Meg and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share with you the announcement that our All-Star Facilitator Series is officially open to the public. Couldn’t. Be. More. Thrilled.
To get you started, here are 11 things we believe to be integral to all-star facilitation. We’d love for you to share your own lessons in the comments down below!
1. Realizing that the “perfect” facilitator isn’t someone who knows everything, but someone who is comfortable admitting they don’t.
2. Understanding the difference between facilitation, teaching, and lecturing — and knowing when to use each.
3. Tapping into your personality, the things about you that are uniquely you, will benefit the group more than trying to be someone you’re not.
4. Social justice education is as much about listening as it is about talking. Knowing how to read a group tells you when to do what.
5. You cannot speak on behalf of a group identity. But you need to know how to respond when someone [inevitably] asks you to.
6. Knowing beforehand what might emotionally trigger you will allow you to better temper your response when it happens.
7. Embracing that you didn’t always know what you know, and were once just learning about social justice concepts yourself, will help you connect and empathize with others.
8. Telling someone “No” or that they are “Wrong” will shut them down. Instead, it’s important to know how to say “Yes, and…”
9. Reflecting on your facilitation and experience, and giving yourself critical feedback, is necessary if you’re going to continue to improve.
10. Be cognizant of identity, remembering that while there are times when aspects of a person’s identity become more or less apparent, that identity is always present.
AND #11. Remember that social justice is an interconnected, global movement that requires all hands on deck to be realized. Oh, and so is The Safe Zone Project.
So, maybe, you know, if you have the time and everything, you might want to get involved? 🙂