For my second group facilitation (the first that I did on my own), I led a life skills group that discussed caring for pets, including the different tasks involved, as well as different perspectives and personal experiences of pet owners.
Introduction: I started out by introducing myself and had everyone else introduce themselves by stating their name as well as their pet's name. We also did an ice breaker which involved a memory chain of stating names and pets' names, so that the person at the end of the line had to state their own name and pet's name, and the previous group member's name and their pet's name all the way back to the beginning. It was a great way to open up the group and I think it gave everyone a good laugh trying to remember all of the names.
Activity: Next, I had the group members brainstorm about what the various tasks are that make up pet care. They ended up naming several more tasks than I had originally thought of; I loved their originality and creativity. The main activity was called "Learning to Expect the Unexpected". This involved pairs of group members each receiving a scenario in which an unexpected circumstance regarding pet care took place. Each pair of members had to brainstorm and come up with a solution to their scenario and act it by role playing or discussing it with the group.
Sharing: Each of the group members shared their personal experience about their own pets and how they got them, what it is like to have their pet and their pets' quirks/personality, or a funny story about their pet.
Processing: I asked the group members if their perspectives on pet care for their own pet changed after they completed the activity. I also asked if they would respond to one of the other group member's scenarios differently, and they gave positive feedback or alternate solutions to the scenarios.
Generalizing: I discussed the many benefits of owning a pet, including stress relief/therapeutic benefits, teaching responsibility, and companionship. I asked the group members to discuss other ways in which responsibilities included in pet care could carry over into other aspects of care taking (i.e. caring for an elderly parent, grandparent, or younger sibling).
Application: Lastly, the group members identified how they could apply the knowledge they learned from the group into their daily lives and other aspects of care taking.
Summary: Thanking the group members for attendance and participation, and closing of the group session.
For me, the most important thing that I learned after facilitating this group was that sometimes I can be my own worst enemy. I had it set in my mind that my group was going to be a flop, it was going to get totally derailed by the other group members, or I would talk so fast because of nerves that my group would not last an appropriate amount of time. Before leading this group, I was terrified that I would stumble over my words, or that the group members would catch on to the fact that I was nervous. I realized at the end of the session that I was probably overthinking it way too much, because several people came up to me afterwards and told me they really liked my group, that it was fun, and it made them laugh. I did the best I could to make the session fun and interactive, and I was so worried that the members wouldn't be engaged because it was at 4:00 in the afternoon, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Sometimes I get so caught up in judging myself that I forget I am in the same boat as my peers, and we are all just trying to do the best we can. I learned that I am a competent group leader, and even though I was pushed out of my comfort zone, I will be a better practitioner in the long run because I "embraced the gray". :)
After leading this group and hearing from the other members about their pets, I can better relate to the struggles they face on a daily basis with pet care, as we discussed with our scenarios. Sometimes life happens, and the dog may need to go to the vet while you're in the middle of class. Or you come home and find your living room destroyed because they got out of their kennel. Sometimes it might not be possible to go let the dog out on your lunch break because you live an hour away from your school or workplace. The other group members also discussed tasks associated with pet care that I would have never thought of, such as ordering food online instead of picking it up at the store, or changing out cat litter instead of picking up waste with a doggy bag. It also broadened my perspective on different types of pets because I have owned mainly dogs, with the exception of a few cats, in my lifetime. It was very interesting to hear about the experiences of the members that owned a bearded dragon and a hedgehog! As I look to the future for other groups I might lead, I will remember not to be so hard on myself and to just go with the flow, because sometimes my perceptions of myself are not always right. I was very thankful for this learning experience and for going outside of my comfort zone to lead this group, and I hope to continue to build on further improving and fine-tuning my communication skills in the future.
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