Being flexible, spontaneous, and creative
Description
Flexibility and adaptability are essential traits for facilitators working with children with disabilities, as unexpected behaviors may require thoughtful and spontaneous responses to ensure a positive and meaningful collaborative experience for all participants. Unforeseen situations and unexpected behaviors may arise during the workshop. The facilitation team needs to be prepared to embrace spontaneity and their plans accordingly. This might involve introducing impromptu activities or modifying existing ones to better suit the present or stopping the session altogether and rescheduling for another time.
Suggestions
Create a Safe and Accepting Environment
Focus on your main goals or objectives instead of specific tasks. Creating session agendas that consider key design stages gives you more flexibility and can help you achieve your goals without being tied to particular tasks.
Nurture a safe and accepting environment for all participants to freely express themselves. Foster a culture of understanding and respect, where ideas are celebrated and differences are embraced. For example apply a Yes, and… approach, you can learn more about this strengths-based tactic here: Link
Offer the right to pass on participating
Sometimes a student is not ready to participate in an activity at a given moment. Offering a right to pass, alongside a verbal offer to return to them later, when they may be ready to participate, is one way of creating a safe and accepting environment. Often watching peers participate and engage in an activity gives those that pass an opportunity to observe expectations and encourage them to try the next time you ask.
Consider the importance of wait time
Many students need time to process instructions, digest information, then respond to a request or deliver a task. Follow cues and suggestions from those who know the student, or model a purposefully patient process. For some, this can be harder to do than it sounds.
Be Observant of Room Dynamics
Stay attuned to the energy and interactions within the room. Observe how participants interact with one another and with facilitators. If you sense any tensions or frictions, be open to rearranging groups and facilitators to foster better group dynamics and engagement.
Be mindful of each child’s level of participation. Some participants may be more reserved and prefer limited engagement, while others may require encouragement to share their ideas. Engage with all participants on an individual basis and encourage their contributions in a way that respects their comfort level.
Be Responsive to Participants’ Needs
Remain receptive to the participants’ needs and abilities. If you find that certain activities are not accessible or engaging for some children, be ready to modify the approach on the spot. Assign facilitators and educators to support individual participants in a way that accommodates their unique requirements.
Facilitators can keep fast doers engaged with extra challenges and offer optional activities, and provide support to slower participants. Maintaining a balanced pace and celebrating individual progress creates a more collaborative and supportive environment for all participants.
Example
In many of our collaborative sessions for the Weavly project, we frequently encountered situations that required us to be flexible and adapt our plans on the fly to accommodate the needs of students, teachers, or the school. For instance, there were occasions when students had to leave earlier for other school activities, prompting us to adjust our lesson plans while still ensuring meaningful engagement and achieving our session goals.
Moreover, when introducing new mediums and creative tools to children, there were instances that teachers and caregivers were not sure about how students would respond to such new experiences. As a result, we encountered some situations where the activity wasn’t accessible to all students. For example, some students struggled with navigating iPads, while others found floor-level activities challenging due to mobility devices. In response, we made real-time adjustments such as streaming activities on a laptop for better visibility, repositioning monitors for easier access, or providing additional support tools like straps. Each of these moments provided valuable learning experiences, prompting us to continuously improve and make subsequent sessions more inclusive and accessible for all participants.