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SECTION 1
BEGINNINGS
WARM UPS, BUILDING GROUP, WORKING TOGETHER, FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION
1 KITES AND BALLOONS
OBJECTIVES: Identify hopes and fears
FOCUS: Low
ENERGY: Low
NUMBERS: 3+
DURATION: 20 to 30 min
MATERIAL: Sheets of paper cut into balloon and kite shapes
Coloured pens or pencils
Large sheets of paper
Marker pen
STAGES: In groups of 3 to 5, participants discuss their fears and expectations in relation to the workshop, listing their fears on the balloons (so they can be exploded) and their expectations on the kites (so that they can rise). The groups do not have to write their names on their work.
The groups put their balloons and kites into a pile in the middle of the room and take another kite and balloon from the pile.
Each group now reads out these fears and expectations to everyone.
The facilitator summarises all the fears and expectations on a large sheet of paper.
FROM THE FIELD
Discussing our fears and expectations like this was great because we were able to get a general view of these themes from the group and this helped us to create a contract of work which took account of the whole group.
It was an interesting way to find out the expectations of the group. I noticed that in general, the participants had difficulty expressing what they really wanted. It was difficult for us to transfer what we had written on the kites and balloons to a larger summary for the whole group, because we didn’t really understand what the others were trying to say.
2 GALLERY OF HOPES AND FEARS
OBJECTIVES: Identify hopes and fears
Issue-based work
FOCUS: Low
ENERGY: Medium
NUMBERS: 4+
DURATION: 20 to 30 min
MATERIAL: None
STAGES: Ask the group to divide into pairs: A (the sculptors) and B (modelling clay). Remind the group to work in silence.
Explain that in each pair, A has 2 minutes to model B into a sculpture (a frozen image) of a fear they have regarding the work they are about to start in the group.
After 2 minutes, ask all the sculptors to move away from their works, which should now be displayed in the centre of the room as a gallery.
Ask the sculptors to group similar sculptures together.
Ask the group to look at each group of images and suggest words to describe what they can see.
The facilitator should note these ideas on a large sheet of paper for the group to see.
Now, the original pairs swap roles: B models A, creating an image of their hopes and the reading process is repeated.
Finally, ask the group to look at the summary of all their fears and expectations and to add any that have not been included.
This summary can now be used to write a contract of work with the group and to anticipate and talk through problems they might face.
HINTS
If you are working with a small number of people, ask both A and B to model fears and hopes. This will give you more material to work with.
You could also use this exercise for issue-based work.
FROM THE FIELD
I used this exercise to evaluate teamwork in my institution and to discuss the educative process.
3 THE CONTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Establish rules for the group
FOCUS: Low
ENERGY: Low
NUMBERS: 4+
DURATION: 20 min
MATERIAL: Sheets of paper
Coloured pens
Large sheets of paper
Marker pens
STAGES: Write each fear and expectation generated by the group on separate sheets of paper, place them in 2 columns (one of fears, one of expectations) on the floor. Between them place a large sheet of blank paper.
Ask the group to re-order the columns, matching up corresponding fears and expectations where they can.
The group now thinks of rules which they will all agree to follow to help meet these expectations and dispel the fears.
Write these rules on the blank piece of paper and either pin it on the wall or distribute a copy to each group member.
HINTS
You can use the fears and expectations generated in Ex. 1 Kites and Balloons for this exercise.
4 MY NAME IN ACTION
OBJECTIVES: Warm up
Breaking the ice
Building group identity
FOCUS: Low
ENERGY: Medium
NUMBERS: 3+
DURATION: 10 min
MATERIAL: None
STAGES: Ask the group to form a circle.
Each participant thinks of a word which starts with the first sound of their name, and has something to do with their personality (for example, Energetic Emma). Each word should be accompanied by a gesture to illustrate it.
A participant goes to the centre of the circle, says their name, the word and completes their gesture.
The rest of the group takes 2 steps towards the centre of the circle and repeats the name, word and gesture twice.
The next person in the circle then shows their name, word and gesture for the group to repeat.
EXTENSION
After everyone has presented themselves, indicate a person and ask the group to remember their name, word or gesture. Most people will be able to remember at least 1 of the 3 for each person.
HINTS
This technique allows us to reveal ourselves to a group on a first meeting and helps the group to see each other beyond references of social class or status. The exercise can help us to perceive levels of self-esteem in the participants.
FROM THE FIELD
This technique helped me to get to know the group who I was going to start work with.
I used this technique in a children’s home with girls, and one of them, who was always very afraid of participating, was very quiet, amazed everyone when she went into the middle of the circle and said ‘Silvia – salta’ [Jumping Silvia] – and jumped into the air. After the session, she came up and said: “it’s not so difficult to speak. We shoul...
