A new CFG for experienced coaches and/or facilitators convened for the first time on October 25 at Grady Middle School. Present were Donna, Mike, Natalie, Michaelann, Carolyn, Alejandro, Brandi, Debbie, Angela, Marcela, Lynn, Alfred, Tim, Linda, Lydia, Lauren, Linn, and Beth.
After a simple welcome and Connections, we did an exercise called "Creating Metaphors" from Parker Palmer's book The Courage to Teach. Everyone took a blank 4x6 card and completed the sentence "When I am my best as a facilitator (or coach), I am like a _____." On the back of the card, we wrote down the strengths and "shadows" of the metaphor. We shared our metaphors with the others at our table and helped each other deepen our understanding of the metaphor by adding strengths and shadows. Then we gathered in a circle and introduced ourselves with our name, metaphor, and what that metaphor reveals about coaching or facilitating. For example, one participant said that she is like a sponge because she can "soak it in and squirt it back." Another mentioned that she is like a maneuverable sports car. My personal reflections about my metaphor are in the entry "Facilitating in the Shadows". Click on the thumbnail photo to read a list of all our metaphors.
Next, we read an excerpt from Robert Hargrove's Masterful Coaching titled "It's Who You Are Being, Not Just Technique." We used the Text Rendering Protocol to interact with the text and then we compared the words and phrases that emerged in the Text Rendering Protocol with the qualities of strong facilitators that emerged in the Making Metaphors activity. The group made some strong connections that will inform our work throughout the coming year. Click on the thumbnail picture to see our lists.
Next, Tim shared some background information about why our new CFG was formed and what we hope to accomplish. We hope that the Facilitators' CFG can be a vehicle for building leadership capacity for professional learning communities in Houston. We want to nurture a cohort of skilled facilitators for local events, and we hope to build bridges across schools and districts.
Finally, we decided on meeting times for the rest of 2006 and wrote reflections. All reflections are in the extended entry.
1. What worked?
"Having dinner available
Flow of agenda"
"Metaphors--loved it. I will use with other groups. I looked at my inner self--strengths and weakness"
"Facilitator preparedness & flexibility, sticking to time"
"We all value the work. We have that in common. If we meet and do the work, this will be worthwhile for me.
Everything worked well. I enjoy small group discussion."
"I thought the food was great and location wonderful. Thanks, Mike.
I learned I have a very different view of coaching and facilitating."
"Creating metaphors was very good. Allows for insight."
"Discussion => text based discussion was great!
good food-always have chocolate!!!"
"Wow! I'm so glad to be here again--Inspiring--empowering.
I would like to make a full commitment to this kind of growth.
Activities, openness, procedure worked very well=> It should prove quite useful to share and learn from each other's expertise.
Thank you Donna & Tim. You're awesome--this work is rewarding but difficult=> very grateful for you're [tackling] it all!"
"Exploratory process of facilitation/'being'/ coaching strengths/metaphors"
"The metaphor & rendering protocol. I also enjoyed the discussion about our purpose. I think that this is going to be a great learning experience."
"Discussions with respect"
"Food & location. Time to collaborate w/ fellow facilitators/coaches."
"I like (as you saw) making connections among the pieces--like metaphors connected to the text rendering"
2. What might be tweaked?
"Space set up => I would like to be able to see everyone when we talk."
"Our purpose--various opinions"
"One of my 'shadows' is a tendency to 'over-schedule'--but this seemed a little 'under-scheduled.' Maybe it was intended to give us time to get to know each other--but that might have been facilitated by regrouping tables at least once."
"I think we are learning--we need to be a bit flexible."
"The ability of the facilitators to be allowed to make a decision."
"Perhaps because I've had a hard day, I didn't feel real momentum. I'm so focused on what my school needs that I feel as if I always want to have input on what will work for me. I'd also like to know what the other needs are in the room. It might be helpful to have a protocol where we surface needs and goals of participants???
I need to focus on creating a collaborative culture at my school. Through that collaborative culture, I want to improve teaching & learning.
To me, I need to link this to my professional life in an impactful way.
I'll be back!"
"A/C--too cold"
3. One group or two?
One group 1
One group for more diversity of experience & contribution
I would love to have one big group but it would be fine however it works out.
I like the idea of 1 group.
1 group more flavor
I see no prob with 2 groups
"I see advantages of both--but 2 smaller groups let each member have deeper shared experiences. On the other hand, having 1 group provides more opportunities for finding 'soul mates'--where smaller groups might separate us."
I prefer one group. (The more variety, the better.)
Depends upon the needs of the participants.
1 group is my choice.
1
1 whole group--learning, practicing facilitating in front of larger group will provide a more realistic situation."
Whole Group
Other comments
"I need to have purpose and a learning time--a time when I am a student not a teacher or leader."
"Goal is to develop my skill as a facilitator/coach. Open to new horizons!"
"Learn? 'Kokoro'
Need? to learn, to listen more
Goal: Find my inner being"
Comments (2)
Very insightful. I'm glad you posted the reflections as they confirmed what we are both thinking about the wishes of the group. What a powerful learning it was for us all.
tim
Posted by Tim | October 29, 2006 10:39 AM
Posted on October 29, 2006 10:39
Thanks Donna, this reveals a lot about the group.
Posted by Michaelann | October 31, 2006 7:04 PM
Posted on October 31, 2006 19:04