Values

Values are what are important to a person. As the facilitator of a workshop, there may be times when your own values will make you feel uncomfortable about something that is happening in the group (ex: parent tells about spanking their child, etc.) It is important to think about how you will deal with these situations before they happen. Try to prepare yourself by:

• Thinking about what issues may come up in the group
• Identifying what your values are about these issues
• Deciding how you will deal with these issues
• Deciding if you should express your values
• Thinking about how will this affect the group

If the facilitator voices his/her opinion forcefully, then the participants or group may be intimidated and may not be as eager to participate.

If a participant has a strong belief in inappropriate behaviours you may want to meet with them one-to-one to discuss the issue in greater detail.

Establishing Agreements

Making up agreements will help make your sessions run smoothly. During the first session, the facilitators and group should make up a list of agreements that everyone can agree on. It is a good idea to review the agreements every few weeks and ask participants if there are any agreements that need to be added or deleted. The list might have agreements such as:

• Start and end on time
• All opinions are honored
• Equal opportunity for all to participate
• Confidentiality
• The right to "pass" in discussion or reading
• Everyone is a learner
• Have fun!