Facilitation FAQs

 

1.       How do I respond to an offensive remark?

•   Repeat the comment back in a quizzical way and ask the student for clarification.

•   Thank the student for sharing, and then express your concerns about the comment.

•   Ask other students in the group for their thoughts (e.g. "What do others think?").

•   Explain that being a member of a community comes with responsibilities that include being respectful of the other members of the community.

•   Acknowledge that offensive or disrespectful comments have the potential to keep people from feeling safe and make them less likely to share what makes them unique.

 

2.       What about an "ignorant" remark?

•   Set expectations at the outset of the discussion including asking group members to speak from their own experience.

•   Repeat the comment back in a quizzical way and ask the student for clarification.

•   Educate the group.

•   If you feel unable to refute the comment, but are certain that it is untrue let the group know that in your experience this is not true.

•   Remind students to speak from their own experience.

•   Encourage students to research this and use reliable and valid information to make their judgments.

 

3.       What if a student discloses something of a personal nature?

•   Be empathic, listen and affirm the student; let the student know that you appreciate that she or he trusted the group.

•   Paraphrase and mirror the student's emotions (e.g. you sound really proud; what a wrenching experience; a real rollercoaster of emotions--you seem to be in a great place now).

•   If the student seems to be asking for help you may want to chat with the student after the session and consider recommending some of the excellent services at the Counseling and Student Development Center in Varner House.

 

4.       What if a student brings up a point that you were not prepared to discuss or know very little about?

•   Validate the student.

•   Your job is not to be experienced about every topic that is raised, but to facilitate a discussion centered on student's experiences related to the text. If students are making connections between the text and their transition to JMU this is not necessarily a problem.

•   You may need to ask how the discussion relates back to the text.

•   You may need to ask the students to educate or inform you on the topic.

•   If you believe there is simply not enough time to discuss the topic or you feel this point is off topic let the student know that you appreciate her or his point, but we will not have time to discuss it.

 

5.       What if no one seems to be talking?

Consider the following when structuring your session:

•   Begin with individual introductions so each student has an opportunity to speak at least once in front of the group (this may bolster the confidence of some students).

•   Early on in the session facilitate a trust building activity (e.g. a self-disclosure "icebreaker" such as each member sharing her/his name and something others don't know about her/him)

•   Move from low-risk topics to higher-risk topics as students develop more comfort.

•   Take into consideration the variety of learning styles and personalities in the room (some students are more comfortable speaking in dyads or small groups).

•   Use other means to promote conversation such as a metaphor (e.g. compare ideas in the text to a movie) or cite specific quotes from the text that students can react to.

•   Be patient and let the students know that you are patient.

 

6.       What if you do not understand what a member of the group is saying or getting at?

•   Ask for clarification.

•   Be honest.

•   Apologize.

 

7.       What if the students think that this reading is not relevant to their lives now?

•   The nature of the National-Local debate is always changing, but it is also, always present.

•   All of the government services we count on are negotiated and sometimes fought over among local, regional, state, and federal bodies.

•   Roads, energy, water, air, food quality, and law enforcement among the categories affected but education, especially.

•   In Europe, the constitutional struggle between states and federalism is playing out every day in the news.