In the spring of 2012 I gave a one-hour session to teachers selected to chair their subject council meetings. We worked on some basics for facilitating meetings. The group had mixed levels of experience when leading meetings. This session was part of a larger board training day.

1. Facilitation

2. Minds On: The Facilitator’s
Stance
Create a recipe for a good facilitator (the facilitator
role).
Consider:
important qualities facilitators possess
practices facilitators use
mix 1 cup of active listening with 1 cup of trust.

3. Successful Meetings
Meetings should be interactive and engage
balanced participation.
All parties should understand and agree on
meeting roles.
Garmston, Robert, and Bruce M. Wellman. The Adaptive School: A
Sourcebook for Developing Collaborative Groups.

4. Define the Sandbox
Share a clear purpose/goal(s)
Create and post guidelines for speaking, listening, and
sharing
Use strategies for ensuring the group sticks with the purpose
and follows the guidelines

6. Structure
Planning: What tech, resources, and supplies will be
needed?
Opening: Introductions, guidelines, role, agenda review.
Maintaining: Completing work, balancing voices and
perspectives, navigating challenges.
Closing: Consolidating, reflecting, collecting information
(exit card), thanking participants, sending out minutes.

7. Strategy Sort
Sort the strategy cards into categories of your choosing.
You cannot sort them by colour.

8. Oh-oh

9. Trouble Shooting
Meeting personalities
When agendas breakdown

10. Find a strategy for:

11. Find a strategy for:
You’re short on agenda items the day before/the day of the meeting.

12. Find a strategy for:
You’re short on agenda items the day before/the day of the meeting.
Somebody goes over their allotted time.

13. Find a strategy for:
You’re short on agenda items the day before/the day of the meeting.
Somebody goes over their allotted time.
Somebody won’t stop talking.

14. Find a strategy for:
You’re short on agenda items the day before/the day of the meeting.
Somebody goes over their allotted time.
Somebody won’t stop talking.
Personalizing - “I do this... One time I...”

15. Find a strategy for:
You’re short on agenda items the day before/the day of the meeting.
Somebody goes over their allotted time.
Somebody won’t stop talking.
Personalizing - “I do this... One time I...”
School context is the only context.

16. Find a strategy for:
You’re short on agenda items the day before/the day of the meeting.
Somebody goes over their allotted time.
Somebody won’t stop talking.
Personalizing - “I do this... One time I...”
School context is the only context.
Issues or questions arise that are beyond the groups authority/influence
to change or answer.

17. Find a strategy for:
You’re short on agenda items the day before/the day of the meeting.
Somebody goes over their allotted time.
Somebody won’t stop talking.
Personalizing - “I do this... One time I...”
School context is the only context.
Issues or questions arise that are beyond the groups authority/influence
to change or answer.
Complaining/using meeting to vent problems in their building/class

18. Find a strategy for:
You’re short on agenda items the day before/the day of the meeting.
Somebody goes over their allotted time.
Somebody won’t stop talking.
Personalizing - “I do this... One time I...”
School context is the only context.
Issues or questions arise that are beyond the groups authority/influence
to change or answer.
Complaining/using meeting to vent problems in their building/class
The group can’t get past a problem or issue/bogged down

19. How is this story like an
ineffective meeting?

20. Rewarding