Suggested Preparation and Implementation for Groups

• Experience the curriculum once or twice before you facilitate it in a group.
• This means watching the video, and especially answering the questions for you personally. The more you have experienced the curriculum, the more you will understand its nuances and its use.
• Consider having a partner presenter. It is fun, supportive, and it can be more dynamic. If you choose to have a partner, make sure you know your roles ahead of time.
• Arrive 30 or more minutes early, especially the first time so that you have time to learn how to operate your audio visual equipment, or to resolve any AV issues. If you are not AV savvy, find a partner who is! Arriving early ensures that participants who also arrive early have someone to greet them.
• When possible, arrange the room so that people can see each other, rather than in rows.
• Provide a workbook for each participant, and consider having a few extra on hand for unexpected arrivals. Have some pens or pencils on hand for those who come without them.
• If you are facilitating the curriculum in a setting where there are people who might have difficulty writing, consider asking these participants to bring a partner. Or, even put people in pairs to help with writing. Be creative with this.
• If you’d like to serve snacks and drinks, consider those that are not too sugary. Sweet snacks often cause an energy crash and cause your group to participate less.

• Introduce yourself and share something you enjoy or value about Partnerships in Motion.
• Tell participants that the curriculum is not just for Elders, but for anyone in any kind of relationship with an Elder.
• Explain the details of whichever format you are leading, particularly the amount of time you’ll be together and the breaks that you will have if any.
• Share that this is a participatory experience and the value is in everyone sharing together. Gently say that you would like there to be an opportunity for everyone to contribute, but that no one has to contribute.
• Tell them where the bathrooms are.
• Ask them to silence their cell phones or to place them on vibrate.
• The questions marked with a G are suggested for group discussion.
• During your facilitation, if you discover that a few people are dominating the discussions, ask “who else has something to add?” as a way to involve others.
• Also, during your facilitation, try to keep the discussion of each question to 3 or 4 answers, then move on to the next question. Use the energy of the group to gauge how long to discuss each question, but do not allow the energy to sag.
• Encourage participants to “borrow” others’ ideas. This is not school from the old days! Cheat! That is why we learn in groups!
• Remind them that they will use their workbooks at home, and they need not complete all the questions during the session.
• Show them the perforated page at the end of the workbook, and suggest they post it somewhere for themselves.