/ Time:30 minutes
Purpose: The purpose of the Introduction Module is to establish the groundwork for your Adoptions training, while at the same time launching the platform of family centered communication that will serve as the foundation for your practice.
Materials:
- Trainer’s Guide
- Participant’s Guide (participants should bring their own)
- PowerPoint slide deck
- Card stock for name tents
- Markers
- Flip chart paper
- Tape
Agenda:
- Welcome and Introductions
- Housekeeping
- Working Agreement
Trainer Instructions and Script:
Display slide 1.0.1: Introduction(PG: 1)
Welcome participants to training.
Provide a brief qualifying introduction of yourself. Your name, experience in child welfare or training.
Display your own previously prepared name on card stock.
Display slide 1.0.2: Agenda (PG: 2)
Review the agenda for this module.
/ Say:First we will create name tents; that will be followed by Introductions and Housekeeping.
After that there will be a break. Then we will do a team building activity and create a working agreement.
/ Activity #1: Name Tents
PG: 1
Materials:
- Card stock for name tents
- Markers
Provide card stock and markers. (It is best to wait until this time to provide the materials as participants may write on them prior to receiving directions.Have a few sheets of extra card stock just in case anyone makes a mistake.)
Most (if not all) of the participants will have attended Core training where they would have made name tents.
Say:Now we are going to create our name tents. Before we do, let’s talk about some different ways we can create name tents that will last for the entire course.
Ask participants to think about what makes a name tent stand up for weeks, what if anything they would like to do different this time. Encourage ideas on how best to make name tents.If needed, demonstrate different ways to create name tents. ½, 1/3, ¼, triangle, etc.
Say:The purpose of the name tents is for the trainer and you to identify each other.
There will be many times throughout the training where we will have expert speakers come to the training and they will also need to know your names. So the name tent has to be able to stand the test of time. Be creative.
Ask each to create a personalized name tent, using their name/nickname as they would like to be called.
Remind participants to make their name large enough and clear enough for the trainer to see and read their name.
/ Activity STOP
Display slide 1.0.3: Hello (PG: 2)
/ Activity #2: Introductions
PG: 2
Materials: None
Trainer Note: Prepare note paper in advance where you can note participant’s names and their “change” so that you can remember and refer to them during training. (This will help demonstrate engagement and trust building.)
/ Trainer Instructions:
Ask: Participants to state:
- Their name (including nickname).
- Where they work (or will be working).
- A change they have made in the past 6 months.
- What they enjoyed most in Core training.
- One thing they hope to learn more about in this specialty training.
Model “Active Listening Skills” during introductions by:
- Maintaining eye contact, lean forward
- Repeating what you have heard
- Paraphrasing
- Reflecting or mirroring at least one thing each person says
/ Activity STOP
Provide the following information to the participants before the break. (Prior to the start of training, fill in all applicable information.)
Restrooms / Location
Breaks / Timeframe
Lunch / Timeframe
Organization Rules / Provide your organization’s rules regarding attendance
Training Hours
Telephone numbers / Provide important telephone numbers
Q&A / Provide a few minutes for any questions participants may have regarding housekeeping.
/ Say:We will discuss possible variations or alternatives to the above rules later during the creation of our working agreement.
Write “Parking Lot” on the top of a piece of flip chart paper and post to a wall where it is visible by everyone.
Use the Parking Lot at this time to note questions that may need to be answered later or at another time.
Explain the use of Parking Lot now or after the break depending on the class needs.
Trainer Note: The Parking Lot is a place where a trainer or participant can place questions about topics or subjects that either need research or will be discussed fully later in the training. The trainer can put the topic or question in the parking lot as a “promissory note” to be sure the question gets answered. When more research needs to be done, it can be assigned to class participants or the trainer and can be checked off when the research or answer is complete.
Use the Parking Lot as often as possible in the beginning of training to get the participants used to the fact that further knowledge will come in time.
After writing one or two as examples begin to ask participants to write their questions on the Parking Lot. Be sure to look at the Parking Lot daily and assign others to find answers to some of the questions.
/ Give class a 15 minute break
Display slide 1.0.4: Commonalities(PG: 2)
/ Activity #3: Commonalities
Purpose: To explore commonalities and values, build rapport with participants, practice teamwork, and demonstrate listening skills.
PG:2
Materials:
- Flip chart paper
- Markers
- Tape
Say: As a table, group brainstorm for five minutes about the common elements of your interest in Adoptions and why you want to work in the child welfare field. Examples might be: the people in your group care about children; this is just your first job out of college; you want to be a therapist someday, etc… Just come up with as many values and commonalities that you can.
It’s a group activity, so everyone needs to participate in some way in the decisions about what you all have in common relating to motivation for working in child welfare.
Provide each table group with a flip chart piece of paper and markers.
Say:Now draw a picture of the common elements of your interest in Adoptions and why you want to work in the child welfare field. For example if one of your group commonalities is caring about children. A symbol in your drawing could be anything that you choose to depict “care” or “children.”
All can participate in the drawing, or you can select people to draw.
Your drawing can be abstract, stick figures, or whatever you decide.
Trainer Note: On flip chart paper, create a simple stick figure drawing of a child and a parent, to show that the drawing can be very simple.
/ When teams are almost finished, ask that a leader be selected for each team to present the drawing.
Ask for a volunteer to present the team’s drawing and to explain the rationale for the pictures.
Have only one group go at a time, and help tape their creation on the wall or where everyone can see the art. Follow the same instructions until all teams have spoken.
Ask: Participants what they noticed about the drawings, strengths, and commonalities. Make the point that each team focused on strengths and commonalities, as they would with families.
/ Activity STOP
Display slide 1.0.5: Working Agreement(PG: 3)
Activity #4: Working Agreement
Purpose: To determine with the participants what the “Working Agreement” for the classroom will be and modeling the way child welfare professionals will be working with their families.
PG: 3
Materials:
- Flip chart
- Markers
- Tape
Trainer Note:This activity will be modeled after the Family Centered Practice Foundational Perspectives. They are paraphrased here:
- Focus on the group as a whole, not only the individual.
- See the group in the context of their own culture
- See the group as partners in the change process, helping to define problems and identifying solutions.
- Be engaged with the group in trust-based relationships, reflecting genuineness, respect and empathy.
- When it is safe and in the best interest of the group, engage in the planning and decision-making of the working agreement.
Trainer will have the role of negotiator and facilitator to help the participants develop positive ideas. Ideas should be worded in a positive frame. Example, rather than write “no disrespect”, write “be respectful.”
You, as the trainer, are also a part of the group and will participate by adding the “non-negotiables” in a way that you are not directing but negotiating “buy in” such as turning off cell phones, showing up on time after lunch and breaks, protocol for absences, and any other rules that you wish to enact.
Some participants may not feel this is needed and will balk at the idea that “adults need rules.” If this does occur, honor their words, just as you would have them honor a parent/caregiver, and explain that rules are needed in our world. You can use driving as an example: “Imagine if everyone just drove wherever they wanted?” Or “What if a few members of the class came in an hour late every day and left an hour early? How would that affect the morale of the class?”
/ Trainer Instructions:
Say: We begin this portion of the training by modeling the work that Adoptions counselors will be doing with parents/caregivers and children: negotiating, listening, and allowing them to create their own solutions.
The working agreement is a flexible, ongoing process created byyou, which may change depending on your participant needs throughout the training.
Write statements on flip chart paper as they are agreed upon by the class.
Assist participants in determining a goal for writing this agreement. Example: “Learning in an active fun environment”
Ask:Why do you think we are making this working agreement?
What rules or agreements were needed during Core training?
What ideas do you feel must be part of a working agreement?
If the class is not forthcoming with ideas, prompt them by providing examples or by asking questions, such as “how do they feel when people arrive late?”, “how do they feel about people eating at their tables?”, etc.
After a conversation about being on time, eating at tables, etc., ask the class to agree on a solution or agreement to follow.
Next agree on what will happen if the agreement is not adhered to.
When an idea is stated in the negative, ask participant and/or group to restate the idea in a positive tone when possible.
Continue working by prompting conversations, using open ended questions.
When the working agreement is completed ask participants to sign the agreement. (You may need to re-write the agreement on clean paper, as the negotiation process may cause it to become illegible at times. If this is the case, have participants sign after the re-write.)
After the working agreement is complete, point out to participants how the working agreement process is similar to how we will work with families.
Remind participants that the agreement can be changed. Ideas can be added or re-worded throughout the training as needed.
When completed, post the agreement in the room for reference during the entire training.
It is often helpful to number the agreements, so that they can be referenced easier by both the class and the trainer. For example, it is less confrontational for a trainer to remind the class of agreement #5, than to tell someone they are being disrespectful.
Display slide 1.0.6: Let’s Get Started(PG: 3)
Take a few minutes to discuss any questions about anything that’s been covered so far – agenda for the course or the coming week, classroom expectations, etc.
/ Ask:Does anyone have any questions about what we’ve talked about so far?
Transition to Module 2
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