The foundation of the foundations: No practice is more important to facilitating a meaningful learning experience than establishing a genuine connection between you and the group. Yet with the brevity and pace of non-formal programs, when we feel in a perpetual time crunch, this practice can get overlooked.

In this first session, as we build our own FoNE community, we’ll explore:

• WHAT it means to build community and connection in a non-formal learning environment

• WHY community and connection are so important for learning, especially in non-formal spaces

• HOW we can build community and connection with students and teachers, without cutting into program content, no matter how much time we have with them.

Teaching a well-designed program without effective instructional strategies is like making a beautiful, detailed drawing of a cake for your friend’s birthday, cutting it out, and bringing it on a platter to their party. The ideas are all there, but you’re gonna need some baking skills if you want to show up with an actual cake (and if you want to get invited to their next party).

In Session 2, we’ll dig into a set of very accessible practices to help you:

• Reduce barriers to understanding and participation for diverse learners

• Get buy-in

• Prevent behavior and management issues

• Ensure key takeaways are landing and sticking

• Ensure your learning objectives are being met

Responsiveness is where your practice as an educator starts to become an art. Every group is different, and every learner is different. A responsive educator is a difference-ologist, observing the unique dynamics, strengths, interests, and needs of the group and individuals in front of them, and responding accordingly to make sure that this particular group of humans feels belonging and is able to have a successful experience.

This isn’t as tricky as it sounds! In Session 3, we’ll cover:

• Anticipating and preparing for learner and group diversity

• Recognizing, interpreting, and meeting learners’ social-emotional needs

• Culturally responsive practices

• Knowing when and how to adjust to keep the experience positive and valuable for learners

Our final session focuses on working as a team with all the adults in the room.

Anyone who’s worked with school groups knows that the classroom teacher plays a major role in shaping the experience for their learners. If and how they’ve prepared their class; their classroom culture; their level of buy-in (or burn-out); their participation style... all of these can significantly impact what learners get out of the experience.

You may also facilitate your programs with the support of co-educators, other staff, and/or volunteers. These adults also bring their own needs, goals, and expectations to the experience.

On the rowboat of non-formal education programs, every adult has an oar. If everyone is rowing at their own pace, in their own direction, the boat goes in circles. In this session, you’ll learn how to be the coxswain: The leader who gets everyone rowing together, to carry your learners where you want them to go.