STARTING A WORKSHOP: Opening Address & Introductions 43Overview of planned activities
Distribute copies of the course outline, notebooks, pens, clipboards, and any relevant
course materials to the participants.
If you have prepared a cloth bag, all of these materials can be packed into it.
This has the multiple advantage of:
- Giving a “gift” to your participants, which is always appreciated.
- Promoting the use of cloth bags instead of plastic.
- Helping the participants to keep their classroom tools and course related
materials in one place – otherwise notes and references often get scattered
throughout the course.
Allow everyone a few minutes to read through the course outline. Alternatively, you can
read the outline, particularly in the case where literacy levels are problematic.
Give a brief overview of how the course is organized and what the participants can
expect to achieve during the course. Invite the participants to ask any questions they
may have about the course outline and plans.
This is also a good time to explain the course schedule, logistic details, etc.
Create working agreements for the course logistics
Ask the participants to suggest general house rules for the training, such as: no smoking
in the classroom, arriving and starting on time, keeping hand phones on silent, etc.
Write the suggested rules on a white board for everyone to consider. Then the group can
vote on the rules they agree to adopt. The agreed upon rules can then be written on a
large sheet of paper, which can be posted somewhere in the classroom area throughout
the course.
A fun component of this
exercise can be to have
the group come up with
sanctions for breaking
the rules, such as:- When you come late you
have to sing to the group
during coffee break. - If your phone rings during
a session you will need to
do a dance for everyone
right after lunch.