STUDENT SUPPORT GROUP FORMAT FOR DANCE STUDIO OWNERS + TEACHERS
A weekly support group meeting for one hour.
We as teachers are facilitators of the meeting, there to run the format, keep order, and keep people feeling safe. We are not there to be any sort of expert or therapist or offer any sort of advice. We are also a participant in the meeting like everyone else.
We all sit in a circle.
Open the meeting by reminding the group that everything that is said within the meeting is 100% confidential. It is never to leave the room.
Also, there is never any pressure for anyone to share. One shares only if and when they want
to.
You may want to create or find an opening statement about the power of vulnerability, of sharing our feelings, and of owning our stories. The author BRENE BROWN is an incredible resource for this subject matter. Look up “MANIFESTO OF THE BRAVE AND BROKEN HEARTED” by Brene Brown as a starting point. It is from her book RISING STRONG.
Explain the SHARING GROUND RULES.
There is no crosstalk allowed, meaning no referring to anyone in the group by name, by gesture, or in any way during a share.
Explain the LISTENING GROUND RULES.
When someone is sharing, every other participant is to be silent, paying their full attention to the one who is sharing.
No note taking by anyone.
You as the facilitator may want to offer a TOPIC for each meeting such as, FEARS, FAILURE, COMPETITION, JEALOUSY, WORTHINESS, etc. You decide what is relevant for your studio and your students lives. You will of course gain more insight as to what topics are relevant to their lives as you experience the students shares.
The opportunity of the meeting is for participants to share for 5 minutes at a time. A participant shows that they want to share by raising their hands.
After someone raises their hand to share, an example dialogue for you as the facilitator would be, “Sarah, you will have 5 minutes to share. The timer will sound at 4 minutes which will let you know that you have one minute in order to wrap up your share. The timer will then sound again when your 5 minutes is complete. Thank you for sharing.” Use your phone or some sort of timer and select a sound and volume that will be audible but not jarring for the participants.
When a participant has completed their share, you as the facilitator could ask them if they would like to receive supportive feedback from the group. They can absolutely say, “No, thank you.” If they say, “Yes”, you must then explain...
THE GROUND RULES OF SUPPORTIVE FEEDBACK.
Each meeting, please explain that a supportive comment is the ONLY type of comment we offer to our participants.
NO ADVICE is allowed.
NO MINI SHARES are allowed, meaning the supportive comment becoming about the one who is giving it, such as, “When you spoke about loneliness, it made me think about this time in my life, me, me, me...”
People who want to give supportive comments, raise their hands and the one who has just shared chooses who gives he or her supportive feedback, one at a time.
Supportive comments should be kept to about one minute.
After supportive comments, ask the one who has shared if he/she would like to respond to the supportive comments and speak on how he/she feels having received them. Allow about a minute or so for this.
Then the participant that just shared, chooses who shares next from amongst those who raise their hands. Usually only one participant raises their hand at a time.
You may then want to close with the same inspiring paragraph you opened the meeting with or find another.
Remind the participants that they may be feeling particularly vulnerable and sensitive after the meetings. This is normal and okay. And again, nothing that was said in the meeting, ever leaves the meeting.
Including the supportive comments, each participant’s sharing experience could last about 10 minutes, allowing about 5 people to share in a one hour meeting. So maybe meetings are kept to smaller groups, such as 6 to 8 people. You will find your own way in this.
As a facilitator, you must first and foremost hold the sacred the oath of keeping what is shared in the meeting confidential. I would say the only time it may be relevant for you to share information about someone’s share, outside of the meeting, is if based on their share, you are genuinely concerned for their mental and/or physical well being.
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