Welcome to the COE Land Staff Manual

Welcome to the COE Land Staff Manual.

As a COE instructor you are responsible for knowing the information contained in this manual. This Manual is intended as a place for you to learn, discover, and record the trips and trainings you have done with COE.

This Manual should be used in conjunction with the COE Underground Guide. An attempt has been made to NOT go over information found within the UG (no reason for repetition) however as a COE instructor you are responsible for knowing the policies and practices found in both the Land Staff Manual, and the COE Underground Guide, so some parts of the UG, especially those that specifically relate to Land classes you may find information in both the LSM and the UG.

Throughout this manual you will read about Policies. Policies are actions that must be followed while engaging in a COE sponsored activity. An example of this would be the closed toe shoe policy. All participants on a COE outing must be wearing closed toe shoes. This prevents injuries, infections, and late night hospital visits for instructors and their Coordinators.

Policies are based on real events that have happened within COE and similar organizations, policies are the voice of experience. Policies must be followed and implemented by all COE instructors.

This manual is not exhaustive, based on your experiences as an Instructor for COE you should constantly be readdressing some of the issues found within this manual and making your decisions based on your professional development and what is best for your students.

Enjoy your journey.

“We owe you so much more than we could ever give. We can only give you our thanks and our eternal gratitude. When the kids and the bugs and the heat get to be too much, we hope you’ll remember how important your work is and be lifted up by these thoughts. You are truly heroes and deserve everything good. May you someday receive the rewards you deserve.”

First Edition 2014 Cornell Outdoor Education As you probably know, COE is a rather large organization of students, community members and professional staffers. We will begin this manual by going over some of the basic terminology and philosophies behind COE.

The Cornell Outdoor Education Mission Statement:

Cornell Outdoor Education develops teamwork, leadership, and growth through outdoor experience.

Take a moment to think about this, don’t just pass it on by with the intent of getting to deeper and more philosophical ideas, take a moment to think about the word “develop”. Recognize that some of the value in working for COE is that you will be working with people that may have a wide variety of experiences, by developing people, we are stating that we like to foster growth. Also keep in mind that you as an Instructor for COE are expected to develop as well. As your technical and interpersonal skills develop, we expect you to reflect on these experiences and share them with others.

We do so by:

• Teaching outdoor skills and judgment for lifelong recreation and fitness. • Promoting environmental responsibility through personal connections to the natural world. • Empowering individuals and groups to move beyond self-imposed limitations. • Igniting a passion for experiential learning. • Enhancing initiative, self-reliance, and compassion for others.

Are you an Instructor, a Guide, a Facilitator? No matter your role in COE, you are here to provide an educational experience for your students and your fellow instructors, commonly this can be referred to as facilitating a process.

What is facilitation?

To facilitate, is to help something (usually a process) move along. The word derives from "facile" which is French for "easy". To facilitate, then, is literally to make something easier.

As an instructor for COE you should be facilitating the learning of your students and your fellow instructors, this is the essence of what we do, however how we do this is actually a very complex process. Knowing the information in this manual, teaching, giving and receiving feedback are ways that you as an instructor will continue to develop your skills.

Every instructor who teaches Land Programs should have the following:

1. Land Based experiences, either through trainings or personal experience that provide sufficient expertise to teach Land Based courses.

2. Has teaching experience, either formal or informal, within the activities of the Land Based Programs. This teaching experience may be very little, or may be a lot, but the focus here is that individuals are open and aware that 99% of being an instructor for COE involves teaching others. 3. Has a strong interest in sharing skills and experiences with others

4. Has interpersonal skills and is sensitive to others’ differences

5. Has experience working with others in a group or team

6. Has demonstrated sound judgment and safety consciousness in previous teaching and outdoor experiences

7. Will be an enthusiastic and committed member of the COE staff

8. Certified in CPR and First aid (For Leads and Assists, TA’s are not required to have these)

Teaching for COE

99% of our instructors start out as a Teaching Assistant. The TA role is to foster growth, learning, and to understand how COE teaches. What we do is much more complicated than just taking people out in the woods, and the TA experience is designed to orient developing instructors to how COE works.

Once you have completed your TA experience we hope you will continue teaching for COE, keep in mind that as you develop your skills, you should constantly be checking with other instructors to learn and grow your own skills. One of the biggest pitfalls of being an instructor is the false sense of security that you know what you are doing. While this may be true, don’t ever assume you know everything about instructing, and what to do in any situation you encounter, you don’t. Our own personal egos are one of the most dangerous things we need to manage as an Instructor.

Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy. Robert Heinlein

Specific information for Instructing a COE course.

Access to COE For your first class, COE may not be open. You will need to check out a gear key to get into Bartels Hall and to the Phillips Outdoor Program Center. Keys are located in the copy room. Be sure to record your name, contact information, key name, and relevant times on the key log. When you arrive at COE, check the gear key in, and exchange it for your van key. When you return, you can use the keys on the van key block for access. If you are the last people out of the basement, don’t forget to lock the doors. To lock the doors and return your keys, prop the doors open, lock them, return your key to the key board and un prop the doors as you leave. The key board is accessible whenever COE is open, including Outfitting hours, so usually 8 am to 9pm M-F also 1pm to 5pm on weekends.

Getting your group gear Almost every course has a “standard issue” which is what people generally take with them on this course. During your brief you should get a copy of the standard issue, review this and make any additions or deletions, put the names of the instructor team on the standard issue and put this in the Outfitting mailbox.

Instructor teams should double check the gear issue at least two days prior to departing to ensure everything is present. As gear is identified as "present" it should be noted on the gear issue sheet in the locker. If anything is missing, the instructor can ask a Wizard to add the requested item(s) to the locker.

Personal Issue If your students will need personal gear for your class (backpack, sleeping bag, ensolite pad, etc.) then you will need to schedule a personal issue with Outfitting. Email Ben and request this during one of your class sessions. Make sure you tell your students ahead of time what gear they will need, and encourage them to borrow this from friends, as they will have to pay a rental fee if they get gear through Outfitting.

Returning your Gear All equipment needs to be clean and dry before it is returned to the locker. Once it is clean and dry it can be put back on the shelves of the locker and identified as "checked in" on the issue sheet. Any equipment that is broken during the course should be returned to the locker with a repair tag attached. The repair tag should identify the nature of the problem. Be descriptive. “It is broken,” is not good enough.

Food The budget for your class is $6/person/day. However, your Coordinator can give you a round number to be aware of when purchasing for the entire course.

To purchase food for your class you will need to go to Wegmans or Greenstar. At Greenstar when you check out ask them to put this on the COE account, then turn your receipt into your Coordinator. To purchase food at Wegmans you must first sign out the Wegmans cards from Outfitting. Please return these cards as soon as possible as other teams will be using these as well. When you are checking out utilizing the Wegmans card, the pin number is 1807. Write your name and your course on the receipt and turn this into your Coordinator.

Overview of a Land Class Course Progression

Before your first class

1) Make sure your class has the minimum enrollment. If not, begin recruiting! 2) Make sure your 1st aid & CPR are current. 3) Make sure you have van driver certification. 4) Brief with your Coordinator. 5) Contact students with your opening email, make sure to copy Amy Woodin [email protected] 6) Email students on your waitlist encouraging them to come to the first class. 7) Turn in your completed standard issue sheet to Outfitting.

During your first class

1) Complete your first class paperwork (waiver, medical forms) 2) Review attendance policies with students. 3) Review appropriate safety policies and emergency procedures. 4) Privately review students' and instructors' medical forms 5) On your roster mark all students who are present and any students that you add to your course from the waitlist, put this in Amy’s mailbox so she can complete an official roster for you. 6) Make copies of your student medicals and place one set in the Medical Lock Box in the Library.

During the class

1) Complete your course planning packet to include your contact info and location of classes. 2) Review emergency procedures for the locations you will be visiting. 3) Deliver core curriculum 4) Complete incident report form if necessary 5) Debrief with students 6) Do class evaluations on last day of the trip

After the Class

1) Return clean & dry equipment to locker, if wet place in appropriate drying locations (Kitchen, Nebraska). Put repair tag on any broken equipment. 2) Complete course support evaluation and instructor evaluations 3) Complete attendance form with final grades 4) Schedule a debrief with your Coordinator

This is the story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have. Anonymous

Pre-class email to students At least a few days prior to the first class, one instructor should send an email to the students notifying them of important information such as meeting time and place, what to wear, and what to bring. Remind them about the medical form. It can be downloaded and filled out ahead of time at: http://intranet.coe.cornell.edu/docs/253/COE%20medical%20form.pdf

It is a nice touch to check the weather and recommend a clothing scheme. (“It’s going to be 40 degrees and windy. You might want to wear a wind jacket.”) Ask them to wear clothes that they don’t mind getting dirty. Students also sometimes want to know if there is a place to change their clothes.

Additionally, let the students know up front that if they miss the first class they will not be allowed to go on the trip. Warn them that if they are late, their spot can be given to a person on the waitlist. If they have a conflict, they should inform you right away.

Students' emails are listed on the class roster. The roster can be obtained from the COE Office Manager at the front desk, or from your Coordinator.

1st class paperwork During the first class it is important for instructors to complete the necessary paperwork from the course folder. You’ll need to make two copies of your student’s medical forms. One copy goes with you into the field, the other stays at COE in the medical lockbox. You will also need to complete your course planning packet with your itinerary and contact info for Instructors. This form lets us know where to find you in the event of an emergency. If you diverge from your plan, please call your Coordinator and let us know your new plan.

All participants must also sign COE’s general waiver form (also known as the “blue waiver”). Take the time in the first class to read the waiver aloud. Make sure that everyone understands what they are signing. You might mention some of the hazards that are specific to Land Programs such as twisted ankles, or getting lost and cold. Carry your waivers with you in the field, and return them to your Coordinator at the end of the class. Copies of the waivers can be found in the black box of paperwork in the Library.

First Day Issues Your first class will likely begin with introductions of some sort. Once people know each other’s names and are feeling comfortable, you might be interested in some information from the class. Ask them why they are taking the course, what their previous experiences are, and what they hope to get out of the course, also make sure our expectations are clear up front. We expect our students to be on time. Along with this goes the attendance policy. Students cannot miss anything to get credit. If they miss the first day, they cannot go on the trip. If you would like to offer a make-up before the trip, you may do so, but you are not obliged to by any means. These kids are college students now, and it is time to take responsibility to organize their schedules correctly! If you do decide to offer a make-up for the first day, make the decision as a team beforehand so everyone is on the same page.

If a student does not show up for the first day class, you may add a wait list student. Take them in the order they appear on the roster. They are in numerical order, amazingly enough.

All instructors must maintain current first aid and CPR certifications. Instructors are required to submit current proof of certification to their Coordinator. All outings must have a minimum of two staff with updated first aid and CPR certifications to go into the field.

Pre-Outing Program Policies A "Release/Indemnification of all Claims" form (waiver) must be read aloud, completed and signed by the participant (or parent or guardian of a minor) before participation in any COE activity. Minors (participants under age 18) must have the "Release/Indemnification of all Claims" form signed by a parent or guardian. Students must be informed of any inherent risks and hazards (environmental, technical, transportation, etc.) associated with course activities. Parents or guardians of minors must be informed of the risks involved for an outing in which a minor is involved.

Instructors and TA’s must review all student and co-instructor medical forms, and inquire on any issues or medication situations that could inhibit appropriate participation of participants. Instructors will inform participants of recommended clothing and equipment. Any student appearing to be ill equipped for outings will be properly equipped or not permitted to participate.

Instructors are responsible for providing an updated attendance card, medical information forms for all participants and staff, as well as an outing itinerary, this is contained in your Course Planning Packet.

Participants must be informed that illicit drugs, alcohol or tobacco products are not permitted on any COE outings. Participants under the influence of alcohol or other drugs will be excluded from activities and may be expelled from the outing, and may not receive academic or physical education credit for that outing.

Emergency Policies The Emergency Duty Person and necessary administrators must be notified as soon as possible of any incidents requiring evacuation, extensive medical treatment, etc.

Incident Report Forms should be completed for any: • Injury requiring first aid beyond simple care • Injury or illness requiring more than cursory staff attention • Evacuation • Near miss, or if an analysis of the incident could benefit staff in the future • Motivational or behavioral events that compromise the student's ability to participate in the program Incident Reports should be given to your Coordinator within 24 hours of the incident or upon immediate return from an outing.

Any student evacuated for an injury or illness must see a doctor or physician, unless they sign a personal waiver stating that they refuse to visit medical specialists. No statements about any incidents involving COE may be made to the media or general public, unless cleared by COE administration. Any requests for statements or comments should be referred to the COE Director of Outdoor Programs and/or Cornell University News Service.

Vehicular Safety Policies All instructors driving vans must hold a valid driver's license and successfully complete a van-driving test. Drivers must obey all speed limits and traffic laws. Individuals who drive with a trailer must pass a COE trailer test. Headlights must be on at all times during operation of COE vehicles. Winter instructors must be familiar with tire chain use. Vehicles pulling trailers or loaded with students must not exceed 65mph, even if posted speed limits are greater. All passengers and the driver must use seat belts whenever the van is in motion. Neither staff nor participants may transport any participants in private vehicles. Driving time limits: 1) Maximum of 4 hours of driving at 1 sitting. 2) Drivers sleep for at least 6 hours (i.e. midnight to 6 am) 3) Cannot exceed 14 consecutive hours of driving and non-driving duty e.g.: 3 hours issuing students and 11 hours driving = 14 hours total

General Outings Policies At least one complete first aid kit must accompany every COE trip. Physical and emotional harassment is unacceptable and should be addressed immediately, followed by the appropriate response, including debriefing with the Program Coordinator, or expulsion from the outing. Instructors will inform themselves and participants of, and follow, land use policies and regulations of any area in which they are operating outings. Romantic and/or sexual relationships between students and instructors are inappropriate and unacceptable for the duration of the COE program. Hitchhiking by staff or participants is not allowed. All federal, state and/or local laws must be obeyed. All outings will follow LNT protocols that are appropriate to the ecosystems traveled in. Pets are not permitted on COE courses. Don’t travel on private property unless permitted to do so explicitly by your program Coordinator. No open toed shoes

Swimming If the opportunity for swimming exists on a trip, staff must ascertain the swimming abilities of the participants prior to encountering such opportunities. This can be done by checking the medical form, but should also be done verbally. It is not necessary to conduct swim tests. For all participants who identify themselves as comfortable recreational swimmers, they may, at staff discretion, be allowed to swim following these guidelines: • Secure footwear is to be worn at all times to protect feet. • Use the buddy system when swimming; no one may swim alone. • No swimming during storms. • No jumping or diving into the water. • A spotter must be present, on shore, and maintain visual and vocal contact with swimmers at all times. • Non-swimmers should follow all of the above and be advised to wade only into knee-deep water where there is no immediate drop to deeper water.

Lightning Drill Take immediate defensive action, such as leading the group to a safer location, when lightning is indicated within 6-8 miles (30 seconds "flash to crash"). A proactive group lightning drill should be in progress when flash to crash is less than 15 seconds. Maintain the drill until the "flash to crash" is more than 30 seconds.

Hazards The primary dangers of cloud to earth discharges are direct hits and ground current. Your goal is to avoid both.

Physiological Aspects of a Lightning Strike

Electrical currents pass through the body, and may cause burns, muscle spasms, heart stoppage or fibrillation, brain malfunction and cessation of breathing. A direct strike is often fatal. Ground currents are weaker, and therefore the particular current path through the body makes a significant difference. For example, current that enters through the hand and exits through the other hand will fry the heart and zap the spinal cord and vital organs along the way. Current that enters through the knee and exits through the foot of the same leg may not be life threatening.

Proactive group lightning drill

Avoid water, metallic objects, high ground (especially high ropes courses located in open areas!), solitary high trees, close contact with others, open spaces, and contact with dissimilar objects, i.e. water and land; boat and land; rock and ground; tree and ground. Rather, seek clumps of shrubs, ditches, trenches, low ground or trees of uniform height. Seek a low crouching position with feet together and hands on ears to minimize hearing damage. Disperse the group to reduce the possibility of one strike affecting more than one person, but keeping everyone within sight and sound of an instructor. Remove metal objects and keep them away from body contact (decreases burn potential) Prepare for and monitor for hypothermia (raingear, snacks, insulating clothing) Get into the “lightning position” • Stand on available insulation (pack, pad, pfd, etc.) • Take up as little space as possible • Ideally, crouch with feet together and hands off the ground • With an extended drill, you may also kneel with knees together Maintain this position until "flash to crash" is more than 30 seconds. Afterward, keep alert for more lightening for another half-hour. Remain in a reduced-activity mode for 30 minutes after the last observation of either thunder or lightning. If you hear thunder after 25 minutes, restart your clock. The next strike could be close enough to be an immediate and severe threat.

In the event that someone is struck by lightning, immediately administer CPR to restore breathing. Eighty percent (80%) of all lightning strike victims survive the shock. Lightning victims do not retain an electric charge and are safe to handle. Electrical burns should be treated like all other burns. In almost every case, you should seek professional medical attention for the injured.

For more information, visit the National Lightening Safety Institute (www.lightningsafety.com)

Group Dynamics and working with students

Student Development It’s important to constantly assess the readiness of individuals and the group to accept leadership responsibilities and to give them as many decision making opportunities as possible. Never offer choices unless you are willing to accept their decision. Respect decisions which differ from your own, but do not affect the quality of the course. Recognize your role as a provider of information for your students, some information you might want to provide from the outset, “we are going hiking at Hammond Hill”. Some information you may want to wait until a more opportune or educational moment presents itself, keep in mind we are attempting to educate through actions and experiences, not through lectures and rote memorization.

Stages of Group development Both instructors and students will go through various stages of development as a course progresses. This is normal, and should be fostered by the instructors, however as an instructor you should recognize how and when this may be happening. In general these stages can be described as:

Forming Groups are learning each others names, likes, and dislikes. Groups are establishing some common bonds amongst themselves. During this time instructors should be fostering this learning about each other through activities, briefs, debriefs, and instruction, and sharing of information.

Norming This stage refers to a group that has become aware of their own internal strengths and weaknesses, a group that has identified who is good at cooking and spicing food for a group and who often burns the mac and cheese. A norming group would then choose to allocate resources for the betterment of the group. A storming group would just sit back and let the food get burnt so they could enjoy blaming it on others. At this point instructors should be giving more and more responsibilities to the members of the class so that individuals are taking responsibility for their actions. Instructors should be encouraged to instill a sense of pride in the accomplishments of the group.

Storming During this stage groups are often experiencing a sense of disequilibrium, due to a comfort level with each other people may be more open to express differences of opinion. Students may be physically and socially challenged by the task of the class and by other members of the group. During this stage instructors should be providing a supportive caring environment that challenges their students. Don’t bail your students out, don’t drastically change route plans, but allow your students opportunities and resources to vent their opinions and frustrations.

Performing This refers to a group that has gone through a series of successive challenges that have bonded them as a group, as a result of this the group is able to handle most challenges presented to them. Students have gained a basic understanding of the course material and the limitations of their group members and are working together as a functioning team to accomplish challenges. The instructors role during this time should be to provide realistic challenges for the group that will provide the students with opportunities to perform. Instructors should clearly recognize that they will be moving through these stages as well. The key to success is clear communication and clear expectations. Having a first time TA run the entire first class is not appropriate, however based on the individuals involved, a TA should be given more and more responsibility for a class as the class progresses. Instructors should also recognize that the stages of group development is cyclical based on the challenges presented to people. People do not get to the performing stage and the class is over with, or they have progressed as far as they can. The instructors responsibility is to continually point out areas for growth so that people can continue to learn about themselves.

Listen to the Mustn'ts, child, Listen to the Don'ts. Listen to the Shouldn'ts, The Impossibles, the Wont's. Listen to the Never Haves. Then listen close to Me, Anything can happen child, Anything can be. Shel Silverstein

Specific technical skills related to COE Land Courses:

Fitting a backpack Prior to loading the pack, make adjustments, size the waist belt, size the pack to the torso length of the student. Hip belts should cradle your hip crests.

Shoulder straps: the point of attachment can vary, but is generally best around C7 (protruding vertebrae in the neck) and the scapula. Shoulder straps attached too high can constrict your neck. Shoulder straps should round over your shoulders, obvious angles probably mean the pack is not adjusted well.

Sternum straps are best if they are above the nipple line, although this is a point of personal comfort.

Numb arms and hands or fingers are an obvious sign that the shoulder straps are too tight.

Sequence for putting on a backpack: Loosen all straps Bent knees Straight back Lift pack to bent knee utilizing the handle grip Put your shoulder through the strap, hoist and turn, buckle, adjust waist belt, shoulder straps, load lifters and sternum strap.

Packing a pack: The majority of the weight of your pack should be on your hips, make sure your waist belt is above your hip bones. Keep items that you may need quickly (rain gear, compass, water, extra layer) in pockets, or brains, areas that are easily accessible. Heavy items (food, water, pots and pans) should be placed in the lumbar region and closest to your back. Items that you only need once a day (tents, sleeping bag) are often best in the bottom of your pack. Food safety while on expedition. While in the woods it is important that we make sure our food is not ransacked by anything other than students and Instructors. To help with this we often bear bag our food. Bear bagging means hanging your food in a location that is most likely inaccessible to lions, tigers, and bears. Bear canisters are available from Outfitting and often utilized when camping in the Adirondacks. However there are some common ways to bear proof your food without canisters. The most common way is to hang our food, kitchen equipment, and sometimes even personal and group toiletries. Food should be suspended from trees at least 10 feet from the ground, and 6 feet away from trunks and other limbs. Not uncommon at all for an Instructor to be teaching this to one or two students, be careful when throwing lines into trees, and especially look out for falling limbs while placing bear bags.

Map and Compass Maps, a tool that can tell you exactly where you wish you were. To use maps and compasses most easily, make sure you are observing the area you are in. Look and remember trail identifying markers, blazes, cairns, also notice significant geographic features, elevation, single hill tops, rivers, streams, sources of water, etc.

Orienting your map, this means to place your map in the same orientation as the natural world around you. Align your compass with the right or left edge of your map, keeping in mind that the top will be north. With your map and compass in alignment turn the map until your compass is pointing due north. Your map should now be aligned with the physical topography of where you are at. You can now use your eyesight to identify places that should be recognizable on your map (hill tops, buildings, cell phone towers, etc.)

Taking a bearing is a helpful way to head to a certain location that you cannot see in the physical world, but can see on your map. To shoot a bearing you should: Lay the long edge of your compass through your present position and your destination. Rotate the compass housing until the orienting arrow points to true north. Read your true bearing on the compass (between 0 and 360 degrees) of the direction you want to head. Hike along this bearing, make sure you are routinely checking your compass to make sure you are on track, a difference of one degree over a significant amount of travel can get you in the wrong place. Consider utilizing the leapfrog method with your group to maintain a consistent bearing.

There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience. Archibald McLeish

Weather Systems Fronts are the boundaries where different air masses meet.

Cold Fronts A cold front is the transition zone where a cold air mass replaces a warmer air mass. Cold air is drier and denser than warm air, and “undercuts” the warm air where they meet. When a fast moving cold front passes through, the warm air gets displaced quickly, temps can drop more than 15 degrees within the first hour of a cold front moving through. As the cooler air pushes warm air upwards, the warm air cools and its moisture condenses, forming towering cumulous clouds above a nimbostratus base. Associated with a strong cold front can be massive thunderstorms, lightning, hail and strong, gusty winds. Squalls are fast-moving cold fronts, often with a visible line of low, black, rolling clouds.

Behind a cold front is a cooler, drier, higher pressure air mass.

Warm Fronts A warm front is the transition zone where a warm air mass replaces a cold air mass. Warmer, wetter air rises gently up over colder, denser air. The first observation of an approaching warm front are high, thin clouds, indicating moist air high above you. As the warm front approaches, the cloud base will thicken and lower. Prolonged periods of rain or showers follow and then slowly clear, sometimes after two or three days. Behind a warm front is a warmer, more humid air mass.

Managing Fears and Anxieties

Your participants may come to your course with a large variety of concerns and fears. For most folks, just being in a new group is scary. And then there are the heights, the wild animals, the drowning, and the possibility of failing in front of a bunch of people. It’s enough to give anyone a massive cardiac infarction. Recognize that anxiety and even out-and-out fear is going to be present on your course and that activities and situations that don’t make you blink are going to make your participants blanch. Even just sleeping outside can scare some.

Try keeping these things in mind when dealing with fear:

 Make fear and talking about it an acceptable part of the group experience. Include it in the group contract.  Don’t downplay fear. Each person’s fear is real for them so telling someone not to be afraid or that there isn’t anything to be afraid of is usually counter-productive.  Encourage participant to move through their fear. Let them know that success is how we behave when we’re scared. Do we continue to make decisions or do we shut down? Making a conscious, calm decision to back down is probably braver than an unthinking leap.  Explain the objective risks and the steps taken to minimize them.  Give students some of the responsibility for maintaining a safe course environment. Explain what they can do to keep themselves and others safe. Feeling some measure of control usually makes participants feel safer and less anxious.  When someone is particular scared or panicked, provide as much detail as possible about what’s happening. Frightened people usually take comfort in concrete steps and specific answers to their concerns, or anything to make the situation seem more controlled or controllable.

It is so much easier to live life placidly and complacently. Of course, to live placidly and complacently is not to live at all. Jack London

Feedback

Feedback is a powerful tool that most folks fear to use. When polled at one New Staff Orientation, nearly 100% of instructors agreed that they would want a friend to tell them if they had bad breath. However, only about 20% of those same instructors said that they would feel comfortable telling a friend about their bad breath. Feedback is a powerful tool because there are things we simply cannot know about ourselves and about our impact on others. We have to rely on the folks around us to tell us. Unfortunately, we have been raised to equate feedback with criticism and so we hesitate to give it (for fear of being mean) and we fear receiving it (for fear of being hurt). However, if we can learn to look on feedback as a gift, we may be more comfortable both giving and receiving it.

Qualities of Good Feedback

Good feedback is timely. The giver uses sensitivity and insight to time the feedback so the receiver will hear it easily and so he has an opportunity to do something to change. Some folks hear feedback best right after the event; others need time to do their own processing first. The giver should not wait so long that the receiver won’t be able to remember the event or so long that opportunities to apply the feedback have passed. Good feedback is also solicited. The giver should ask permission to give feedback. The receiver should be honest about her ability to receive at that moment. The receiver should actively pursue other’s perspectives. We also hope our feedback is based on respect and care. The giver is not just venting, giving advice or trying to show off. It is genuinely intended to help the receiver. Try to be honest, and direct the information toward positive change. Provide suggestions on how to keep doing the good stuff and to change the bad stuff. Most folks need to hear about twice as many positive points of feedback as constructive just to keep the latter from burying the former. Try to keep it balanced. Of course feedback on things we can’t change isn’t very useful. Try to focus on aspect of behavior that can be controlled.

Feedback with Participants

You will be giving constant feedback to your participants as they practice skills, attempt initiatives, adopt leadership…and cook dinner. You may even have to give some constructive feedback to a student about how they are affecting the rest of the group. When giving feedback to students remember all the qualities above. Also remember to be as specific as possible; it is easier for a student to improve specifics than to work on intangibles. Lastly, remember to praise in public and criticize in private.

Feedback within the I-Team

An I-team that can give each other helpful, insightful and honest feedback will be a place of improvement and growth for all the members and it will wow its students with better and better presentations, progressions and de-briefs. Motivated yet? Well, remember that most people want feedback so they can improve upon the things they can’t see. Motivated yet? Well, then remember that feedback and support are part of your job description. It’s OK. Be brave. Go out on a limb and help your co-instructor. Here are some special considerations for professional feedback in the teaching team:

 Make feedback a tradition in your teaching team. Set aside time for it.  Almost everything is fair game: tone of voice, interactions with students, body language during teaching, energy exhibited during planning sessions. Just remember to keep it balanced and timely.  Be careful passing judgment on “style issues” except to say, “I’m not sure that presentation style was effective for all the students”.

“I hate quotations, tell me what you know.” RW Emerson.