Sunday, July 6, 2014

Conference Day 2: Facilitation Skills for Leaders

The second session on the second day of the Maryland College and Career Readiness Conference was targeted to improving the skill of facilitation in leaders. 

Facilitators serve three main roles in their work with groups of professionals. They are designers who develop an agenda and a vision for the group. From designing facilitators then become pilots who lead the course of discussion and brainstorming, as well as landing the productive plane with an action plan that brings everyone to a common purpose. Continuing the group's travels the facilitator becomes a guide if the group through the action plan. As an expert, the facilitator uncorporates the valued opinions of the entire group in the discussion and execution of the process. 

This metaphor was very helpful in connecting the many differ bet hats of the facilitator as a leader of others. The main skills that stuck with me were as follows; listening and responding effectively, guiding others, attending to the conten and process keeping the group focused, being in service of the group, and creating conditions that bring people together. 

When working with a divers group of people towards a common purpose it important for the facilitator to maintain a sense ofcommunity and goal oriented focus. I connected this to how we as teachers organize our students  in the work toward a common goal. 

My goals after attending this session are to engage in facilitation with a group of professionals, and to improve the facilitation of my students in their problem solving. 

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