staff training:

Delta first:

Trial by fire may not be the most comfortable thing in the world, however it is also one of the times that I experience being outside of my comfort zone on property, and as such is important since it allows me to better empathize with participants.
Knowing a skill--like setting up a Marrison-Haul system for bear-bagging or tying a bowline knot-- is one thing. Knowing how to teach summer staff to do it is a whole other set of skills.
Also, being able to teach how to do something is different from instructing people how to teach participants those same skills.
Getting gardening done prior to arrival of summer staff will be crucial in having a more productive growing season next year. That means starting plants earlier inside (this goes under my work-life balance thing.)
If you don't use it, you lose it (this refers mostly to swimming my 550, which I could not do two weeks ago at the Y. Yesterday I finished 550 in Lake Mohican and feel confident that I will be prepared come qualifying test day on the 29th of June.
Use planning time more wisely before arrival of summer staff to make campsite training easier. Who will teach what skills? How will I teach those skills which are most challenging for me? I feel like when I failed to take initiative on planning, my co-facilitator didn't push me to sit down and plan, and I found myself taking it out on him.
Set up a Restoration schedule earlier with my summer staff crew at the beginning of training so there is no question as to who is responsible for leading what meals. Remind facilitators that each time they brief a meal or do a restoration they should be doing it as if it's a first meal, so that they gain the ability to teach their students how to restore or bus their tables from lunch.
Remind facilitators that each time they brief a meal or do a restoration they should be doing it as if it's a first meal, so that they gain the ability to teach their students how to restore or bus their tables from lunch.
De-issue note: start more people off on tents and then have people peel off since spraying out tents takes the longest.
Drink lots of water. I got sick while out camping and it definitely effected (affected?) my ability to facilitate our new summer staff.

Positive side?

I also let my supervisors know what was going on and what needs I had in order to be able to do the training I was responsible for. This was something I did well.
Set up a Restoration schedule with my summer staff crew so there is no question as to who is responsible for leading what meals (this was a good thing I did, I just need to do it earlier).
I totally got thrown under the bus at different points in staff training. Being the person I am, I can't hide that that totally stresses me out. I also know that I should feel proud for being flexible and doing the best I could given the circumstances.
Getting summer staff to help finish out the de-issue when things weren't dry from camping out on site.
Super-organized de-issue and finishing-up de-issue. Seriously, there were cones and laminated signs involved, and then a to-do list on a whiteboard.
Learned how to straighten tent stakes.

Peer Leaders Spring Trip

2009-06-03T06:30:00.003-04:00

I'm going to try a new format for processing my programs since the prior one is a great way to take notes for myself during debriefs but not so great a way to make the process easy in terms of getting pertinent info on the 'blog.

Now that I've worked at our Experiential Education center for 361 days, I am starting to see students more than once (since we work with a lot of the same primary service populations pretty often). This two-day program was one of those ones, being the Peer Leaders from a high school off Route 1.

The Peer Leaders (Juniors and Seniors) came in the fall to find out who their co-facilitators were for presenting to the freshmen classes and to come together as a group.

One way their teachers/"coaches" impress is the way they utilize their time at our facility.

Meals become team-building activities, with students having hands tied together, being blindfolded or unable to use their hands during the meal (at random). They also give new seating guidelines for each meal "Birth months: January through June over there, July through December at this table." One student commented when we ate Family Style at dinner that they'd never had that experience before, and this group really seems like a big family from what I see.

The coaches sit back and let us brief and facilitate activities (we co-facilitate since there are 16-18 Peer Leaders and our group limit is usually 12), and either front-load with us or are crucial in creating transference through the debriefs.

It doesn't hurt that the Peer Leaders are able to see the bigger picture and draw deeper meaning for themselves already.

After spending the year together, the PL look like a well-run Residence Hall staff in April: friendly, lots of love, know the importance of getting mad then getting over it, no obvious cliques, and starting to mourn the end of their time together. They have been trained to be largely independent of their coaches at this point.

This was my third time co-facilitating with T, and we are really starting to hit a sweet spot.

I really rocked at

using students' names,
not micromanaging older students (i.e. letting them figure out how to get the wash-house fully restored),
flowing with and relying on T (he's really allowing me to grow as a co-facilitator and I find myself being pushed whenever we facilitate in a way that is not stressful,
being clear with directions and instructions (even on some Benadryl!)
for me working my rapport with these students is never a challenge because I do adore them.
Also, I actively recruited for summer staff next year and will e-mail links to this years' application and notify when next years' is up online. I even got cell numbers to call and follow-up after I e-mail in February. One thing that might really benefit my organization is more non-white summer staff members, especially former participants.

My deltas were

to work on how much information I share with students, finding that fine tuning of just enough to establish rapport and keeping the program about them (maybe I can ask questions back to students that they ask me, i.e. where do you live? what do you do around here for fun?)
be more aware of when I am choosing to wear sunglasses when facilitating.
consciously think ahead to debriefs as I'm leading activities.

Max-ing out programming versus time given.

2009-05-19T06:38:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I finished early with a group of students, and certain things seemed to take my group forever, limiting the amount of time I was providing programming. Since then I've stepped up my game and am proud of the fact that I've been working my students during the entire time I'm given to provide it. I wouldn't have realized I wasn't doing as well as I could if I hadn't received feedback, and its only through the mistakes I made that I've gotten better at maxing out programming per time.

from Motivational Quotes of the Day
"Mistakes are the portals of discovery."
James Joyce

from Motivational Quotes of the Day
"It's always helpful to learn from your mistakes because then your mistakes seem worthwhile."
Garry Marshall

Backpacking trip #3

2009-05-18T21:49:00.005-04:00

Success!

Creativity & Prompts

2009-05-18T21:37:00.004-04:00

I really like being able to give students time to free-write and draw. As someone with a fine-art background, it's important to me that students get to express themselves creatively. Other people I work with have done more drama-based or music-based exercises in creativity. An adjunct I know once asked her kids to make a Full-Value Contract in the form of a rap.

It frustrates me a lot when I am unable to give students that solo reflection time, to relax, to process some of the intensely new experiences we ask them to open themselves up to.

Digression:
And for me, as a facilitator, when I use that time to reflect, too, I think I facilitate better; have a moment to get a better broader picture, as opposed to figuring out activities one at a time, spur of the moment. I find myself better and better able to snatch this time to think as I go along as a facilitator. "You were barely keeping your head above the water," some have reflected of my first few months here, and I think that's very true. I could hardly notice anything further than the nose on my face. Now I have it down to the things immediately around me, I still don't consider myself overwhelmingly aware.

I don't like to hedge my students in; I offer them a board to write on top of, lined or unlined paper, a whole box of writing utensils, a time limit, distance guideline, and suggest they not sit close enough to talk.

At the last free-writing I gave some students, a student "Zoe" wrote this poem after a rough first day on our campus.

When you hear the
Sound of a water fall
What do you really think?
Because I notice a fall
and a thought of
silence, eyes closing
and no blinks
but do you ever notice
the leaves how its just there
but look close
until you see your reflection
then listen back to
the water fall
Now tell me. Do you hear
the roar of a bear
now what I always notice
is a log
for me to sit and fantasize
for me to hear the water fall
reflect on the leaves
and the bear voice
in my head
to memorize
but be careful because
when the water falls down
you would realize...

DC Public Boarding High School 4/21-23/2009

2009-05-18T13:32:00.006-04:00

In 140 characters or less, describe this program, population, and their goals in bringing their group to our facility.

High school, 9th-graders 4/21-23, first public boarding school located in Washington, D.C. Introduced myself as PG (after the county I'm from).

What did you like or enjoy about your group?

M (guy not in my group) has hiked all over Wyoming, going to Utah. Lots of cool kids, lots of energy. Did a good job sitting with my students instead of at a staff table.

What were the soft facilitation skills you feel you did well?

Learning names, providing a decent amount of down-time to respond to group needs. Good rapport built with students.

What activities did you do that were new to you during the program?

Since our night walk was scheduled early, I had my students write or draw near the creek by Baking Tin bridge until it was too dark for them to do so. I cut pages out of composition books and halved legal-size paper, and cut pieces of uncorrugated board from cake mix and granola boxes in the kitchen to keep with my facilitation backpack. These things worked really well for me.

What were challenges you encountered while facilitating this group?

Like herding cats--short attention span. Some gang associations. Not prepared as well, some were completely turned-off and hard to engage the entire time (Obama was scheduled to be at their school the day they came up). Gang signs and flagging were pretty prevalent.

What did you learn from the last program that you wanted to apply to this program? Were you successful?

I had a lot of trouble with names and did a whole lot better with names this go around. Success!

What feedback from participants, co-workers or chaperones did you receive that you would like to remember?

Students said: "More things to bring people together."
"I learned that I have to 'avoid the tyrranny of the status quo.'"
"Keep doing what you are doing."
"I liked everything about this place."

Travis suggested that since a gang covenant is often that you don't deny being in a gang, asking about it and asking that it be left at home since they are in a new environment. "I understand that is a reality where you're from. I accept that about you. I need to to be present to here and now, though."

Improve chaperone talk.

Better transference.

How can you apply what you learned during this program next time? (What groups might it be applicable to?)
Next time I have a primary-service population group definitely address gang membership. I also typed up my chaperone talk topics to tape to the back of my miniature clipboard for the next time.

SMARTer goals, FY 2009 Edition

2009-05-04T19:42:00.006-04:00

So, here were my dumb goals, which I established in the fall and were effective through spring 2009. My supervisor and I worked together to establish a bunch of goals for the next year, and I am very excited about them. As someone who's played video games, I think of goals in the analogy of "you need to complete level 1 to get to level 2 to beat the game" (where "beat the game" is "being the most awesome me I can be at work.")

My 2009 Goals as an Experiential Education Facilitator

The SMART Goal	Where am I at on that goal right now? Where did the goal come from?	What is the tag that will be associated with posts on this goal's progress?
For every program group facilitated identify one thing you would like to improve on and write down one way you can implement that change for you next group. Track this in an online blog.Create a program binder that contains a copy of all your programs worked during the upcoming fiscal year including programs when you are on support.	Started my binder, created a personal debreif on the 'blog that I have yet to fill out for each program, but want to (they are filled out on paper for 3/4 past programs.)	improving-facilitation, nexttime, campus or urban
Offer each of your fellow REEFS two pieces of delta feedback between now and the end of March next year. Send me an email describing that process including the issue and your approach. (This will require becoming familiar with how others like to receive feedback)For each piece of above Delta Feedback given offer that same person one and preferably two pieces of plus feedback. Document it by sending me an email describing what they did well. Use the same approach that you did giving the Delta feedback.	Since we live in an intentional community, and I work with 5 people who also live on-property, just like I do, it's easy to not want to rock the boat. In order for folks to keep on developing, they often need delta feedback. Did you know delta feedback originated from the Boeing corporation, apparently? + is positive feedback, keep doing it, delta (Δ) is the symbol for change, a place to improve.	giving-feedback
Pass the Prerequisites’ for the Lifeguarding course during summer staff training in June of 2009 and successfully pass all other necessary requirement to receive your ARC Lifeguarding certifications.	I have taken to swimming laps at the Y (even though I hate it.) I can now swim the 550 qualifying swim, though I should put my head in the water and work on my breaststroke leg movements. I do the 550 without touching the sides of the pool, next step is practicing in a lake before the qualifying day in June.	life-guarding
On area days attain a 2/3 level of accuracy predicting time needed to complete a project. Create an appointment in your outlook calendar for every area day noting whether or not you were successful in this. Achieve a 75% success rate for the year.	I am the suck at time management. It's probably one of my greatest weaknesses, I am bad at figuring out how long things will take me (underestimating) and thus overestimate the amount of work I can get done.	area-day-time-management
Receive only one delta feedback from your peers and supervisors between now and the end of next March that has it’s origins in a poorly-communicated email. When/if this happens keep those emails in a separate folder and discuss them with me during our regular check-ins.	I am getting better at having others read e-mails before I send them, especially to other supervisors, and that seems to be working well, they give great pointers.	electronic-communication
Not be addressed about poorly maintained work gear more than four times by the Resource Coordinator between now and the end of next March.	My supervisor is the Resource Coordinator. As much as he enjoys bustin' my hump, he's got better things to do with his time, and so do I. Also, if I don't model good gear care, what can I expect to see from adjunct and summer staff?	caring-for-gear
Participate in at least one University Training/professional development class in the fall winter or spring that does not interfere with programming schedule.	I keep my eyes peeled on the University HR site for opportunities to take part in continuing education classes and training sessions, I just have to keep doing it and asking so we can find one that it's worth it to drive 2 hours to and from for.	pro-dev-classes
By the beginning of summer staff training 2009, become familiar with and be able to lead a group on all trails on property.	Trails to Power Rock and on the back 40 are my weaknesses.	better-know-a-trail
By the beginning of summer staff training 2009, have experience facilitating participants on every operational fixed Adventure Course element on property.	Still to go: trust falls platform, do a better job at porthole, learn seagull swing.	low-ropes
Seek out continued development in the area of high ropes course skills. By the end of summer staff training 2009 become proficient in set-up, facilitation, break-down, rescue bag setup and rescue protocols of all high ropes course elements on property.	Nag my co-worker in charge of the ropes course, ask questions, volunteer to do things that are challenging and ask for feedback.	high-ropes
Not be addressed by supervisors about inappropriate professional attire more than two times between now and the end of next March. Initiate feedback from supervisors about attire when I’m uncertain in order to better understand supervisor expectations.	Business casual is very challenging for me, and coming from art school, fancy clothes are ones that have no paint on them. Something I'm getting better at.	professional-attire
To help maintain a healthy work life balance I will attempt to arrive and depart work at the regularly scheduled hours at least half the time. If there are days when I come in early or stay late I will make an effort to do one of these but not both; that is staying late or coming in early.	Really struggled with writing this one. Also, forgot to add that I intend not to come in on my days off. Residential positions, I know from being an RA in college, can lead to burn-out if you're not careful, and I want to deliver great programming consistently.	work-life-balance

Backpacking trip #2

2009-05-03T19:24:00.005-04:00

Mission successful!

I did the route of our 3-day backpacking expedition coming up by myself yesterday after work and today before driving down to Baltimore. It was my second backpacking trip (I know, just an overnight, big deal), and my first time camping by myself.

A lot of my gear was borrowed, what was mine was used for the first time outdoors, and I'm happy to say my planning was solid, the practice with trekking poles added a lot to my stamina.

The first day, 2.4 miles with 400 ft gain at the intro was not bad, a lot of ridgeline. 4:20 PM to 5:55 PM to do that mileage. 2.4 miles in less than an hour and 45 minutes. The weather held out and it was beautiful, shorts and tank-top hiking (I longed to have brought my hiking skirt!).
I hit Catfish Tower before I even realized it.

Bear-bagged in a decent number of throws, found a good tree, ate a solid dinner, and woke up a couple times just from getting chilly despite my Lafuma Yellowstone 30F/-1C. Did some crunches and wiggled around to generate heat, then went back to sleep.

This morning I shoved off at a leisurely pace, 9:10 AM (break-down took me about 2 hours at a leisurely pace), stopped at the bottom of the hill before crossing Millbrook Road to get water and treat it with iodine (very boggy down there, lots of mosquitos even early in the season.) I carried 4 liters yesterday, killed 3 between 4PM and 10:15 AM this morning. Once again, happened upon my end-point before I knew it, rocking out 4.6 miles in 4 hours and finding my way safely to the Matrix, where my supervisor left me a short congratulatory note in a plastic bag.

I compared this trip to my last one when I drove down to Baltimore. The last trip I went on, a training trip, I wanted to end the trip at a closer mile-marker. We were winter hiking, packs were heavy, weather sucked, and it was a lot of new-ness. I wanted to be on that trip, and I knew it was important for me to train for expedition. But at the end of that trip, I wasn't proud that we made it a mileage I felt was impossible.

I felt like probably a lot of the city kids I work with feel like when we bring them out into the woods. I felt overwhelmed, didn't have trekking poles, felt in over my head. And for a facilitator, that's not a common place to be. Usually I know where I am going, what I'm doing, or have some inkling. Or at least am pretty sure it will come to me.

On that winter trip, I was out of my comfort zone.

This trip was outside of my comfort zone, but I was also in control. And now I know that I'm going to be able to handle the physical aspects of the trip in 12 days. Now to study up on my expedition soft skills and protocol.

NEXT TIME:Put on all the layers, especially long underwear and flannel before hitting the hay, and ditch the leggings for zip-off pants before heading off, even if it's cold. Also would have liked my fingerless gloves in the morning and could have rocked a hat and turtle-neck all night, even though it was not that cold. I packed the right amount of clothing, I just need to do a better job thermoregulating.

Have you considered joining the Twitterverse?

2009-04-30T09:05:00.002-04:00

Jay Roberts from the Outdoor Ed community made a great 'blog post about why Twitter can be a good thing for development and ongoing discourse in your area of study (Why you should care about "twittering" April 21 2009).

The experiential/outdoor field cannot be resistant to technology (in fact, any cursory look at the latest gear shows that we are in fact quite the opposite). Yet, sometimes, we get caught in the mindset that computer-based technology somehow diminishes the Good life [I have been to conference sessions on Millenials, my generation, where all they seem to do is demonize our love of tech! -L]. This is not necessarily so. In fact, used properly, places like outdoored.com, blogs, and yes... twitter can advance the field by more effectively and efficiently linking communities of interest in ways we couldn't have dreamed of even 10 years ago.

I've already used Twitter to network with folks who used #tristate09 as a tag during the American Camping Association conference in Atlantic City a couple months ago. You can also follow conferences you might not be at, like I did #aeene09. Not only do these give another dimension to conferences, allowing you to ask about presentations you are unsure about, they also often lead to Tweet-ups--that is, physical getting-together in meatspace. And a big reason I go to conferences as a new professional are to network.

Since I moved to rural Jersey because that's where the work was, Twitter also helps me stay in touch with my twin sister (who does geology field work in southern California) and my friends from school. It helps us know what one another are up to, helps me show and tell exactly what I do sometimes.

06:27 Hopping in the shower then setting up the dam rappel to do with my participants from Harlem. These 8th graders are AWE-some!
15:44 Blogging and processing my last program, then tackling to-do list.
20:42 Reading a little Backpackers Field Guide by Rick Curtis and pondering how I want to condition over the next 14 days for leading participants.
14:28 Is getting really excited--spring facilitation rush starts tomorrow! #youthworker Will be fantastic to get facilitating again.
21:45 Check out this massive common snapping turtle we saw! She must have been 20" JUST shell! tinyurl.com/20inchsnapper Huge pic I took

Thanks Jay for making a thoughtful post on Twitter for Outdoor Ed. Using Twitter does not have to be a timesuck and distraction, used intentionally (and we are all about intentionality as facilitators) it can be a valuable new forum for the exchange of information and coming together of people.

You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ElleasinSwell

Preparing to co-lead my 1st expedition

2009-04-29T18:07:00.005-04:00

It was brought to my attention that I have just 14 days until I am scheduled to go on my first expedition with participants.

I should explain that my first backpacking trip in my entire life was in April (I think?), and due to lots of different things, I felt a little traumatized post-trip. This facilitator is feeling much better at this point, but that debrief was a pretty excruciating one to get through. Hiking on the AT with snow on the ground was very physically challenging for me. Since I left school in Baltimore, I drive everywhere except when I'm at work, I sold my 3 speed Schwinn Collegiate. My climbing punch pass ran out.

The most important thing that I learned on that trip right now is that I'm not in backpacking condition.

I just printed the trip plan, which is .5 mile the first day, 4 miles the second, and 2.4 miles the third (or opposite, two groups are going opposing directions.)

I'm not in backpacking condition yet. I also wasn't in condition last summer the first time I attempted to qualify for lifeguarding by attempting the 550. But today, after working at it a little, I can do my 550 (even though I hate it, the entire time) in under 40 minutes.

So, I have 5 days off till we take these 6th graders on-trail. (You can see in the upper left-hand corner my days off--the 30th, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 11th. You know, right next to the diagram of How To Solve Elephant's Graveyard.) The 4th is my last class in Baltimore to complete my BFA. Tomorrow I am planting my garden with my co-worker.

It is my goal to get in hiking with a loaded pack on as much as possible between now and the 12th, however I can do that and still feel rested and ready for my participants.

On the 30th, when I have off, I will grab a pack from my friendly local Resource Coordinator and load it up with our super-non-ultralite gear, so that I can wear it hiking around property with my kids, and practice my packing and unpacking. I'll get help adjusting the base-model Leki poles I have borrowed to help save my genetically inferior knees and get used to using those.
On the 3rd, I will hike the 2.4 mile section of the Appalachian Trail with a partially-loaded pack and poles.
After work on the 2nd I will rock out a few/couple miles which include the .5 mile section that is the first/last day of the trip, again with a loaded pack.
On the 11th, I'm going to hike the longest day we have on the AT, the 4 mile day, with a fully loaded pack.
If I can get in an overnight on the AT with a co-worker on the end of any one of these days, I'll do that.
As much as I can hike with my co-workers and get tips on my form, facilitating on backpacking expedition, etc., I will do that.

I'm going to be relying a lot on the expertise of others, but I want to feel confident in my own pace and form so I can help my co-workers take care of our participants. I don't want to feel like a participant on our trip. And I'd be crazy not to use my colleagues for all they are worth in order to condition myself over the next two weeks, whether that's rides to trail heads, as hiking partners, or general butt-kickers.

My work environment also creates a good opportunity in that I'm definitely in a place where moseying around property with a pack on won't look as strange as, say, moseying around downtown Baltimore with a pack on. It's something to think about, for sure.

Analog Tag Cloud

2009-04-29T17:43:00.006-04:00

Above you can see me working out the "tags" that I'm using to categorize information in my sketchbook (Moleskine "Cahier" XL kraft cover, whut whut!). This way, when I start typing to categorize, tags will pop up in my "labels" section.

Dumb Goals

2009-04-29T15:47:00.004-04:00

These are goals in the format originally set out by my supervisor, i.e. not a ton of structure. And they are OK goals, in general. For my annual performance assessment (now that I'm 10 months in) I am re-hashing my goals to be SMART goals. That is, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.

Which I have taught about 4 times in-school at urban programs to students, and yet didn't employ in making my own goals. Improved goals coming up next!

My Goals, pre-SMART-ing

Maintain work-life balance.
Qualify for lifeguarding in June 2009 by completing the 550 in Bass Lake, and then complete the lifeguarding certification course and test.
Become more aware of and work to improve professionalism in communication (appropriate, efficient, and helpful) and dress.
Managing time efficiently and better prioritizing tasks, especially during Area Work Days.
Become a better facilitator through asking for and receiving feedback.
Become more accountable for my gear.

On feedback (or, How I Like Feedback)

2009-04-29T15:24:00.003-04:00

Even though I know in my head that feedback is a gift, an opportunity for growth, I still find it challenging to hear it and not take it personally. They aren't criticizing me, they are giving me information about behaviors and actions, which are changeable.

One thing that my organization does to make the feedback process easier is everyone has a document on our shared drive that describes how you like feedback. For me it makes giving feedback to others in my org simpler; I'm not engaging in a power struggle, things aren't getting personal, feedback is still constructive, caring, timely, clear and concise. The cool thing about them being virtual is no paper waste, and you can change them whenever you realize "Oh, that's not working for me." Pretty cool, really.

Of course, my style isn't always going to be able to be met by my supervisors or colleagues, but they definitely show they care when they give it how I like it.

How I Like Feedback
Let me know you have feedback for me and ask if the present is a good time to have that conversation.
I like to receive feedback in a neutral location that is neither mine nor yours.
I like to be able to process your feedback by seeing it, so receiving it in written form is preferred. Or realizing it may take some time for me to process and allowing me the time to do so as we meet would be appreciated.
Seek to understand me first, then to be understood by me.
Give specific examples in your feedback.
I like to meet about delta feedback a second time after I have had time to process the information (a few days) as opposed to come up with solutions right away.

What instruments have you and your organization found to aid in the feedback process?

Program Reflection Questions

2009-04-29T15:14:00.005-04:00

For me, I process a lot with writing. This 'blog is going to help me tag and track my reflections and goals, and I think this is a better version of the self-processing questions I came up with for myself a couple of weeks ago.

Programs sometimes are here for one or two nights, I can work two or three programs in a work week, and I want to be able to look back on what my struggles and strengths are right now in 3 months, 6 months, 2 years. Hopefully, these questions are a little better a way to debrief each program. I write notes longhand at the program debrief, then process as I type them up, adding and editing as I go along.

In 140 characters or less, describe this program, population, and their goals in bringing their group to our facility.

What did you like or enjoy about your group?

What were the soft facilitation skills you feel you did well?

What new technical facilitation skills did you learn?

What activities did you do that were new to you during the program?

What were challenges you encountered while facilitating this group?

What did you learn from the last program that you wanted to apply to this program? Were you successful?

What feedback from participants, co-workers or chaperones did you receive that you would like to remember?

How can you apply what you learned during this program next time? (What groups might it be applicable to?)

The post in which I introduce myself

2009-04-20T09:42:00.002-04:00

My name is Lindsay and I facilitate youth and adults in experiential education activities and initiatives.

I've worked a couple of camp jobs during the summers I was in college, and spent my school year in Baltimore, MD. I was looking for residence-life kinds of jobs during the spring of my Senior year at the Maryland Institute College of Art when my current position sort-of found me (albeit through a higheredjobs.com job alert that I set).

The small non-profit I work for is attached to a good-sized University, but our staff is small, about 10 of us during the year at the campus office, and another 8 or so in our administrative headquarters. It's an intimate workplace, and I really like that.

I got the job the day after my commencement ceremony in Baltimore last June. The move to New Jersey was good to me, "nothin' like a little intentional community," as the super would say. Ten months in, I've learned a whole lot, and the more I learn the more I realize I don't know.

In order to better track my facilitation goals and progress I make towards them, I'm writing this 'blog for myself and my direct supervisor. However, if any other experiential education facilitators out there can learn from my mistakes and my learning, that would make me feel pretty great, too. Here's what this 'blog is for:

Track progress on goals
Process programs by debreifing myself in the below form in order to get the most learning out of my experiences
Share facilitation techniques and lessons learned

Program Processing

In less than 140 characters, describe this program and its' goals.

What did you like or enjoy about this group?

Are there any facilitation skills you feel you did particularly well?

What did you learn from the last program that you wanted to apply to this program?

Were you successful?

What did you learn from this program and give one example on how you will implement that on the next program.