Christmas hols must be Safe Space training preparation again!

Feels like Christmas holidays are designed for Safe Space preparations but I think I'm ready at last for next weekend:

• I've edited the powerpoint deck (down), and added 1 new slide
• I've created a risk assessment complete with contingencies for the training
• I've amended the training plan - annotated with timings for a 10am & 2pm start; included ppt slide numbers for the activities I'm going to use; added the survey monkey link from slide 76 and greyed out activities I'm not using for the first time.
• I've re-read the "session plan with full guidance book" several times and marked up the de-brief notes for each activity with colour coded post-its.
• I've laminated all 61 activity sheets.
• I've bought a new extension cable and several blocks of post-its.
• I've checked Being Prepared is still the 2013 edition I have already printed off and bound.
• I've tried (unsuccessfully) to get the trading order code for the key messages booklet -Trading are closed now until 2/1/18, so I've emailed the question.
• I've packed my flip chart & pens.
• Santa brought me a lovely blue tooth speaker (from Cath Kidston) and it works with my laptop
• I've charged my other Cath Kidston gift of a power pack which can be used to keep the speaker going if it runs out of charge but of course both are now fully charged.
• I've visited all the additional websites on slide 67 - check out the booklets on the NAPAC website https://napac.org.uk/resources/ "It wasn't your fault" and "You are not alone" they are very sad but really well produced.
• However I haven't yet saved the ppt to the USB stick, as I state in my risk assessment, but I keep making more changes. I will though.

I do have one question I can't find an answer too  - What is Full Safeguarding Pathway Step 21?

I obviously stopped paying attention at that point  hope nobody asks me on 6th!

 

MBTI Christmas Card

OPP's view of Christmas 

My MBTI Christmas card says it all!

 It's really interesting and so accurate this is so relevant for my training style - forgotten just how useful this is and how it is reflected in my trainings! Very useful refresher for my PDP.

Christmas Workshop

Results of a Bath Bombe workshop at Dixie Dot crafts in Gloucester

So easy to make and a really enjoyable leaders evening too. The plastic egg moulds are much cheaper than the bath bombe moulds it was interesting choosing the scents - I settled on peppermint in the end some of the floral ones were way too heavy. In the Ikea jar is coconut body scrub which was so easy to make and smells wonderful. Really easy to replicate with the Guides probably more easily, than Brownies but I'm just thinking of the clearing up!

Dixie Dot do some really good workshops - wished I had caught the ginger bread house plate decorating and I will look out for the button frame one.  Nice evening after the hectic usual Christmas activities.

WAGGGS World Thinking Day 2018 - Go outside to make an impact

World Thinking Day 2018 is completing this triennium theme, by celebrating the Impact that the Movement has on the lives of our members and their communities.  For the first time ever, the World Thinking Day challenge will become a global mosaic of change-making ambassadors!
Why a mosaic? When small pieces (such as our individual changes) are positioned in the right way, they create one complete image: the bigger impact we create together!

Don’t forget to buy your World Thinking Day badges from the WAGGGS online shop at www.wagggs.shop.org
Do you know what shape we get if we add the four elements from the sections of this year’s World Thinking Day pack? It’s our World Trefoil! You can use the parts as pieces of a puzzle and each time the group completes a section they earn a piece. Once they complete all four sections they can create the World Trefoil! Learn what the parts symbolize here: http://bit.ly/WorldTrefoil
Our World Thinking Day 2018 mosaic has four parts:
1. The Flame [pages 9-17] is the spark that inspires us to bring change.
2. Two Stars [pages 18-27] are shining bright and equip us with the skills and knowledge we need.
3. The Compass [pages 28-35 leads the way in order to make change happen.
4. The Trefoil leaves [pages 36-38] are giving shape to mark our impact.
Go Outside! Hold the activities somewhere outdoors in your neighbourhood or among nature.
Make an Impact! Understand the power you have to bring positive change. Choose and complete one activity from each of the three sections: flame, two stars and the compass.
Leave your mark: #ThisIsImpact! How is your group leaving a positive mark in your neighbourhood? Capture this impact and share it with WAGGGS to create one global Impact mosaic!

Safe Space Module 4

I attended a module 4 training yesterday and was surprised to find such a big proportion of the module relies on facilitation and discussion. It's very different to modules 1-3, still comprehensive and designed so you can use activities from module 1. It draws on the code of conduct as the foundation; but there is the requirement to think on your feet according to the knowledge and experience of the audience more. It's designed for commissioners, those who do the reporting, and spells out their responsibilities for supporting their leaders. This module needs to be delivered with an understanding of management and leadership of volunteers, as the audience could take the training in some awkward places.  Looking forward to delivering it for the first time.

When did you last update your MBTI?

Really impressed with the revisions that OPP have done to MBTI materials - its been a long time since I last did a MBTI assessment and to be fair, even after 17 years, my preferences are still the same. I never doubted for a minute I had changed. The assessment questionnaire was all done on online this time and really quick - advice is not too think too deeply about the answers. The new materials are really refreshing including the dance table above - on the OPP website you can find a similar table with dogs, cakes & even tea types. The individual profile report itself has so much more detail than I remember it having, including really practical guidance and advice on potential "blindspots". Really useful information for the individual as a leaner and a trainer, and its given me a few thoughts for my PDP too.  

Safe Space Module 3

Recognising, Telling & Taking Action is the subject for module 3, again there are 4 parts A-D each took around 5 minutes (I still don't like the videos). However there is a clear format to each of the 4 parts so you know what to expect. The menus fold back up when you click on the next icon, so the page doesn't feel overloaded; but that makes for a repetitive overall feel. The content is succinct & concise and there is no misunderstanding the message that's been given out.

Best of all the certificate works!

New e-learning Safe Space module 2

Module 2 took about 25 minutes but I didn't do the follow up worksheet as I have no need to do the follow up discussion instead of attending a training. There are 4 sections, A-D, all about risk assessment and just whose responsibility assessing risk is. The only criticism being I found the YouTube videos a bit condescending, am I missing something, who are these leaders who are being interviewed - there is a name but no role?
Fab news is that the certificates are now sorted out, and printing is really easy, once you have completed the survey with your opinion on the module.

Parliament Week Challenge 2017

Contents of Parliament Week Pack

Parliament Week was a national UK event but the Challenge pack was from SW Region. The Guides had run up to the week with a combination of activities from Go For It: Be the change! and the Girls Matter publication. On the actual Parliament week we joined with another Guide unit for debates (including a Beyoncé style one) and a House of Commons debate with our local Mayor playing the part of Speaker of the House. Our parties represented our favourite cakes with the Brownie party receiving the least votes but being the first to be eaten after the ballot! We did an open vote and then a secret one with ballot slips.

The challenges received with the Parliament pack (pictured above) were more aimed at brownie age with a colouring sheet and icing big ben biscuits but there was lots of material on the UK Parliament website here http://www.parliament.uk/education/teaching-resources-lesson-plans/school-debating-pack/ including a secondary school resource called "Create the Debate" from which we took our additional activities. A word of caution the 10 page pack is so heavy with colour, that only by switching to grayscale would my printer accept it, but it is well worth the hassle.

You are left with a lovely training resource and guides, and the next night my brownies, really enjoyed squeezing the stress busting big ben - who we added to our toadstool for the night in honour of UK Parliament week!

New e-learning Safe Space module 1

Looks good and module 1 only takes 15 minutes then another 25 to try and print the certificate before giving up! Module 1 is made up of 3 x 5 minute units and it is wonderful to see the Volunteer Code of Conduct taking centre stage and being written so it means something that leaders and parents can understand. Another new addition is Survey Monkey at the end so you can record your details for adding to your Go record and give feedback on the e-learning itself. Shame its all spoilt by how difficult it is to print the certificate.

As prep for delivering the new content in January seems only right to have completed the e-learning modules myself.

Storytelling

I've mentioned this book before, but I've just read chapter 8 which is all about the role of storytelling and seems particularly relevant for trainers. Hilary Scarlett promotes visual communication as an efficient way of taking in and remembering information - do we apply that concept enough in our trainings?

Our brains like stories and they enable us to develop our social skills and test out new scenarios and how best to respond to them. We experience the story with the storyteller. Stories are more memorable than a list of bullet points and stories can be very persuasive. How can you build storytelling into your next training?

ISBN 978074947881 Kogan Page

Volunteer Code of Conduct Revision

Search for "Volunteer Code of Conduct" just searching for "code of conduct" doesn't retrieve it. Notice the new clause about re-reading the policies and procedures. There is also a link to sanctions off this webpage - good to see them written down at last.

As a Girlguiding volunteer you must always:

be a good role model with behaviour and an attitude that are in line with our values and the Promise

comply with all applicable UK laws and guidance. If your unit is based outside the UK or you are part of an activity outside the UK, you must also abide by the law of that country

make sure you follow Girlguiding policies and procedures and re-read them from time to time as they may be amended

be responsible and accountable in the way you perform your role

be fair and treat everyone with respect and dignity in accordance with our Equality and Diversity policy

respect others’ privacy in line with our policies and guidance 

communicate with others in an open and respectful way whether in person, by phone, writing or digital media

work together with Girlguiding members, their parents/carers and members of the public to promote Girlguiding's mission and values.

As a Girlguiding volunteer you must not act fraudulently or dishonestly, or do anything which brings (or is likely to bring) Girlguiding into disrepute or have a negative impact on Girlguiding or its reputation.

Supporting Leaders through change in Midlands Region

Midlands Region put on a wonderful Commissioners conference last weekend - I like training Commissioners they are so motivated and switched on really keen and well informed. I was doing the same training 3 times on supporting leaders through change. I had updated the Anglia change training from earlier in the year. I was surprised not many leaders were aware of the change to the code of conduct and the statement that we should all re-read the policies & guidance as it does change from time to time. There was also some that seemed to have missed out on the latest guiding magazine - apparently a box is really easy to untick on GO.

It was unusual to get the aim & objectives provided by the training organiser but in this instance the role is filled by a trainer and I think the benefits of that were evident throughout the preparation.
I was able to do Saturday's self evaluation straight after the meeting and I stopped at services on the way home on Sunday to do the 2 from Sunday - the 15 min break between sessions on the Sunday wasn't long enough to get set back up again and get a coffee from the machine. I was really grateful to the leader who recognised I needed one and brought me one a few minutes in.

The GG resources I used went down well - nobody had seen the Impact 2015 report and there was consternation that stress ted was being discontinued. We were talking about BOB and some leaders said they didn't know about the icons but then one pointed them out on the notebook above. There were still some who didn't recognise them. The air conditioning was a nightmare to control either all or nothing then the room heated up really quickly. The group work worked really well and they all bought into it with conversation being on topic. I abandoned the TED talk but passed on the reference with the power point.

I like the way the programme design goes through to the badge for the weekend - people really want badges for the camp blanket these days. The cloth thank you badge from the Region is a nice touch too. Fabulous wide game idea searching for stars but maybe the leaders who got stuck in the lift didn't think so! Gala dinner was lovely if a bit long between courses; really useful to hear updates from CHQ leads too.

I've updated my PDP and made a folder for module 5/6 for renewal in 3 years time.

New Safe Space Resources

New Resources still in packaging

Wow think this is my Christmas holiday homework - the box arrived last weekend weighing 10kgs it's everything I need to deliver the new safe guarding training up to Level 3. The letter suggests laminating the game activities designed to be used more than once. It all looks really comprehensive but I reckon there is a few hours of work reading & selecting the activities for the training then laminating. My first training is 6th January 2018 so better get a move on.  

Even on Worthing Pier .....

Whilst walking on Worthing Pier this weekend my eye was drawn to one of many pictures as part of a community art project:

There is just no escape from girl guiding ever, and my family agreed. I'm assuming the building above the Trefoil is a guiding HQ in Worthing?

Updating girls records on the new GO

It is worth noting that unless the individual girl's record has emergency contact details added any changes will not be accepted on GO. The error message isn't very helpful - it does tell you to complete the missing address fields, but omits to mention its referring to the fields for the emergency contact!

After logging in and out a few times my length of service & years in guiding have been filled in, and I noticed this evening that all my roles over 32 years have now been added. I was sad to see last week that my history was missing. I had printed my roles off from my old Go! record, so I had a paper record to refer too for posterity.

It is faster to add & update records and to save to excel to create registers. I adore the new starting section leaflets which has been updated, but is now out of sync with the one on the GG UK website. However you can fill in unit details and save for future use so a step forward. Adding a new "daughter" is easy, but when you transfer a brownie to guides you do get a message back to say successful but it looks like the girl is still on your unit. Maybe a bit more work needed.

The bug page, as I discovered, isn't very comprehensive but overall I would say a 100% improvement over what we have been using. Hopefully the momentum for improvement will continue now its finally started.

Dropbox additional space - word of warning

Dropbox has been an excellent resource for sharing documents and photographs around leaders for training purposes and downloading from my phone to my laptop. Yesterday, however, I had a message to say my free year of additional space is going to expire in a months time and that I could keep this space for an extra £70 annual subscription with 20% discount.

I have spent an hour this afternoon working through my folders moving documents to new folders on a USB stick and deleting the content from Dropbox. Looks like the free limit is 3 GB and what is left is well within that, and mainly photographs. Be warned if you have been sharing documents on Dropbox, don't ignore the warning about your free 20 GB additional space expiring!

Impact Report 2015

Impact Report 2015

I like visiting the Guide shop at Commonwealth HQ on Buckingham Palace Road - they even opened a minute before 9am for me on Saturday morning so I could get work on time. I especially like checking the leaflets on the coffee table as you sometimes see things aimed at press and publicity that doesn't get sent out to Leaders or Trainers. This time I struck lucky I picked up a copy of the A4 colour Being our Best brochure that has been a nightmare to print off the website - I've used a loan copy for a number of activities and ice breakers already.

I also found something called Impact Report 2015, which I've never seen before. It includes some really useful quotes called voices or our members and the other half looks like a traditional annual report under the heading of the difference we've made. Page 10 talks about the national trainers conference in 2015;

 "Our Trainers' conference in Staffordshire was attended by 300 hard-working, committed and passionate Trainers from across the UK. The conference provides Trainers with the confidence to deliver expert training to volunteers - so our volunteers can then deliver a 21st century programme of activities to girls, as well as a guiding experience that's of the very best quality."

They are talking about us!

Safe Space Upskilling

Just to complete the hat trick of forthcoming changes - the last event I attended of the last academic year was the Region upskilling training down in Salisbury at the end of July in order that I can deliver module 3 of the revised Safe Space Training. We were trained by the CHQ expert who was excellent and very responsive to our comments. There is a plan as to how roll out will happen in our region and the content of the modules themselves look very sensible this time - it was very evident how thorough the work has been and consideration this time has been given to the delivery of the training(s). Trainers receive the resources at the end of September, and I'm really looking forward to receiving my box, so I can get up to speed with how I will deliver the modules. (There are over 300 powerpoint slides to choose from we heard).

I now have 3 certificates telling me I'm upskilled for module 3 so it must be true!  Must add to my PDP .... can I do it 3 times?

Insights to managing change

I think this is a really good read for whatever change you are experiencing including all the forthcoming changes leaders will be experiencing. I haven't finished the book yet, but Hilary Scarlett talks a lot of common sense using science to explain what is happening in the brain when faced with the challenge of change. The author is a supporter of mindfulness and she really makes a lot of sense when she talks about helping people to talk even if the only message is that there is no news yet. If you get the chance read chapter 6 on Managing emotions during change - this is one for any trainers PDP but not cheap to buy. I've been watching on Kindle and the price hasn't decreased so I've resorted to borrowing in this instance. Check it out.

New Programme ..... exciting!!!

Taster activities for the new programme

It seems a bit more real now to finally see some activities printed on indestructible glossy colourful paper. Includes activities for Brownies with matches & a hammer (not in the same activity) can't wait to try them and train on them!

Boomps-a-Daisy

A lovely resource from South West Region based on the song head shoulders knees & toes. We used the activities to fill in at brownie meetings - the pony racing went down a real storm (we used pencils as jumps), and we all struggled with the origami boat making (our Duke of Edinburgh volunteers saved the day with their smart phones)!
I have used the resource in a brownie training, and whilst there was agreement that not much of it was new, it was nicely re-packaged. It comes with an invitation to send in a video of the girls doing the song & activities.
The resource costs £6 and all 5 badges together cost £2.50,or individually 60p each. The badges are really cute but a pain to sew!
  Certainly worth adding to your resource collection.

Another good badge idea!

A new idea to generate trainers

A good idea to encourage leaders to ask about becoming a trainer - the idea is that we wear the badge to all events and leaders can stop us and ask us what's involved.

SW Region Annual Report

New Approach for the Region report - A5 size and the reporting is on themes with colour photographs. I could use this in trainings to back up the Being Our Best messages - nice move and quite different to previous region reports.

2017 Thank You Pin

SW Region sent out a thank you badge with the region annual report this week - it has had a massive impact and been really well received. Several people were talking about it at our district meeting this week - a good idea I think, because it shows leaders are valued. A lot of Brownie points for not a huge amount of money I suspect - just goes to show the power of saying thank you!

Trainers Qualification renewed (again) until 2020

Hooray I got my letter today - I'm renewed now for 3 more years until 2020 and I can buy a polo shirt and the new style jacket and claim the cost back. About time as mine are looking a bit washed out. Started a new PDP and log of trainings with numbers already for 2020.

Trainers Support Group

Just a reminder on the value of Support Groups we had out joint group last night with 3 counties represented. It was particularly nice because we had a lovely pub meal before and after the meeting. I honoured my commitment to discuss my renewal & the feedback from my module 6. We covered the feedback from the conference. It was really nice to be able to get together and discuss, everyone is experiencing the same issues in their counties. Take the opportunity to attend if there is one near you. 

New Programme Training

Just wanted to say a belated well done to Bristol & South Glos who put on a fabulous day on the new programme for their commissioners and advisors. Although there wasn't that much more information than we have received already. Putting it all together and envisioning how it is going to work; and more importantly providing the opportunity to discuss what can be done to make the change for leaders in units, created so much positivism. There were some wonderful ideas coming out - well done for approaching the change head on. It was a real honour to be invited to do the Brownie section training. 

Ideas for fund raising

Our Brownies took a stall at our local duck race this weekend partly for fund raising and also as part of our community activities and to recruit (there weren't that many girls of brownie age). As usual Splat the Rat was a winner with boys and dads (3 of whom sent our rat travelling over a long distance). The pick a straw was a fab idea - the winning ones had a sparkly gem attached and hidden in the sand. The good old tradition of name the bear more than covered its cost of £7.50.  Duck folding in the wind was not a good idea! The Brownies who turned up worked really hard and enjoyed it. Well done £63.40 raised with only minimal costs to come out of that.

Training Licence Renewed - I hope!

The 3 year renewal comes round so quickly-keeping the PDP up to date is easy; and the training observation - once  you find a training where you created the training plan is simple. The unit observation was easy this time as the DC came to do it - I think she found the brownies of today a bit high maintenance compared to the brownies who would sit and concentrate from a few years ago. The pace of the meeting amazed her - they were quite taken with a game, we are trying to see if it would work on our stall at the Summer fete at the end of the month. In pow wow the brownies suggested some really good adaptations so young Rainbows can play the game on the day.

The renewal is all sent off now, hope I finally get some uniform this time, it will be the first time since 1986 that I've been provided with uniform.

Break down of my trainings, by requestor & module, since my last renewal in 2014

My Teenagers said "wow mum".....

Renewal Analysis

It's not often I can do something that makes my teenagers go "wow" but I've been pulling together the paperwork for my trainers renewal today.So I thought I would count up the number of trainings and participants since my last renewal in 2014. I got a bit of a shock - I've done 38 trainings in the last 3 years - you can see the break down for Glos (blue), outside of Glos but within SW Region (red) and finally outside of SW Region (grey). When I counted up the number of Leaders who had participated it came to an amazing  677. So even if only a tenth have gone back to their units, and implemented just 1 item they learnt on my training, that's still 67 leaders who have made a positive change.

I've met some amazing leaders on the way but that's why I keep on training.

National Trainers Conference 2017

Sure was a packed weekend but there was an amazing amount to cover:

Safe Space or Safeguarding I did the upskilling to be able to train on Module 3 of the new course. It is a considerable improvement on the current Safe Space in content and delivery. Much more movement and flow to get the messages across - it was stated as 90% facilitation & 10% training required for the delivery. There is going to be an ideas library were trainers can share ideas for delivery so a lot more flexible than the current training.

Membership system looks good and so much more intuitive to use than the current Go! (remember no ! going forward) I think there will still be some who do need training as they will be a bit frightened of the technology. However it looks much more like a normal web based system.

New Programme there wasn't that much more information than we have had already but we did get to see some mock ups of the resources. They are on track and it looks like we will all receive the Rainbows taster pack in July. We were asked to vote on preferred size & cost of badges and there is ongoing discussion on the cost of the new resources. We all got a timeline of the changes and it was evident there are still decisions being made but everything is on course.

Quality Pilot is now up to 400 units testing the syllabus including some trainers the point was made it is still in testing stage and no decision has been made about the pilot yet. People seem positive though.

There was loads of time to ask questions in both Saturday and Sunday sessions. In our Region session we agreed that we wanted a Trainers Region conference in April to look at standardising the delivery of all the new changes. I've got several things to add to my PDP and came away very tired but with a lot of questions. It was good to have a single room and I caught up on some sleep but I don't think the food was as good as 2 years ago.

Module 6 approved!

Yeah I'm so pleased and relieved the Reviewer approved it and signed off the submission sheet at the back which I have now scanned to be entered to my Go! record. I believe the reviewer had read it all - and she gave me some really excellent feedback on training plans and I agree completely. I should have challenged my follow trainers on some of the content on their training plans. I always thought I went to town on the amount of detail I went into on my training plans but the reviewer wants to see even more, so that if I didn't show for the training somebody could literally pick it up and deliver. Whilst I recorded in my reflective diary that I had made changes to my trainings to accommodate for the participants requirements, I hadn't recorded changes on my training plans, which I must do from now on. I had made some notes and I do keep my paper training plans as I have on occasion looked back at them to adapt and amend bits for new trainings, but I hadn't done that on these I submitted for review. I'm really glad I started a reflective diary during the weekend as it allowed me to capture things I might have forgotten afterwards.

Now that we don't do health forms for adult participants at residential events anymore, the reviewer gave me a tip that she does to find out if any of the participants have anything they need to share that is "special about them" I think its a really good idea and I'm going to try it next time.

I did point out that there is considerable duplication in the first 3 tasks but I now understand why that is there and why it has to stay moving forwards. I also like the suggestion of have a module 6 group to meet and discuss on a regular basis.

As I'm also renewing my Trainers qualification this year I intend to take the portfolio to the Trainers Support group at the end of June to discuss. We've recently had new guidance telling us we need to keep relevant aspects of modules 5 & 6 for 3 years to use in our renewal discussions.

Module 6 completed!!

It's been tight but I've turned the portfolio around in just 5 days - it's been useful having the google drive because it meant my tutor and reviewer could check out the items for the portfolio as I produced them. However it left me with a bit of a dilemma as to what to do with the paper word module 6; in the end I used that as an index for the paper version. Whilst you are supposed to submit electronically you have to discuss at tutor group and keep the portfolio for 3 years so it looks like you do need a paper copy of the portfolio. We kept best NVQ techniques up and signed & dated Part 4 both bits. It weighs quite a bit so I'm just keen to hand it over to the Reviewer at last.

Bus Stop for Module 6 weekend at Foxlease

Big shout out to Wiltshire North for being a wonderful county to train.

SWEBOTS In the air

South West Region have done it again with another fabulous resource - this one is a science, technology, engineering & maths, STEM, resource and the ideas & badges are really gorgeous. All the activities relate to the air - and the resource has been compiled with the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust.

In order to gain a badge the "suggestion" is that a badge can be earned by trying 4 different activities. There is the opportunity to do bonus activities with advanced options for another badge, alternatively you might decide 4 bonus activities earn a ProfBOT or an InfoBOT. Or you could earn a particular badge by visiting a science themed centre - there are a number given in the accompanying booklet.

Lovely resource to build into a section training - I want an InfoBot badge.

Safe Space e-learn modules

There are now 3 safe space modules, for the current syllabus, which are a pretty good representation of the Safe Space training. I've only just managed module 1 which is a bit glitchy all the information doesn't display when you click the pink arrows. The multiple choice questions all work but then when you have to click and drag the statements to turn them white it doesn't work at all. Unfortunately clicking next moves you onto the next topic and not an opportunity to complete the questions. You have to complete an evaluation of the content before you can get the certificate, and you have to know to press the back button in order to get the (blank) certificate to print.

I started module 2 but got stuck virtually at the beginning, as I couldn't move onto next, unless I completed the drag & drop question but I wasn't allowed to click under the bubble telling me what to do. Nor did the next button work. I will have another go tomorrow.

I think maybe a bit more testing was required before going live.   

Reflective practice for a PDP

I've really enjoyed reading this book by Jenny Moon - I did a couple of exercises from it a few years ago when I did a seminar at work on reflection. However I have started a university course and this was one of the prescribed books so I read the whole thing. Can't believe just how much I empathised with the essence of reflective practice. It was really aimed at education practitioners but I could see the benefit of doing much deeper reflection and examining feelings. I do understand and practice Kolb - taking action after reflection, but I need to try harder and go deeper and be less descriptive.

I truly believe we should do more on reflective practices for GG training as there is so much to be gained for new and existing trainers. This is a university copy of the book but I have tried to buy it and even a 2nd hand copy is around £25.

Developing girls leadership skills

Just how cool is this? The USA Girl Scout equivalent of the GG Educational Framework but done in conjunction with The Disney Channel:

http://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/For-Girls/Elena_GS_Leadership_Guide.pdf

Using Elenea of Avalor the 12 page guide covers the girls abilities grade by grade, pre-school to 5th grade, and gives an example of an activity at each grade that could help her develop leadership skills. Its all part of the G.I.R.L initiative which is Trade marked:

Go-Getters
Innovators
Risk-takers
Leaders

Just think what fun you could have with this, incorporating it, into your training!

Future Mapping Template

Future Mapping Template

This is a template for a change management discussion - best used as a group exercise with a glass of wine and a box of chocolates. The idea being that the participants plan how they are going to progress along the change road getting over the hurdles to get to the happy smiley Brownie at the end. There is Lady Baden Powell asking what obstacles need to be overcome on this particular Guiding change journey? There is a  naughty sprite hiding, waiting to jump out and catch the leaders on their journey by surprise! Make your own template to focus on your particular change journey, it really does work, and gets some amazing discussion going!

I enjoy doing leadership & management type trainings - there just isn't enough requests these days. I really need an observed training for my Trainer Renewal this year but all anybody wants at the moment is Safe Space - just got another request in for May. Can't wait for the new training plan.

Change Management at Anglia Commissioners Conference

Wonderful to be back in Anglia Region at the Kents Hill Park Training & conference Centre. At short notice I travelled to Milton Keynes to run 2 x 1h 15 min sessions on Change Management. The remit was to focus on the Kubler Ross Change curve and to look at some techniques to support emotions in relation to the change agenda. The venue and food were very good (some commissioners fitted in an early swim on the Saturday morning) as the venue also contained a spa. The were over 130+ commissioners and Anglia were really well organised.

My first session the commissioners got hung up on IT skills and no matter how many scenarios I presented to steer them in the right direction they kept focussing on the negative - hope they saw the irony of where they got themselves. The session needed to be longer as 75 mins wasn't long enough. For the 2nd session I said at the beginning we were leaving negativity at the door and were assuming a perfect world where everyone had the IT skills and tools they needed to fulfil their role. That did the trick and the session went much more to plan. The powerpoint slide representing all of the known change over the next 18 months did the job, and shocked them so they could experience the 1st stage of the change curve. There were some wonderful examples of  "Bright Spots" being reported on the way out of the change curve e.g stars of the gang show were all bought the new Guide top which they then wore in their units with great success. An ongoing bright spot because the SS leader has called a parents meeting to discuss the new proposed names for Rangers and how they can feed back their feelings. I really enjoyed the 2nd session and didn't deliver all of the plan because they got so involved with the group work.

Anglia's logo for the event was really well used across the weekend.

My training room once set up

Anglia Region Thank you post cards - what a good idea!

First time for everything - GG hand cream!

Another use of the logo

Kents Hill Park training & conference centre

Objective writing

Objectives should always be written with SMART in mind. However there is a really useful Taxonomy of Educational Objectives from 1956 produced by BS Bloom & DR Krathwohl. Whilst maybe rather elderly text, the doing words provide a really useful list of objective writing words to draw from. See photos below:

 

Post Safe Space review

So far its been a busy start to the Training year so this Safe Space training was actually a couple of weekends ago at our residential weekend Gloucestershire organises annually, for the LQ so the vast majority of leaders tend to be in the 16-18yr old group. I usually do the Guide section training but due to another commitment in London I couldn't make the Saturday. Safe Space had been moved to the last session on Sunday to allow other leaders to attend who just needed Safe Space to complete their LQ.

It was fantastic to have access to a proper photocopier in the office at Deer Park as it took a fraction of the time to complete all the copying. I had to lay down the law to ensure we started on time straight after lunch in order to get the full 3 hours training in, to get people on their way by 3.30pm. Although it was a bit disconcerting that the stragglers from lunch who had been up Bubbs Hill to find a phone signal, then came in late, and started to munch on sandwiches through the start of the training.

I feel I have the content down now virtually verbatim in synch with the power point slides. It helped staying over the night before as I took possession of a table and laid  out everything in the right order - although the GG Handbook kept being "borrowed" and  I forgot to pack the Free Being Me leaders pack which I use to plug the role of Peer Educators.

The session went really well with plenty of interaction on the group sessions - as usual there was loads of contribution on the cyber bullying section, and the more mature of the participants benefited from what the younger ones were saying.

I didn't do the Safe Space evaluation form as I was more intent on getting the one stop weekend (which is the name for the LQ weekend) returned. Feedback on those for Safe Space were all positive.
I had just made notes the day before on the revised Safe Space scheme panned for April - it will be interesting to see what the final content looks like.

Empathy Mapping as a way of doing Change Management

This is an example of an empathy map I did around my Trainers Renewal which is due this year. I'm using it as an example in a forthcoming commissioners training as it really illustrates the benefit of taking control of emotions. Empathy mapping is based on what people think , feel, see & hear in order to do things differently. A very handy technique for change management.

Leaders Party Game

Prize in the Christmas challenge game

In order to get the conversation going over the Xmas meal and a look back on a year's worth of guiding in the District I set everyone the Girlguiding Essex North East Growing Guiding challenge 2016. I checked first that there was still a stock of the badges available to buy! Leaders had to have done 6 clauses from the 6 modules - Access, Excellence, Capacity, Voice, Voyager & Dark Horse.

When the sign off had been completed they could choose a magnet. There were some really good ideas included in the challenge and this suggested new ideas for 2017. Go check it out for yourself:

http://www.girlguidingessexne.org.uk/Challenges+%26+Badges/

 

 

Delivery makes all the difference!

I recently had a conversation with a fellow trainer about the ethics involved with having an observation on a training delivered using one of the Region produced training plans. I believe the Region training plans are an attempt to ensure consistency & quality in trainings delivered by different trainers. Personally I can't see a problem in using one of these trainings, after all it is the delivery which is relevant for the observation. For example the observer is looking at:

• room layout
• interaction with the leaders
• quality of the learning outcomes
• knowledge and portrayal of GG policy
• suitability of the resources provided to support the learning
• relevance & methodology of any group work
• inclusivity of the learners
• treatment of challenging behaviours

this was illustrated for me this week at work when a colleague attended a course I had attended 18 months ago. It was obviously the same content that had been delivered - we compared the workbooks which were identical, however I had experienced a very different delivery and came away feeling positive. My colleague had not had quite such a positive experience which started before the course even commenced, and this was reflected in her feedback! Delivery is everything.