" Tips
from the Top"
Practical Advice to DS Instructors
from CDS Master Trainers
Who does what when
you have two or more facilitators presenting a DS workshop?
The answer might seem obvious at first - simply alternate
an equal number of Steps: "you
do the first 7 steps, then I'll do the next 7, and so on". Well,
that arrangement not only doesn't work well, it may lead
to disaster. You may be overwhelmed with so much to remember
that nothing goes well, especially if your parts are "major" steps
that involve a lot of detail. Also, if the first presenter
is "up front" for an extended period of time, the
participants come to see him/ or her as the "primary" facilitator
and anyone who follows as "secondary". As a rule
of thumb, all facilitators need to be up front fairly soon
at the beginning of the workshop.
As with most things about Dependable
Strengths, there is more to this than meets the eye. This
seemingly simple task of assigning steps is much more complex
(and important!) than it may first appear. The assignment
of steps takes consideration and thought. This article discusses
some of the factors to consider along with a suggested arrangement
for distributing the 58 Steps.
Here are five factors to consider when
allocating DSA Steps among 2 or more facilitators:
Factor
#1 - CLUSTERING -- how the steps "cluster" together
Factor
#2 - DIFFICULTY -- level
of difficulty of the steps
Factor
#3 - TIME -- the time involved in each
step
Factor
#4 - DEGREE OF PREPARATION -- degree of
preparation required for each step
Factor
#5 - FACILITATOR STRENGTHS -- strengths of
the facilitators
Sample Distribution of the 58
Steps Between Two Facilitators:
Click on the links below for a sample "design" with
the 58 steps assigned between two facilitators ( A & B).
This is an example of how we might distribute the steps.
You may use this as a template but, again, consider the factors
mentioned above to customize to your own situation.
DSA 2.5 Day Design for 2 Facilitators
- A & B:
Day
1 --- (Steps 1 to 26)
Day
2 --- (Steps 27 to 51)
Day 3 --- (Steps
52 to 58)
If you have questions about TIP #1, you can e-mail the CDS
Master Trainers : ds@highline.edu or
pose your question (s) on the Ask
the Trainer Web Board.
In the next issue of “DS
News ! ” , look out for TIP #2: "How
To Select The Demonstration Person".
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