Techniques for conducting classes with a group

We will outline some forms of group work so that you can use them when conducting Scouting sessions.

Of course, all these techniques can and should be constantly updated, while remembering that they must be creative, constructive. Carefully study the proposed forms, think over the options for their use while working with the group, taking into account the specific needs and age of the children, the conditions of the area where you live.

Discussion

The discussion gives young people the opportunity to express their opinion on a particular issue based on their knowledge and experience. The discussion can expand, deepen them, and sometimes change the previous point of view to the opposite. In any case, a person increases the level of his erudition. Often, especially when discussing controversial issues, the discussion takes on a sharp character and the guys do not reach an agreement. Nevertheless, even in this case, value attitudes are formed, new facts are remembered, which subsequently influence the person himself and his actions. No matter how the discussion proceeds, to some extent it is always possible to find common positions and develop certain recommendations.

Two or more scouts can take part in the discussion. The ideal option is 6-8, which allows each of the participants to fully express their opinion and listen to their partner with attention. When conducting classes, in some cases it is useful to choose a leader in each subgroup to conduct a discussion who would inform the leaders of other subgroups about the results of the discussion. This helps to more quickly develop a common opinion and consensus of the entire group.

Brain attack

Brainstorming is a great way to quickly get all the guys involved in the discussion of a particular issue through the free expression of thoughts by everyone. When you ask a question, you write down the responses without comment. Then you group the received proposals according to the semantic content, determine priorities, and as a result, a common opinion is formed. Often, before a decision is made on a course of action, a number of other issues need to be discussed in addition to those already discussed. As a manager, you must be very careful when writing down the proposals received and not miss any of them. Indeed, sometimes a child, having overcome shyness, expressing his thought (even if it seems ridiculous to some of those present), hopes that it will not be left unattended during the discussion, but it turns out that they did not notice it – this is enough for a person to withdraw and go into himself, believing that his opinion is ignored, he is not considered. As a leader, you should know and value the opinion of each participant, as this will give you the opportunity to determine the general psychological atmosphere in the group, to create an idea of ​​its general level of knowledge and aspirations. Your attention and benevolent attitude will only contribute to the creation of a climate of trust and mutual assistance.

In this regard, it is appropriate to pay attention to a very important detail of the psychological method – the ability to listen. In a conversation with each other, we often do not focus on what the interlocutor informs about, especially if we are excited by the subject of the conversation and we want to express more ourselves. The ability to listen is a remarkable quality of a person, which makes it possible to learn a lot of new things and contributes to the effectiveness of the conversation. A young person who is listened to without interrupting, has the opportunity to think over his words, is in no hurry to express the first thing that comes to mind. It is very important to show that everyone listens with interest to the partner, for which you need to look at the narrator during his narration, smile in the right place, etc. If someone is dragging out a story, one should from time to time carefully lead him to a generalization of what was said, at the same time expressing his interest in what he heard. To practice this technique, you need to break the guys into pairs and ask them to tell something interesting to their interlocutor in turn. At the same time, each of them will have to act as an attentive listener, who in no case should interrupt the narrator. At first, for many, this will seem like a severe test – to listen without interrupting. But when they find themselves in the place of a leader, they will understand how important and necessary it is to master this technique.

Role-playing games

Now they are very widely used in management as a well-established technique. They are also very helpful to you in preparing for Scouting projects. Role-playing games are a brief, arbitrary analysis (evaluation) of a particular life situation. Topics can be suggested by the guys from your group. At the same time, when preparing for a role play and developing its scenario, do not copy real life situations that one of you has already experienced. In such games, the character of a character is usually presented, and therefore we are less embarrassed when we need to speak out on certain issues, portray this or that situation.