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Subject:Re: Exercise to get participants involved From:cturner -at- redflex -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:31:45 -0600
I'm new to this list and seldom post, but this is a subject I can't
resist. I know that the "break the ice" concept is VERY popular,
considered "standard" and even "necessary". However, speaking for myself
as both an instructor and participant, I find these exercises generally
annoying and <usually> pointless. I've been in classes where most of these
suggestions have been done - I saw an example of the "3 things about each
person, pick the false one". That sounds like a fun idea, but the group I
was in was basically all strangers to each other (from the same company,
but from all over the country so they didn't know each other), so it was
P-A-I-N-F-U-L-L-Y slow, with little participation from the attendees. The
instructor didn't seem to pick up on the apathy, side-talking, etc., that
was going on and droned on thru the whole exercise.
I think almost anything can work to "perk up the group" - but PLEASE, do
two things: make it SHORT, and pay attention to how your group is
responding. Don't assume because you like a particular exercise, or it
worked with another group, it will always work in every group. And,
consider that maybe - just maybe - a "break the ice" exercise may not be
necessary at all. Maybe something as simple as "why are you here and what
do you expect from this class" would suffice.
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