Building Positive Group Dynamics

Course Summary

How often are we challenged in our teaching, facilitation, or leadership not because we don't know our field of expertise, but because we are unsure of what makes groups work and how to bring about that precious quality: real work? Much of teaching and facilitation lies in the realm of the relational. Though little is written on this, it can be learnt and understood.

Drawing on insights from humanistic psychology and philosophy, this course will give names to what we intuitively know and handles to doors on areas of knowledge we have not yet opened. We shall explore the interpersonal skill of how we meet the individual's real needs and our own. Insights gained give a practical underpinning to our objectives, planning and evaluating. Participants will have the opportunity to work with their own realities.

Programme of the training activities

» Managing conflict and orchestrating difference
» Developing trust and tolerance
» The skills of confrontation
» The recognition and feedback cycle
» How quintessential needs are met through Time Structuring
» Developing your individual style of group leadership

Expected results
As a result of attending this course, the participants will have a more holistic, coherent view of what group work consists of, and will be able to use a new philosophy and the skills to manage the group more effectively.

Is this the right course for me?

• Yes - if you have ever sensed ‘subterranean forces' underpinning or undermining group work and longed to know more
• Yes - if you want to use group work more effectively
• Yes - if you struggle to decide when and how to intervene in a group
• Yes - if ‘motivation' and ‘uncooperative students' are topics for you
• Yes - if you want to be more insightful in your design and assessment of group work activities
• Yes - if you want to create a group that supports learning for all

If this is not the course for you, please consider one of the following:

• NLP Teachers if you are interested in exploring Neuro-Linguistic Programming, "the study of excellence," and learning styles in more depth
• Dealing with Difficult Learners if you want to learn a variety of strategies and approaches which will help you teach "problem" students more effectively
• Leadership if you want to develop more effective and creative leadership skills

Programme of the training activities day by day:
Please note this is an example of a daily programme. Course content may often be usefully adapted to incorporate the needs of each specific group.

Week 1

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM 9.30-10.30 Group Bonding Promoting Acceptance The life of a group Classroom observation of other trainers Observation reports 2 11.00-12.30 What’s a good group? Promoting Trust Leadership models1: Authoritarian, Authoritative, democratic Classroom Observation of other trainers Review of main issues PM 14.00-15.30 Intergroup relations The importance of positive vibes What can go wrong? Observation reports 1 Feedback and farewells

Recommended reading: Please note it is not necessary to buy or bring these books to the course.

• "The Red Book of Groups and How to Lead them Better" G. Houston (Rochester Foundation) 1990
• "Classroom Dynamics." J. Hadfield (OUP) 1992

Type of the certification awarded in the language of the training:
Attendance certificate detailing topics covered and course content.