Since I started the ToT I started to broaden my point of view on learning, but still it is not clear how to define what...
My backgrounds of learning and giving training comes from "experiential learning", not just learning by doing, but a cylce of experiencing, reflecting, and transferring/ applying in real life. Mostly I do put participants in a new, unknown situation by using the environment ( a hike or...) or making up an artificial task. Some will still remember the cave in Malaga :)and then the proces starts on personal and group level... ...
From experience I know that people learn a lot. I myself learned a lot about myself being put in these kind of tasks togehter with my peers. So for me it opened a world towards the perfect way of learning! EL felt very connected to my personal life and almost like informal learning. I never knew where I would end up, but somehow I felt safe to grow and try by sharing with others.
Coming into the world of european youth work, intercultural issues, I got more and more confronted with role plays and simulations activities and also group tasks. My experience in different methods did grow, but still EL was for me the(my) way of learning.
And now discussing about non formal education and reading about it, I am learning that EL is part of NFE, it is one of the methods besides the other methods. But on the other hand when I read the principles of NFE I seems like copy pasted from the EL principles. :)
So I am trying to make it understandable for myself and see a bit the differences and similarities.
IS NFE = EL? or is EL part of NFE?
It will help me to define better which method I am using, cause now everything for me is EL. So everythime I see things happening, or I am working on a frame for a training the cycles of EL (like Kolb,...) are in my head to give me direction in the flow of a program.
I think it will help me to get other point of views,ideas about this to make it more clear.
greets,
Nele
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Thursday, 4 March 2010
moving on in silence...
Seems somehow I got stuck in the process or I just don't find the time to do what I planned to do in one of these last days in Malaga.
Being more involved in the forum, reading on the library, putting all my knowledge together to get an overview on it,...
Frebruary is past and I didn't do anything of these. I still got one month to do something about it!! Yeah, cause then active working life is starting again.
Although I am not so focused on all this learning related to TOT, I feel that I am still learning and growing.
It is more on a personal level. I am feeling, experiencing and reflecting on how to balance my life in all these things I love to do. Before it seemed so easy: My job, my volunteer work and friends it was all related and if I was not busy with that I had time for myself where mostly I reflected or created new ideas for job or voluntary work. And now... well it seems that my social life is expanding outside all this busy life. So I need to find a new balance!
How to be a trainer and being away from home where you have your friends/ partner?
How to do your job when home and nobody is telling when to do what and your friends/partner are screaming for some attention?
And what with the desire to start again with a weekly sport evening?
Is it possible to be a trainer and have a social life besides it?
... ...
I know there is not an answer and it will be the way that seems the best for me, but till now I still don't know.
It was easy when I only had one focus or everything was linked, but I love my life now having a local social life that is more then just meeting once in 3 months.
I suppose this will be the question of the year and just by experiencing I will find the way how to balance this.
So let's see if I choose to spend some of my freetime in the TOT library or with friends outside gardening, walking or whatever... :)
Being more involved in the forum, reading on the library, putting all my knowledge together to get an overview on it,...
Frebruary is past and I didn't do anything of these. I still got one month to do something about it!! Yeah, cause then active working life is starting again.
Although I am not so focused on all this learning related to TOT, I feel that I am still learning and growing.
It is more on a personal level. I am feeling, experiencing and reflecting on how to balance my life in all these things I love to do. Before it seemed so easy: My job, my volunteer work and friends it was all related and if I was not busy with that I had time for myself where mostly I reflected or created new ideas for job or voluntary work. And now... well it seems that my social life is expanding outside all this busy life. So I need to find a new balance!
How to be a trainer and being away from home where you have your friends/ partner?
How to do your job when home and nobody is telling when to do what and your friends/partner are screaming for some attention?
And what with the desire to start again with a weekly sport evening?
Is it possible to be a trainer and have a social life besides it?
... ...
I know there is not an answer and it will be the way that seems the best for me, but till now I still don't know.
It was easy when I only had one focus or everything was linked, but I love my life now having a local social life that is more then just meeting once in 3 months.
I suppose this will be the question of the year and just by experiencing I will find the way how to balance this.
So let's see if I choose to spend some of my freetime in the TOT library or with friends outside gardening, walking or whatever... :)
Monday, 23 November 2009
my PLP
I started my battle with my PLP, seems I made it so complicated :)
So I though let's make a first reflection on the blog and see what comes next.
Getting clear what I want to do!
Title of the PLP:
Influence as a trainer by what you say, do, are
Theme / topic:
Influences of group and trainer on the debriefing
Why I have choosen this theme is because I experienced with myself a lot of doubts when leading groups/individuals in reflections.
On one hand I completely agree with the fact that reflections are needed for a good learning process. On the other hand I doubt if it is always necessary as a trainer or mentor to give direction on this reflections.
Cause is this reflection meant for my own well-being or that of the group???
I know for myself it works to have reflections and even reflection while using one or another method that helps me to focus on the issues and topics.
So from this point of view I see also the group or the volunteer I am coaching.
But still I am not completely convinced what makes that I have the right to decide doing this?
An example:
We are on a training course with all kind of youth leaders. In the evening we have a reflection table using the swimming pool “where do I feel like swimming today in the pool?” and “how do I see others related to me in this pool?”
After a while I feel like participants don't get the point and feel like sharing all this, cause they don't bring a lot of input or just some funny/ superficial things.
Should I just leave it for a while and not doing a reflection evening? Then I get in conflict with myself, cause for me it is important to do to keep connected with the course, the objectives, the group, the learning process of individus.
Another example:
Last weekend we had a weekend with our youngsters. An adventure weekend to learn some new skills and repeat old ones about outdoors. Half of the group is already familiar with the methods we use within Nature, half of the group is there for te first time.
We have a great hike, I see them searching togehter, some standing aside. I walk with them and sometimes I give a little hint or I motivate them, cause I want them to have positive experience. Especially the ones being there for the first time. The next day we work with ropes and knots, making bridges, tree climbing,...Youngsters feel good to do new things and try out. In cooperating they still need a lot of pushes from us. I can see that the new ones are not really used in taking initiative and discuss together how to do things. And the others don't know really how to involve them and teach them what they know.
Anyhow, everybody feels good with the new experiences, being outside and the feeling they crossed their own limts in hights etc.
The evening everyone feels really tired. We still need to cook, what takes some time. One of the participants(co-leader) asks me if we will have reflection this evening. I almost wouldn't have done it, cause I felt like stretching the new ones a lot. They are not used to this. Anyhow we make a plan for refelction to keep it easy going, not to deep.
To start I feel I need to get over the point to feel secure enought that is right what the group needs. At the end of the reflection I was very happy with the result, cause people shared things (small things, big things) and I could feel connection with the group.
But still I am wondering if I didn't do it? Or do I feel it was good cause it fullfilled my need to know how the group feels???
Even though at that time I made myself the conclusion that I should do it the way I feel to do it and just by putting down something from myself the group has a chance to take it or not. I should focus on the group and there needs, but in a way that they don't influence my feeling (intuition) of what I want to bring in now.
In a resume:
Personal conflicts
making contact in open questions – space
Will I be able to give input? Will I be able to interact in the dicussion?
Am I allowed to influence the group/person in the direction I think to go?
Trainer issues
using methods:
giving direction, giving structure to the group, make sure everyone has a moment to say something,...
giving open questions – space
leave it more open to the group, maybe new things will come out
what if it is completley besides the objectives of the training?
One of the methods I use in my reflections and I found very usefull:
Active Reviewing – Using creative methods(see link on my blog)
And so now I will question myself WHY? ;)and on the other hand I will question myself on my personal issues, cause seems there is somehow interaction.
You can't be a trainer without your personality.
Your personality somehow give direction to you training style.
So I though let's make a first reflection on the blog and see what comes next.
Getting clear what I want to do!
Title of the PLP:
Influence as a trainer by what you say, do, are
Theme / topic:
Influences of group and trainer on the debriefing
Why I have choosen this theme is because I experienced with myself a lot of doubts when leading groups/individuals in reflections.
On one hand I completely agree with the fact that reflections are needed for a good learning process. On the other hand I doubt if it is always necessary as a trainer or mentor to give direction on this reflections.
Cause is this reflection meant for my own well-being or that of the group???
I know for myself it works to have reflections and even reflection while using one or another method that helps me to focus on the issues and topics.
So from this point of view I see also the group or the volunteer I am coaching.
But still I am not completely convinced what makes that I have the right to decide doing this?
An example:
We are on a training course with all kind of youth leaders. In the evening we have a reflection table using the swimming pool “where do I feel like swimming today in the pool?” and “how do I see others related to me in this pool?”
After a while I feel like participants don't get the point and feel like sharing all this, cause they don't bring a lot of input or just some funny/ superficial things.
Should I just leave it for a while and not doing a reflection evening? Then I get in conflict with myself, cause for me it is important to do to keep connected with the course, the objectives, the group, the learning process of individus.
Another example:
Last weekend we had a weekend with our youngsters. An adventure weekend to learn some new skills and repeat old ones about outdoors. Half of the group is already familiar with the methods we use within Nature, half of the group is there for te first time.
We have a great hike, I see them searching togehter, some standing aside. I walk with them and sometimes I give a little hint or I motivate them, cause I want them to have positive experience. Especially the ones being there for the first time. The next day we work with ropes and knots, making bridges, tree climbing,...Youngsters feel good to do new things and try out. In cooperating they still need a lot of pushes from us. I can see that the new ones are not really used in taking initiative and discuss together how to do things. And the others don't know really how to involve them and teach them what they know.
Anyhow, everybody feels good with the new experiences, being outside and the feeling they crossed their own limts in hights etc.
The evening everyone feels really tired. We still need to cook, what takes some time. One of the participants(co-leader) asks me if we will have reflection this evening. I almost wouldn't have done it, cause I felt like stretching the new ones a lot. They are not used to this. Anyhow we make a plan for refelction to keep it easy going, not to deep.
To start I feel I need to get over the point to feel secure enought that is right what the group needs. At the end of the reflection I was very happy with the result, cause people shared things (small things, big things) and I could feel connection with the group.
But still I am wondering if I didn't do it? Or do I feel it was good cause it fullfilled my need to know how the group feels???
Even though at that time I made myself the conclusion that I should do it the way I feel to do it and just by putting down something from myself the group has a chance to take it or not. I should focus on the group and there needs, but in a way that they don't influence my feeling (intuition) of what I want to bring in now.
In a resume:
Personal conflicts
making contact in open questions – space
Will I be able to give input? Will I be able to interact in the dicussion?
Am I allowed to influence the group/person in the direction I think to go?
Trainer issues
using methods:
giving direction, giving structure to the group, make sure everyone has a moment to say something,...
giving open questions – space
leave it more open to the group, maybe new things will come out
what if it is completley besides the objectives of the training?
One of the methods I use in my reflections and I found very usefull:
Active Reviewing – Using creative methods(see link on my blog)
And so now I will question myself WHY? ;)and on the other hand I will question myself on my personal issues, cause seems there is somehow interaction.
You can't be a trainer without your personality.
Your personality somehow give direction to you training style.
Friday, 6 November 2009
It works :)
It is great to see the blogs growing and everybody writing.
so it works. :)
Last week I finished my yeartraining of leadershipness here in Belgium. It was one year with 10 persons from different areas (coordinators, social workers, ITC, Banks,...) to develop our skills in leadershipness. Groupdynamic, system theories, rose of leary, commynication, leading meetings,... all in an experiential way.
In this year I learned something about groups.
A group is growing as far every individu wants to grow. I got confrontated with the different levels of investment in the group. Some were more proces related, others more task-related.Somewhere half of the middle more then half of the group had the feeling it has been enough. I don't need to be here anymore in the group. Also I had that feeling. It was the first time I found out this. And at the end even one participant didn't take part in the final evaluation. This felt strange, cause I had the feeling we could not really close the group, the process of the year.
In this year I questioned myself also a lot in what do I invest in the group. I felt a bit an outstander, cause I was not coordinating a team like them, I was a trainer for different groups. I hated role plays, playing meetings, but I loved the active grouptasks. In my job i felt fine everything was going good and about my personal life I didn't feel like it was the place to share things. At the end I did, cause it was interfearing with my presence and I realized people liked it cause they could get closer to me. But still I have this question of how much of your personal life you throw in. I did this before without any borders or limits and it got a bit a mess. Now I am searching a way to balance it.
Out of the training I took for myself the learning point:
Myself as a tool for giving trainings. At the moment I can invent 101 methods to do things and share thigs,but when I have nothing I feel so naked with the group. So I realize if I want to use myself as tool I will also have to go in the bow of personality and mix it up with my being as a trainer....
It looks like a big challenge to deal with...
That is why I choose this personal learning project on Influences trainer - Group. I still have to start on it how to get it in a structure :)
so it works. :)
Last week I finished my yeartraining of leadershipness here in Belgium. It was one year with 10 persons from different areas (coordinators, social workers, ITC, Banks,...) to develop our skills in leadershipness. Groupdynamic, system theories, rose of leary, commynication, leading meetings,... all in an experiential way.
In this year I learned something about groups.
A group is growing as far every individu wants to grow. I got confrontated with the different levels of investment in the group. Some were more proces related, others more task-related.Somewhere half of the middle more then half of the group had the feeling it has been enough. I don't need to be here anymore in the group. Also I had that feeling. It was the first time I found out this. And at the end even one participant didn't take part in the final evaluation. This felt strange, cause I had the feeling we could not really close the group, the process of the year.
In this year I questioned myself also a lot in what do I invest in the group. I felt a bit an outstander, cause I was not coordinating a team like them, I was a trainer for different groups. I hated role plays, playing meetings, but I loved the active grouptasks. In my job i felt fine everything was going good and about my personal life I didn't feel like it was the place to share things. At the end I did, cause it was interfearing with my presence and I realized people liked it cause they could get closer to me. But still I have this question of how much of your personal life you throw in. I did this before without any borders or limits and it got a bit a mess. Now I am searching a way to balance it.
Out of the training I took for myself the learning point:
Myself as a tool for giving trainings. At the moment I can invent 101 methods to do things and share thigs,but when I have nothing I feel so naked with the group. So I realize if I want to use myself as tool I will also have to go in the bow of personality and mix it up with my being as a trainer....
It looks like a big challenge to deal with...
That is why I choose this personal learning project on Influences trainer - Group. I still have to start on it how to get it in a structure :)
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
ambuigity in contactmaking...
Almost ready to leave from this first seminar of the Training of Trainers (ToT). Yesterday night waltzing and dancing and suddenly I got a crash in my head.
I felt dealing with lots of emotions and started to think where are they coming from. I think we could relate it to my trainers ambuigity. Making fun together, dancing, talking,... and somehow I felt blocked in being completely open, making real contact with the people.
Thing is that I know that I am able to do that making fun, being crazy,...but somehow I can also be the completely opposite of it. So I started to think if I ever would start doubting to be a trainer it would be because I feel not able to make the contact with the people. When everything is structured and I have all kind of methods, I feel safe, but I realise I can loose myself in the methods and not having completely openess for the process and where the topics are touching me in my person. When I give training people see me as a strong, energetic person that can relativate a lot, but once they look behind the mirror they can see an emotional person with lots of questions about life and being in contact with people.
So this evening I realised that I talked a lot with people, but that I didn't make the real contact. And yes that is the truth you cannot separate your trainer life from your real life, the person who you are. But what if it sometimes happens when both get mixed up????? It won't be the first time in my life that from my position as a trainer, youth worker, social worker I became good friends with one of the youngsters. Sometimes I could deal with it very clear, but most of the times it became a big emotional mess, cause the person is coming to close and her/his view of me as a strong person completely collapses. This mostly happens already in the moment I am completely in it as a person and I feel to connected to the person whishing she/he could accept that. Then I feel this failure of not being proffesional and keeping distance, but on the other hand I don't believe in strong borders due to the position we have. We are all human beings learning!!
So this the ambuigity I am dealing with me inside. Will I make the real contact and take the risk it will open some bottles that can be scarey for people or will I keep distance and be the cool person that everytime answers "everything is ok"???
And the next question is will I be able to learn this healthy balance and be in contact with co-trainers or participants to be a good trainer? Not to much distance and not to emotional overwelming?
This is more or less what is coming up in my mind, what is flashing around since yesterday. It is not yet all clear. Well, I could give a clear view how I think it should be, but nevertheless I am a human being with emotions inside. :)
Any comments... more the welcome...
And so my working point of the last half year in the trainings is too make contact with participants also in informal moments. I still need to do this in a conscious way, but I am learning.
I felt dealing with lots of emotions and started to think where are they coming from. I think we could relate it to my trainers ambuigity. Making fun together, dancing, talking,... and somehow I felt blocked in being completely open, making real contact with the people.
Thing is that I know that I am able to do that making fun, being crazy,...but somehow I can also be the completely opposite of it. So I started to think if I ever would start doubting to be a trainer it would be because I feel not able to make the contact with the people. When everything is structured and I have all kind of methods, I feel safe, but I realise I can loose myself in the methods and not having completely openess for the process and where the topics are touching me in my person. When I give training people see me as a strong, energetic person that can relativate a lot, but once they look behind the mirror they can see an emotional person with lots of questions about life and being in contact with people.
So this evening I realised that I talked a lot with people, but that I didn't make the real contact. And yes that is the truth you cannot separate your trainer life from your real life, the person who you are. But what if it sometimes happens when both get mixed up????? It won't be the first time in my life that from my position as a trainer, youth worker, social worker I became good friends with one of the youngsters. Sometimes I could deal with it very clear, but most of the times it became a big emotional mess, cause the person is coming to close and her/his view of me as a strong person completely collapses. This mostly happens already in the moment I am completely in it as a person and I feel to connected to the person whishing she/he could accept that. Then I feel this failure of not being proffesional and keeping distance, but on the other hand I don't believe in strong borders due to the position we have. We are all human beings learning!!
So this the ambuigity I am dealing with me inside. Will I make the real contact and take the risk it will open some bottles that can be scarey for people or will I keep distance and be the cool person that everytime answers "everything is ok"???
And the next question is will I be able to learn this healthy balance and be in contact with co-trainers or participants to be a good trainer? Not to much distance and not to emotional overwelming?
This is more or less what is coming up in my mind, what is flashing around since yesterday. It is not yet all clear. Well, I could give a clear view how I think it should be, but nevertheless I am a human being with emotions inside. :)
Any comments... more the welcome...
And so my working point of the last half year in the trainings is too make contact with participants also in informal moments. I still need to do this in a conscious way, but I am learning.
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Learning objectives
I decided to leave the learning process of using the blog as just a part in between the learning of this training. It still needs some time tofind out where to place what.
After filling in all this SPI's, reading out the competences, getting into some reflections,... I came to the following personal objectives:
Getting more active in using different kind of methods/tools to use in trainings
- by exchanging with others
- by experiencing
- by doing in a training
- by searching actively for new methods (inspiration): There is so much, for example on the toolbox, but I am to lazy to go into it to find some things that are usefull to me.
The things I will have to battle with are my lazyness to search. "Why putting energy in searching new things if it works well the way it goes?"
Facilitating groups and personal learning of others
Verbalize what I see/feel that is happening towards people/the group, putting the right questions to araise awareness. Sometimes my proces from getting what I feel and of it is needed to put in the group is so slow, that I miss the point or the opportunity to bring it in.
When is it appropriate to bring in your own awareness as a trainer and how much will you influence the group of the learner?
How much is it needed to give structured, methodolgical space for individus/groups to refelct, to learn or leave the free space? guiding (giving a structure/method) versus non-guiding (letting the initiative from the learner)
At the moment I can leave things happening without interfearing, cause I have this believe what the group doesn't bring up themselves is not yet on the right time. Group is not yet ready. although I am now in conflict with this, cause sometimes they don't know another way and bringing your point of view can open a new way for them.
In the mentoring I also would like to go more into daring to do that what my heart (intuition) gives in and do it, instead of following the way it should be. I see afterwards that this gives me more satisfaction instead of staying to the way people have in mind.
Contactmaking peer to peer - in informal moments
As a person I can be a lot on my own and spend time thinking, reflecting, creating without others. I dissapear in my own world. I need this especially after working a lot in groups or working with people and groups, wich is 75% of my time (job, volunteering,...)
Even though as a trainer I believe I need to open myself more for informal talks and conversations. I am an open person if someone starts talking to me, but I have no skills in opening a conversation or maintaining it. It get easily distracted.
Somehow I would like to get conscious about what is scaring me to get into contact. Although I know a bit. So it would be better to experience and go into the action: open myself, show interest in others, question others, talk about my thoughts
Continuing on the mentoring it would be good also to share my thoughts or the way i feel it needs to go, even when I don't have a clear explanation for it. It can help me to go that way, without bruscate people.
Believes I have myself and would like to relativate:
"I have to be able to explain what/Why I do something, before I do or share it with others."
" I need to be an expert in showing topic, otherwise people don't take it as a value."
Learning to learn: putting my own framework by reflection to feel strong enough to give this to people, cause I believe in this.
Learning assesment, how do you make visible what you learnt. How I can help volunteers, youngsters to feel comfortable in this assesment and use it as a tool towards self confidence and active learning.
My focus will as a trainer will also be on youngsters with fewer opportunities, especially school drop outs, social problems, lack of self confidence,...
So this is what I want to learn and how it will process you can follow on the blog.
After filling in all this SPI's, reading out the competences, getting into some reflections,... I came to the following personal objectives:
Getting more active in using different kind of methods/tools to use in trainings
- by exchanging with others
- by experiencing
- by doing in a training
- by searching actively for new methods (inspiration): There is so much, for example on the toolbox, but I am to lazy to go into it to find some things that are usefull to me.
The things I will have to battle with are my lazyness to search. "Why putting energy in searching new things if it works well the way it goes?"
Facilitating groups and personal learning of others
Verbalize what I see/feel that is happening towards people/the group, putting the right questions to araise awareness. Sometimes my proces from getting what I feel and of it is needed to put in the group is so slow, that I miss the point or the opportunity to bring it in.
When is it appropriate to bring in your own awareness as a trainer and how much will you influence the group of the learner?
How much is it needed to give structured, methodolgical space for individus/groups to refelct, to learn or leave the free space? guiding (giving a structure/method) versus non-guiding (letting the initiative from the learner)
At the moment I can leave things happening without interfearing, cause I have this believe what the group doesn't bring up themselves is not yet on the right time. Group is not yet ready. although I am now in conflict with this, cause sometimes they don't know another way and bringing your point of view can open a new way for them.
In the mentoring I also would like to go more into daring to do that what my heart (intuition) gives in and do it, instead of following the way it should be. I see afterwards that this gives me more satisfaction instead of staying to the way people have in mind.
Contactmaking peer to peer - in informal moments
As a person I can be a lot on my own and spend time thinking, reflecting, creating without others. I dissapear in my own world. I need this especially after working a lot in groups or working with people and groups, wich is 75% of my time (job, volunteering,...)
Even though as a trainer I believe I need to open myself more for informal talks and conversations. I am an open person if someone starts talking to me, but I have no skills in opening a conversation or maintaining it. It get easily distracted.
Somehow I would like to get conscious about what is scaring me to get into contact. Although I know a bit. So it would be better to experience and go into the action: open myself, show interest in others, question others, talk about my thoughts
Continuing on the mentoring it would be good also to share my thoughts or the way i feel it needs to go, even when I don't have a clear explanation for it. It can help me to go that way, without bruscate people.
Believes I have myself and would like to relativate:
"I have to be able to explain what/Why I do something, before I do or share it with others."
" I need to be an expert in showing topic, otherwise people don't take it as a value."
Learning to learn: putting my own framework by reflection to feel strong enough to give this to people, cause I believe in this.
Learning assesment, how do you make visible what you learnt. How I can help volunteers, youngsters to feel comfortable in this assesment and use it as a tool towards self confidence and active learning.
My focus will as a trainer will also be on youngsters with fewer opportunities, especially school drop outs, social problems, lack of self confidence,...
So this is what I want to learn and how it will process you can follow on the blog.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
getting into bloglearning
So here is my first learning proces, being patient with this PC and making my own blog, finding out all this different profiles, possibilities, making choices what I should publish or not,...
So the proces started here and hope I will get it in a nice structured way. :)
So the writing can start. That won't be the biggest problem.
So the proces started here and hope I will get it in a nice structured way. :)
So the writing can start. That won't be the biggest problem.
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