A Guest Post by Emma Carey and Becky Tapley, ACRES Coaches and STEM Education Specialists at MMSA.

When facilitating learning, you may have a large crowd or a small group. Working with a smaller number of individuals can sometimes be challenging, but remembering structures and facilitation methods can help keep you on track to create dynamic, well-rounded discussions. Below are highlights of effective ways to engage with small groups in either in-person or virtual settings.

• Know Your Participants 

• Find out if your participants have similar roles, workplace settings, or interests. Diversity in the group can be a strength to bring in unique perspectives.  Commonality can be a place to connect and build upon. Dedicate some time to relationship building to help create a supportive space.

• Community Agreements

• Community agreements can be created together or adapted from a pre-written list to create a supportive environment. Consider explicitly stating that every participant has knowledge and expertise and that each group member is valuable.

• Community Builders

• Let loose and have fun, especially when the group is small! Set the tone of your session by trying out a unique community builder format. Ask participants to grab a random object and make a connection to themselves. Or, give participants two minutes to draw a sketch (stick figures are definitely allowed) that represents something about themselves or what they’re learning. 

• Structure

• Keep structures in place, such as introductions and a closing reflection. This can help keep the session moving and keep focused on the purpose of the gathering.

• Breakout Groups

• Even when groups are small, breakout groups can still be useful! Breakout groups with all of the participants separated from the facilitator can give individuals the opportunity to connect more informally without the facilitator present and can give both the participants and the facilitator a moment to breathe and regroup. Trust adults to navigate the conversations with one another.

• Varied Formats

• Share information and engage participants in a variety of ways to add to the conversation and keep the momentum going. Shift between hands-on activities, whole group conversations, and breakout groups. Share videos to add new ideas that aren’t present in the room.

• Let Conversation Flow, but Not Flood

• When a group is small, everyone can participate in directing how the conversations go. Let conversations flow like a river and even veer off course from time to time, but don’t be afraid to ask questions to direct people back on task, as well, to make sure you aren’t flooded with off-topic ideas.

• Be Open to Feedback

• You may not get everything right on your first meeting. Embrace your own opportunities for growth. Offer a way for participants to give you feedback after your gathering so you can make adjustments going forward (an anonymous Google Form works well). You may ask them to identify your strengths as a facilitator so that you can continue to build on those, as well as offer opportunities for growth. Asking them to identify something they learned from another participant allows for deeper connections to form in your small groups, as well.

Deep learning experiences and meaningful connections can thrive in small groups. We’d love to hear your thoughts on other strategies you use or if you try out any of these. Reach us at acres@mmsa.org or comment below.

Do you have great tips to share & want to offer a guest post here? Please contact us.

About ACRES

ACRES, a project of MMSA, is a free nationally acclaimed coaching program that builds knowledge and skills so afterschool educators, librarians and anyone who works with youth in out-of-school settings can confidently facilitate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) experiences for youth.

Acknowledgment of Support: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL2115229 as well as the STEM Next Opportunity Fund. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders listed above.

About the Authors

Emma Carey is an ACRES coach and STEM Education Specialist at MMSA. Before working at MMSA, she worked in the education department of the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH. In addition to ACRES, she also facilitates professional learning for educators through the Teach ME Outside project, and is on the planning team for the Maine State Science Fair and the Maine Middle School Science and Engineering Fair. 

Becky Tapley is an ACRES coach and STEM Education Specialist at MMSA. She started her adventures in the education field in an out-of-school setting at a YMCA outside of Boston and is delighted to continue her work now with incredible afterschool educators around the country through ACRES, as well as working with math educators throughout Maine.