[su_quote]Think of ways to help your group discover on their own.[/su_quote] Guided discussion takes careful preparation. It is necessary to study deep enough for you to personally understand the passage; but it is important to press on further to think of ways to help your group discover on their own. Here are six basic tips to help your small group get the most out of the discussion. 1. Start with open-ended questions or “no-one-right-answer” questions. These types of questions help funnel people’s minds from their day filled with work, home, kids, and craziness into the discussion. These questions will…
How to Develop Guided Questions
[su_quote]People do not come to a small group for a lecture.[/su_quote] As a small group leader, how do you keep your group engaged in the discussion? We have all likely experienced a small group discussion that fell flat. Whether it was an over-talkative small group leader or a discussion that wandered in circles, these are the moments when ceiling tiles are counted and daydreamers drift. The solution can be pretty simple. Think of the differences between a lecture and a guided discussion. During a lecture, people are presented information and facts – hopefully in an organized and interesting way. Lectures…
“Simple” Is Not a Dirty Word
[su_quote]Making the complex understandable is somewhat uncommon – not necessarily because it is impossible to do, but rather because those who instruct often do not strive hard enough to achieve it.[/su_quote] For just a moment, I was able to understand the differences between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. A teenager explained it to me. We were riding along the highway on the way to a youth camp in a packed van. He was one of those uncommonly intelligent teens; but what made him unique was his ability to take a somewhat complex concept and explain it in a way that…