2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries

Move discussion with open-ended, provocative questions
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BEST PRACTICES 2012
Practice formulating open-ended questions. Do not assume that this is an
innate talent that all good facilitators own. Concentrate on tying information
together from several questions and pushing the discussion even further. Refrain
from the “atta girl” or “good idea” comments as it results in a dead end discussion.
Open up the discussions by probing: “Why do you think that would work?” “What
does your idea have in common with Jeff’s?” Or even: “Hmmmm. Tell me more
about why that makes the proposal stronger?” Remember that “Good teaching is
more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.” (Josef Albers)
Change up activities
Refrain from a PowerPoint presentation that turns into a Wall of Words. A
visual accompanied with a few succinct words is sufficient. You now have their
attention. Make it worth their while. Deviate from a total PowerPoint presentation
by going back to the interactive material. Let them post their ideas on an open
White Board. Call on them and have them explain their thoughts. Your behindthe-scenes
technician can be preparing a list of the students’ ideas while you are
encouraging them to post. At the end of the discussion, open up the White Board
with the ideas posted by your technician and direct discussion using student input.
Have fun
Sneak in a quick ice breaker at the beginning of the class. Tell an
appropriate story to emphasize a point. Toss a relevant but fun graph or visual into
your class. Allow for interaction between participants. Take time to smile and
enjoy your material and your students. They will “feel” your smile and engage with
your open body language.
Keeping students engaged is the challenge that facilitators encounter. Think on
your feet. Change up the action. Adapt to a new situation. Make mistakes if
needed, but don’t coast. We owe our students the pleasure of being a participatory
learner. Allow me to sum up with a quote that guides me during my teaching
experiences.
“I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.” Chinese
Proverb