Co-operative: Home Options In Childhood Education

C:HOICE homeschoolers' guidelines for effective group work

COMMUNICATION:

ACTIVE LISTENING

In our natural listening pattern, attention goes IN and OUT:

• outward to speaker,
• then inward to process (check against your own perceptions, beliefs, opinions),
• then outward for more information, etc.

When focussed inward, you may miss some of what's being said on the outside, even if your ears hear the words.

When preoccupied with getting your own point across, you may

• focus on it so as not to forget it, and
• lose the focus on understanding what the other person is saying.

Active listening means you try to

• get the whole picture of what the other person is saying
• understand what they mean so you can
• respond fairly rather than with a knee-jerk reaction.

Practical tip:
jotting down quick notes about

• any concerns that arise in your mind in response to what the speaker is saying, and
• any comments you want to contribute

helps you to remember your own point so you can focus on listening.

CLEAR SPEAKING

It's helpful if the speaker punctuates their presentation with highlights to introduce each elaboration of a point. Elaboration doesn't mean rambling, simply explaining.

Different styles of processing require different modes of presentation, and therefore of highlighting:

• auditory --> spoken key phrases
• visual --> written keywords, sketches, diagrams

RESPECT FOR EACH PERSON

Each person in a group has a valid contribution to make. We can explore the issues together, as allies rather than as adversaries, add our strengths rather than subtract from each other. If there is a fence, it's between us as a group and an issue we face together, not erected as a barrier between each of us and whoever disagrees.

As an ally, you can:

• refrain from automatic objection and rejection.
• make sure you understand what the other person is saying by
• asking clarifying questions and
• mirroring to them what you believe they are saying.
• find common ground and
• share what you like about their idea before you express your
• concerns (not rejection);
• ask constructive questions (how can we...?)

• an overview
• contact

• playgroups
• teen scene
• parents connecting

• group rates and field trips
• celebrations
• calendar of events

• sharing of skills and equipment (want and offer ads)
• articles and essays
• bibliography
• organizations
• curriculum and materials
• other websites of interest
• laws and regulations

• support group meetings

• calendar of organizational meetings and distribution of tasks
• C:HOICE's mandate and guiding principles
• guidelines for Effective Group Work
• Members' Agreement
• Event-Planning Agreement

• what's new
• what's ongoing
• articles and essays
• kids' and teens' writing and artwork
• printed version

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