Trails to Literacy: TOOLKIT

Action Tools - Facilitator

What qualities and skills are important in a facilitator?

• Understanding of (and belief in) learner-centred approaches used in Trails projects: collaborative, authentic, participatory and intentional (see "Phase 2 - Action, Time Out for a Little Theory" in the manual)
• A way of dealing with people, respecting individual abilities and contributions.
• Willing to share ownership and responsibility with group members.
• Capacity to motivate and build team-spirit
• Techniques to help the group acquire skills in planning, goal setting, team building, record keeping, evaluation, etc.
• Ability to pass-on literacy and numeracy skills required to complete project activities
• Desire to learn from group participants

Remember: you are a facilitator!

Don't forget, your job is to help the group, and its individual participants, become self-directed, able to identify and manage their own goals, learning and activities.

Over time your role will have to change - from starting-up and recruiting, to leading and guiding, to assisting, and finally to just advising. With the ongoing intake of most Trails to Literacy projects, you will need to continually adapt your role to the current group and its individual participants' abilities.

Leading, guiding, assisting and advising never means lecturing or dictating. You will be working with adults, who come to the project with individual knowledge, skills and expertise. It is up to the facilitator to help them gain self-confidence, realize their potential and develop their abilities in communication, numeracy and self- direction/motivation.

Help the group to understand your role.

It is important to make it clear to the group that you are a facilitator, not a leader. Although part of the group itself, you cannot be the chairperson, secretary, 'teacher' etc., as these are perceived as being positions of authority. This participatory approach will be unfamiliar to most of the group. They may need encouragement to speak, to give their opinions and to make suggestions. Help them by listening and seeking their active involvement.