The 9-step recipe for leading sweet learning activities

Training is like baking.

You need a recipe. Especially when you’re facilitating interactive learning activities, such as discussions, games, etc.

If you don’t give learners a detailed “recipe” of instructions for the activities you’re asking them to participate in… they’ll get confused, frustrated, and eventually disengage altogether.

So what’s the secret recipe?

First, let’s see if you can discover it intuitively.

Pretend you’re teaching a baking class.

Look at this list below of out-of-order directions you might say aloud to your class. Try to unscramble those directions and put them in the most logical sequence that will create the most clarity for the learners.

a) Let’s hear from our team leaders about what your group discovered.
b) Again, you’ll bake delicious cookies together using the recipe & supplies on your table.
c) Thank you for working together to bake these delicious cookies!
d) Your team leader, who will keep your group on track, will be the person who most recently watched a show on the Food Network. Figure this out together after I say go.
e) Ready, go! (Play music.)
f) You’ll bake delicious cookies together using the recipe & supplies on your table.
g) What may I clarify?
h) When I say go, you’ll begin working with your table group.
i) You’ll have 23 minutes and 32 seconds to prep and bake.

So what order did you put those letters in?

Let’s walk through the ideal sequence together…

Step #1: Signal

Example: “When I say go, you’ll begin working with your table group.”

This is key for alerting people that they're about to do an activity, so that they pay attention to your instructions.

What do you think is the benefit of saying, "When I say go," or, "In just a moment"?

It helps make sure your learners don't start doing the activity while you're still giving the instructions!

You can give a visual signal by putting the instructions on a slide that learners can see in case they get confused. That's especially helpful when you're asking them to take multiple steps.

Step #2: Goal

Example: “You’ll bake delicious cookies together using the recipe & supplies on your table.”

Clearly state the "why" and "how" of the activity… so they’ll be motivated to experience the benefit of the “why,” and they’ll know what they need to do to execute on the “how.”

So what’s the "why" and "how" of this activity?

The "why" is "delicious cookies," and the "how" is "using the recipe & supplies on your table."

Step #3: Leader

Example: “Your team leader, who will keep your group on track, will be the person who most recently watched a show on the Food Network. Figure this out together after I say go.”

Why do you think it's helpful to nominate a team leader for each activity group?

Group leaders help keep group members on track. They also help groups avoid the awkward silence at the beginning of the activity where people wonder who should talk.

You can even "randomly" nominate someone who hasn't been all that engaged so far to be the team leader... to help get them engaged!

Why do you think it's helpful to nominate a team leader AFTER stating the goal?

If you nominate the leader before stating the goal, the leader might be the only one who pays attention to the goal.

Step #4: Repeat the Goal

Example: “Again, you’ll bake delicious cookies together using the recipe & supplies on your table.”

Why do you think it's helpful to repeat the goal?

Learners probably weren't paying attention the first time. And maybe one of the learners who wasn’t paying attention just realized they're about to be a team leader!

Step #5: Time

Example: “You’ll have 23 minutes and 32 seconds to prep and bake.”

This helps learners feel a sense of urgency, so they don't waste time during the activity.

You can put a timer up on the screen to keep urgency high.

If you're not setting a timer, you can just watch or listen for completion of the discussion or activity. That's why it's important to have an action step for them to do, so you can watch for them to complete it.

Why do you think it's helpful to use an odd time like 23 minutes and 32 seconds?

It stands out and is specific, which will increase the likelihood that they abide by it.

Step #6: Clarify

Example: “What may I clarify?”

Why do you think we say this… as opposed to "any questions"?

It puts the onus on US as the trainers for possibly not explaining the instructions clearly enough… rather than making the learners feel dumb for not understanding our "perfect" instructions.

If you want maximum engagement in the activity, you need to make sure your learners have confidence about what they're supposed to do.

Give learners about 10 seconds to formulate these questions. This is also a good time to clarify how they can reach you with any questions that come up during the activity.

Step #7: Music

Example: “Ready, go! (Play music.)”

This fills in awkward silence at the beginning of the activity. Playing upbeat music also helps learners feel a sense of urgency.

Typically, you want royalty-free and lyric-free music. Using music learners recognize could take them back to a distracting memory of a time when they heard that song.

Be sure to pick music with the right tempo for the activity. Use fast music for an upbeat activity, slow music for discussions, and no music when learners are reading.

Step #8: Thank

Example: “Thank you for working together to bake these delicious cookies!”

This is a simple, nice touch, and it reinforces positive behaviors.

Step #9: Share

Example: “Let’s hear from our team leaders about what your group discovered.”

Why do you think it's important to hear from team leaders?

It helps people distill what they discovered, it helps include everyone, and it helps people think about changes they'll make moving forward.

It also helps people learn from other groups and tap into the combined experience in the room.

And that’s the 9-step recipe for leading sweet learning activities!

Among those 9 steps, which one would you say you already do pretty well? Which one do you need to be more intentional about? Which one will especially improve the level of clarity and confidence that your participants experience during your learning activities?

Now try using the 9-step recipe to practice writing out instructions for an activity or discussion that you facilitate!

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