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Maybe offer extra help or time to the whole group to ensure their work is efficient and completed.

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Make sure the students know their part in their group and the consequences for not being accountable for their work.

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Make sure the students can come to you with questions or concerns at any time.

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Accountable Groups and How to Set Them Up

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Accountable Groups and How to Set Them Up

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Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement

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You're working on a big project. It's taking weeks. Even months. And you're going it alone.

At first, you were excited. Jazzed. You poured energy and commitment into it along with your heart and soul.

But admit it. After a while, you lost focus. You had a week or two when you didn't take action, and it fell to the back of the queue. You didn't just feel alone with the project, you felt lonely.

Now you're behind. Really behind.

And you have no idea how you're going to catch up.

Use Peer Pressure to Your Advantage

But there is a way to maintain your commitment. To keep your energy and enthusiasm high, and feel like you're no longer alone.

We're taught to think of succumbing to peer pressure as a flaw, but our dislike of letting others down can actually be a powerful motivator.

An accountability group-in which a small bunch of people share their goals, report back on their progress and hold each other accountable-is a fantastic way of getting things done.

A great example of this is the annual "" (National Novel Writing Month) event, during which participants commit to writing 50,000 words in a single month. Accountability is built in: daily word count updates, regional writing groups, forums and buddies are all designed as ways to check in and report back.

But this tactic doesn't just work for writing novels; it can be applied to any sort of goal from losing weight to running a business. You can create your own accountability group to create the check-ins and support that will enable your version of success.

And you can set the group up right from the start to make it as effective as possible, ensuring that everyone achieves their goals without friction, hassle or extra work.

To get serious results, you need to keep just a few things in mind.

1. Don't (Just) Invite People You Like

It can be tempting to invite only your closest friends, or those you get along best with at work. But sometimes friends have a hard time offering constructive criticism, and a little distance and objectivity from group members can be helpful-when encouraging each other to focus more, for instance, or calling each other out on a lack of progress.

Accountability groups may not suit everyone-they work best for people who are driven to meet external obligations (try Gretchen Rubin's 'Four Tendencies' framework to see how you and your potential group members respond to expectations). So keep this in mind when extending invitations to join your group.

And don't just invite friends-go out to your wider network. Use social media and any interest groups you belong to, and set clear expectations (see #2 below) so that invitees can screen themselves in or out. You're only looking for 6-8 people, so choose wisely.

2. Ensure Everyone Knows What to Expect (and What's Expected)

When you invite people to join your accountability group, describe its purpose clearly so everyone understands the "psychological contract" of the group.

Keep its focus front and center, and be sure you are inviting in people who will actively participate.

Also be clear about what the group isn't. For example, mastermind groups are commonly confused with accountability groups.

In a mastermind (an idea based on Napoleon Hill's 1937 book Think and Grow Rich), the group meets regularly to share and work on challenges using the power of the group.

In an accountability group, the focus is more individually action-oriented. Members may suggest ideas or solutions to issues, but the main purpose of the group is to encourage action by holding each other accountable to their set goals.

A written description or group contract can be helpful. For example: "The group's goal is to encourage regular action from each member. Everyone will post weekly goals, and report back at the end of the week on what they did and didn't achieve."

3. Take Charge and Keep Everyone on Board

Although the collective energy is what makes this method work, someone does need to run the group. Someone must:

* structure it

* ask the group for updates

* give a gentle nudge if a member hasn't checked in for a week or two

* ask members diplomatically if they really want to be there if they've stopped checking in.

This requires drive, commitment and probably a small dose of bossiness-balanced-with-tact. It isn't for everyone . . . but there are advantages. For me, running my own group has meant that I'm not only committed to my goals as a member, but I also know I'd be letting people down if I didn't put up the posts to let everyone share their updates.

If you want to contribute rather than run the group, find someone else to do this for you to ensure that consistency is maintained.

4. Avoid Letting Style Outweigh Accessibility

Don't overcomplicate things.

While setting up a recent group, I got lost down a rabbit hole of possibilities and I held everyone up by a week or so while I did research on the growing number of "accountability apps" out there (e.g., or ). These apps can be powerful, game-ifying your experience or helping you to structure it, but they can also add another layer of complexity.

Know your audience. In my group, for instance, not everyone uses their mobile devices religiously but everyone has a Facebook account. I resisted at first, wanting to use an environment specifically designed for accountability, but in the end I realized that clarity, accessibility and ease of use were more important than style and fun features. So I set up a private Facebook group, and this has proven extremely effective.

5. Keep Your Setup Simple...

...and stay simple.

In my current group, I put up a thread on Mondays saying something like "Accountability Goals Week Commencing <date>: Post your goals here."

I state the date so that people know which thread is the right one for the week, and I use a photo to make it pop out of their newsfeeds. (I also use bad jokes like posting a picture of a mountain and asking "what mountains are you going to climb this week," but that may just be me...)

On Sunday I post another photo with this: "Goals update week commending <date>: How did you do this week? Share with the group here."

This sharing makes up 80% of the activity in the group. We try to keep it clean and distraction-free (no cat posts here!) so that our purpose-achieving our goals-is always at the heart of the group.

We've had the occasional thread on "learnings," about what kind of goals have and haven't worked for us in terms of the group and goal-setting, and sometimes the odd question or support thread. This is an opportunity to connect with others and know you have a supportive community around you while not heading off into the weeds.

6. Keep Goals Smart and Stupid

Help the group shape personal goals that are "SMART":

S pecific - Rather than "work on my course," say "work on module 2 of my writing course."

M easurable - Can you tell when you have achieved the goal? For example "complete module 2.1 and 2.2 of my online writing course."

A ttainable - The goal should be achievable (even if it's a stretch).

R elevant - Each small goal should relate to whatever your bigger goals are.

T ime-bound - Be clear when you will complete each goal.

But also keep each goal "stupid"-as in, "Keep it Simple, Stupid." Overly complex goals can drain your energy while you work out what it was you were supposed to be doing.

A "stupid" goal, with too many different aspects which also aren't specified clearly, might be: "complete and do well in this week's course module, get home admin tasks done, and do rest of my day job work. Get better at presentation skills and do non-fiction reading." A SMART goal would be "By Friday, complete modules 2.1. and 2.2, submit homework and get feedback from my professor on my performance."

7. Agree on Consequences (but Tolerate Failure)

The group's energy is crucial, so if you have people who have stopped checking in, ask them if they're still interested in being there. Try setting up the consequences of non-participation up front. For example, my group has a "rule" (pinned to the top of our Facebook page) that "if you don't post anything for two weeks (unless you've told us all you're away), then you'll be gently released from the group."

But be flexible. Everyone will have bad weeks where they don't achieve their goals, or busy weeks where they fail to check in. A small nudge may be enough to help them refocus. If not, give them some private feedback to ask if they really want to be there.

Get Serious Results (and Keep Your Sense of Humor)

Run well, an accountability group can be fantastic for making progress over time on your goals. It will force you to look strategically at the week ahead and establish clear priorities that you can check back in on if you start to procrastinate or become overwhelmed about what to do next.

And after a bad week, you'll have a community of people who will support you, and will remind you to wipe the slate clean.

That way you can start each week fresh, with a smile.

A great accountability group will help you keep on top of your projects, not only letting you catch up but get ahead.

Choose your group wisely and set it up well, and you will be ready to achieve some serious results.

Ellen Bard's mission is to help you shine more brightly in business and life. She has a fancy degree, works with those who want to be productive but still kind to themselves, and loves all things that sparkle. For more ideas on self-compassionate productivity, grab her free pdf "101 Ideas to Boost Your Creativity, Have Fun, and Play. "

Erin shows overscheduled, overwhelmed women how to do less so that they can achieve more. Traditional productivity books-written by men-barely touch the tangle of cultural pressures that women feel when facing down a to-do list. How to Get Sh*t Done will teach you how to zero in on the three areas of your life where you want to excel, and then it will show you how to off-load, outsource, or just stop giving a damn about the rest.

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How to Set Up an Accountability Group and Get Serious Results

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You're working on a big project. It's taking weeks. Even months. And you're going it alone. At first, you were excited. Jazzed. You poured energy and commitment into it along with your heart and soul. But admit it. After a while, you lost focus.

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Effective teamwork depends on many things. At a minimum, it requires capable people working together cooperatively to achieve a common goal.

According to author Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, truly cohesive teams trust one another, engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas, commit to decisions and plans of action, hold one another accountable for delivering those plans, and focus on achieving collective results.

Effective teamwork ultimately requires practicing a small set of principles over a long period of time, says Lencioni. "Success is not a matter of mastering subtle, sophisticated theory, but rather of embracing common sense with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence."

Unlike individual accountability, which I've written about in previous posts, group accountability is about the willingness of all team members to call each other on performance or behaviors that are detrimental to the team. This requires a great deal of trust and commitment, and it also requires courage.

Holding one another accountable can actually demonstrate respect as well as maintain high expectations for everyone. This peer pressure encourages everyone to take part in achieving the team's goals through shared leadership, which I believe is vital to successful teams.
Teams that avoid holding one other accountable:

Create resentment among team members who have different standards of performance

Encourage mediocrity

Miss deadlines and key deliverables

Place an undue burden on the team leader as the sole source of discipline

Teams that do hold one another accountable:

Ensure that poor performers feel pressure to improve

Identify potential problems quickly by questioning one another's approaches without hesitation

Establish respect among team members who are held to the same high standards

Avoid excessive bureaucracy around performance management and corrective action

In addition to a foundation of trust and commitment, clarity around individual roles and responsibilities in relation to the team's goals is vital for group accountability to occur. There can be no ambiguity and every member must know exactly what is required in order to achieve the group's goals.

It is helpful to encourage group accountability behavior so individuals feel more comfortable speaking up with regard to each other's performance level. Providing specific feedback on witnessed behavior demonstrating group accountability during meetings can go a long way toward encouraging others.

Keep the focus on achieving team goals and not individual accomplishments. In fact, rewarding individuals can actually be counterproductive and often undermine group goals. In the same way a basketball team suffers if players refuse to play as a team, so too do workgroups when individual performance is praised above the group's achievement of goals. This is not to say individuals shouldn't be rewarded, however, if their accomplishments are singled out too frequently then group goals may become secondary.

Ultimately, there should be both an internal and external focus on accountability. Each person must be internally focused with full accountability for his or her own goals. And to be an effective group member, there must also be an external attention focused on accountability for the group in order to meet its goals.

This external focus on accountability requires holding each other to the same standard you hold for yourself, helping each other stay focused on the task necessary to achieve the group's goals, and challenging each other to raise their level of performance.

As Lencioni says, effective teamwork is simply about embracing common sense with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence. And group accountability is one way to ensure your team can raise its performance and reach its goals.

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Group Accountability for Effective Teamwork

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Effective teamwork depends on many things. At a minimum, it requires capable people working together cooperatively to achieve a common goal. According to author Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, truly cohesive teams trust one another, engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas, commit to decisions and plans of action, hold one another accountable for delivering those plans, and focus on achieving collective results.

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Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces by Sharing Responsibility | Heads Up Australia

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Everyone has a role to play in making a workplace mentally healthy. But it is crucial for business leaders to drive polices that positively influence the culture, management practices, employee experience as well as minimize job anxiety.

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Teamwork Theories: the STAR Team Model

There are numerous teamwork theories all with features to commend them, but how do you decide which might help in getting teams to work effectively?

For example it would be helpful to know the answer to the following questions:

How do teams develop?

Where do you need to place your emphasis as a leader to develop a team?

How does the leader's role vary as a team develops?

What needs to be put in place to help teams work in their context and surrounding?

To help answer these questions we bring together three strands of teamwork theories in our own model, the STAR team model:

Firstly ideas about the stages of team development (stages).

The best known of which is Tuckman's model which we discuss in our article: teamwork theory.

Secondly, leadership theories for teams, particularly situation specific leadership, which varies at different stages of the team development. (situation)

Thirdly theories that relate to the context and environment of teams and teamwork, recognizing that teams don't exist in isolation; they are affected by many outside factors. (surroundings)

STAR Team Model

The Star team model provides the substance (or content) to the stages, situation and surroundings of the teamwork theory mentioned above. It helps to determine what a team and team leader need to focus on.

As we suggested in our article: teamwork in the workplace:

"Good team leadership is about creating the conditions that allow ideas and people to flourish, people to come together and performance to flow. When you balance developing people's strengths, with building good relationships and connections between people, in the pursuit of challenging and meaningful team goals you are moving a long way towards encouraging effective teamwork in the workplace."

The STAR team performance model brings together teamwork theories with some of the main principles of the happy manager. Focusing on individual strengths particularly when in the pursuit of goals that are meaningful to make a difference is a crucial building block for being happier. It's a similar story with our relationships and "connectedness" to others. The strengths of our relationships have repeatedly been found to be the strongest links to finding happiness in life.

So there is a good chance that developing this kind of teamwork in the workplace will also create a happier place to work.

Effective teamwork in the workplace happens when:

Individuals flourish as they use and develop their . This is a focus on individual strengths and identifying where an individual's best contribution can be made.

People come together building relationships and as they work together well results in effective .

When individual strengths and teamwork come together in pursuit of meaningful goals then performance starts to flow naturally and that are meaningful and rewarding to the team are achieved.

Team leaders need to ensure that they A lign the strengths of individuals, with effective teamwork and a focus on meaningful Results. This forms the basis of our model for effective teams; we call it the STAR team performance model (Strengths, Teamwork, Alignment, Results). We think it can help create the conditions for effective teams and a happier workplace.

A Wider Perspective

The balance and emphasis between strengths, teamwork and results will vary for different stages of team development. The STAR team performance model thus can act as a guide to leaders by recognising that different aspects of the model will need emphasising at different stages of the team development cycle.

For example during the initial phase of team formation it is important to develop the purpose of the team, and clarify the results expected of the team, alongside of course developing the other two other areas

However, a wider perspective is needed: team leaders and their teams not only have to be aligned, but the team also needs to be aligned to surrounding factors outside the team. For a team to be effective the environment within which it is situated must also be considered.

There are three outside elements we feel need to be assessed to help teams to be effective:

Other teams: The role of team members and the team leader in building networks outside of their own team is crucial as the effectiveness of one team may well be dependent on the performance of another team.

Organisation -How does the team link more widely in the organization: are structures, systems and support in place?

Outside factors - How does the team interact with customers, partners, suppliers and competitors?

We think the principles of creating a happier workplace when combined with the three strands of teamwork theories begin to develop a more comprehensive team performance model.

If you do have the time to read more on this topic, why not go to our teamwork articles. A good place to start might be to think through why is teamwork important , or you may want to think about how you define teamwork or reminding yourself of the benefits of teamwork.

Putting Teamwork Theories to Work

This is one of the articles in our teamwork series. But for some practical tips on teamwork theories, look at our great-value guides (below), or at our Team Building Exercises for all team stages teams...
Team Building Exercises and Team Stages
The exercises in this guide are grouped according to our team stages model. Remember, each team is unique and needs to be led through several developmental stages. These include:
Creating a new team or taking over an existing team
Exercises for all team stages!

Exercise 1: Being a TEAM together

Exercise 2: True or false

Exercise 3: Who does what in a team?

Exercise 4: Getting the mix right

Exercise 5: Doing something for the first time

Exercise 6: Two years from now

Developing a team

Exercise 7: A clearer vision

Exercise 8: Mad, sad or glad

Exercise 9: Seeing the bigger picture

Exercise 10: Positive feedback

Exercise 11: Conflicting views

Performing and achieving results with a team

Exercise 12: Did you notice?

Exercise 13: Limiting beliefs

Sustaining team performance

Exercise 14: Scarce resources

Exercise 15: Keeping going

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There are numerous teamwork theories all with features to commend them, but how do you decide which might help in getting teams to work effectively? For example it would be helpful to know the answer to the following questions: How do teams develop?

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Lev Vygotsky and Social Learning Theories

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Social learning theories help us to understand how people learn in social contexts (learn from each other) and informs us on how we, as teachers, construct active learning communities. Lev Vygotsky (1962), a Russian teacher and psychologist, first stated that we learn through our interactions a…

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Teamwork Theory: Tuckman's Stages of Group Development
Probably the most famous teamwork theory is Bruce Tuckman's "team stages model".
First developed in 1965, Tuckman's model is widely known as a basis for effective team building. Yet how many people really know how to use it?

Below we explain Tuckman's model and offer some fresh insights on how to take it further.

But before reading on why not take the chance to "team-up" with our great range of e-guides . The complete set is now available at half price!

You'll find advice, tips, tools and new models which you won't find anywhere else. You can read about the real benefits of our teams bundle in our article on team building activities. Or why not download your half price offer right now! You're in good company with satisfied customers from over 30 countries around the world. Click the image below to view some of our most popular e-guides:

Tuckman's model is significant because it recognizes the fact that groups do not start off fully-formed and functioning. He suggests that teams grow through clearly defined stages, from their creation as groups of individuals, to cohesive, task-focused teams.

Our e-guide: Build a Better Team, has been specifically designed to help you understand and use a team stages model. It contains a tool for each stage to help you build a high-performing team - as quickly as possible.

Tuckman's Teamwork Theory

Tuckman describes working with a team of social psychologists, on behalf of the U.S. navy. The team studied small group behaviour, from several perspectives. In doing so, Tuckman reviewed 50 articles on group development and noticed that there were two features common to these small groups: the interpersonal or group structure, and the task activity. From this he identified that groups evolved into teams via four common stages.

Firstly an orientation, testing phase which often led to a period characterized by a degree of conflict. This then generally resolved itself, leading to a more socially cohesive phase. Finally, groups settled to a functional phase, during which they focused on role-relatedness. To summarize these four phases, Tuckman coined the oft-quoted terms: "forming", "storming", "norming" and "performing".

Tuckman's teamwork theory is best illustrated on a graph which shows the link between group relationships (the horizontal axis) and task focus (the vertical axis). The optimal or "performing" position is reached when relationships have developed within the group and it has started delivering with a clear focus on the task.

However, Tuckman's ideas clearly indicate that it takes time to reach the "performing" stage, and it's normal for these teams to go through ups and downs as they develop relationships. Particularly in the early period, which is perhaps why Tuckman called it the "storming" phase!

The 4 Phases of Tuckman's Teamwork Theory

Forming:
The initial stage of team development during which individuals have not yet gelled together. Everybody is busy finding their place in the team, sizing each other up, and asking themselves why they are here! Find out more in our articles: Team Building Techniques and Teamwork Tips. The first offers advice on starting a new team while the second will help you take over an existing team (perhaps a far more common situation).

Storming:
People begin to see themselves as part of a team. However at this stage they may challenge each other, and the team leader, about such things as what the team is doing, and how things should be done. As the stage title suggests, conflict and confrontation typify this stage, as differences surface. This may result in some loss of performance or focus on the task, as the diagram illustrates.

Norming:
This is the phase where team members start to come together, developing processes, establishing ground rules, clarifying who does what, and how things will be done. This phase is characterized by a growing sense of "togetherness". Find out more about both the Storming and Norming phases in our article: Team Building Concepts.

Performing:
This is the final stage where increased focus on both the task, and on team relationships, combine to provide synergy. Performance is delivered through people working effectively together. We have written two articles to further develop this stage. Team Building in the Workplace will help you build a performing team. Characteristics of Effective Teamwork will help you and your team sustain that performance.

The value of Tuckman's model is that it helps us understand that teams evolve. It also helps us to consider how they may encounter different problems at different stages of their development.

One limitation of the model may be that it makes team building appear too linear and sequential. Although it's a useful analytical tool, we must remember that some teams may "loop" around in their development.

For example, not all teams evolve smoothly through Tuckman's stages but may yo-yo between norming and storming until they either begin to function, or are disbanded! Regardless of limitations, all well-conceived models can be useful in helping us to understand and better manage our circumstances.

Beyond Tuckman

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Uncommon Leadership: how to build competitive edge by thinking differently
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Professor Dennis J. Garritan, Adjunct Professor, Harvard University

Tuckman's famous phases are part of a teamwork theory based on stages of team development. His theory may have gained popularity partly due to the catchy labels for each of his stages.

However, it also provides a useful and simple way to think about how we humans interact in team situations. Firstly by illustrating that it's normal for teams go through stages as they develop. Secondly, by highlighting the need to manage different aspects of team behaviour at each stage of that development. The beauty and usefulness of Tuckman's model is perhaps in its simplicity.

Team development theories such, as Tuckman's group development stages, recognise that teams develop through different stages, from forming through to performing.

Whilst these theories give a useful understanding of different team requirements at different times, there are a number of questions that aren't particularly well answered by the models. For example:

How should you lead at the different stages of a team's development?

How do you identify when you are progressing through a stage?

How does the team develop in the organisational setting?

How is it affected by other outside influences?

The theory of group stages alone doesn't answer these questions. To do so, and thus to build a more robust teamwork concept, ideas about team leadership and outside factors need to be introduced. We've done just this in our STAR team performance model. You can see how this model applies to group stages in: Stages of Team Development.

This is the first of ten articles in our teamwork series. But for some practical tips on using teamwork theory, look at our great-value guides (below), or at our Team Building Exercises for all team stages.

Team Building Exercises and Team Stages

The exercises in this guide are grouped according to our team stages model. Remember, each team is unique and needs to be led through several developmental stages. These include:
Creating a new team or taking over an existing team

Exercise 1: Being a TEAM together

Exercise 2: True or false

Exercise 3: Who does what in a team?

Exercise 4: Getting the mix right

Exercise 5: Doing something for the first time

Exercise 6: Two years from now

Developing a team

Exercise 7: A clearer vision

Exercise 8: Mad, sad or glad

Exercise 9: Seeing the bigger picture

Exercise 10: Positive feedback

Exercise 11: Conflicting views

Performing and achieving results with a team

Exercise 12: Did you notice?

Exercise 13: Limiting beliefs

Sustaining team performance

Exercise 14: Scarce resources

Exercise 15: Keeping going

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Probably the most famous teamwork theory is Bruce Tuckman's "team stages model". First developed in 1965, Tuckman's model is widely known as a basis for effective team building. Yet how many people really know how to use it? Below we explain Tuckman's model and offer some fresh insights on how to take it further.

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by Susan Verner 108,266 views

For some students, nothing will give them the push they need to share in a group. For most others, though, small changes in your leadership style and your expectations can be just what they need to open up and contribute to the conversation. Here are just a few ideas to help you get those silent students starting to share in your next group discussion.

How to Encourage Student Participation

1. Sometimes during discussions, students may not understand what type of answer you are looking for. A simple way to encourage these students to speak is by giving a model answer. Answer your own question and show your students what type of answer they should give you. This gives them a grammatical structure on which to base their own ideas and removes some of the intimidation that they might otherwise feel.

2. Make sure you are not falling victim to a common mistake among teachers, especially inexperienced ones. Do not be afraid of silence. The next time you lead a class discussion and no one seems to have an answer to the question, time yourself and wait a full sixty seconds before breaking the silence. Sometimes an uncomfortable silence will be just what a hesitant student needs to speak up. For other students, that small amount of time can be enough for them to gather their thoughts and formulate what they would like to say before they open their mouths. If the teacher is filling in all the conversation spaces, your students are not likely to interrupt and it may appear that they do not want to participate in the discussion.

3. Be careful what and how much you are correcting. If you are correcting pronunciation and grammar and content all at the same time, it is not surprising that your students may feel too intimidated to open up! Focus your corrections on one issue so your students feel as though they can speak without being overwhelmed with their mistakes. Also, encourage your students that their opinions are welcome even if they are not in agreement with yours or their fellow students'.

4. Don't put students on the spot. Calling on a student who is not ready to speak will only increase his or her anxiety and will often cause that person to retreat even further into his or her shell. By refraining from putting pressure on unready students, you take away that fear factor. Though this alone may not get a quiet student talking, it will help create an atmosphere conducive to speaking.

5. Make sure your students know they have freedom to fail during group discussions. This does not mean that you want your students to underperform. What it does mean is that you are not going to criticize your students for making a mistake. When students know that there is freedom to be imperfect, the intimidation level of group discussion will decrease and that in turn will free your not so perfect students to speak.

6. Let your students work together. Sometimes intimidation and a fear of speaking in front of one's peers is enough to shut down students who are unsure of their speaking abilities. For those who might be more willing to talk when only one person is listening, designate one speaker for each group to share with the class and ask the remaining students to share with the designated speaker. Because you eliminate the fear of sharing in front of the entire class, your students may be more willing to participate in their discussion group.

7. Think about how you are grouping your students together during discussions. If you have some students who are more talkative than others and who also have a tendency to dominate a discussion, put them in a group together. Put all of your quietest students in a group of their own as well. By doing this, you force your more quiet students to engage in the discussion as no one else will be steering it for them.

8. Something as simple as where your students are sitting in a group can contribute to how much they share during discussions as well. If you are leading, make sure your most talkative students are sitting directly to your left and right if you are in a circle. Likewise, seat your quietest student directly in front of you. If you are not leading the discussion, designate a facilitator for each group and arrange your students' seats in the same manner. The amount of eye contact that each person receives from you or the facilitator can have an influence on how much that person speaks during the discussion.

These ideas are not going to solve every student's hesitancy to share in groups, but they will get you started moving in the right direction if you have students who struggle to participate in discussions.

The first step toward open discussion is to give your students the model they need and the time to formulate their own ideas for sharing. Then by creating an atmosphere that encourages discussion and not perfection, your students will be less intimidated to share in class. Finally, by strategically grouping and seating your students in their groups, you will create a physical environment in which your students will be willing to share. I hope these tips will help improve participation in your class discussions and encourage your students feel more comfortable when they do speak in class. Ultimately, each person's participation comes down to him or her, and you cannot force an unwilling student to participate in class. Do what you can to make your class more open to discussion and then challenge your students to step up to the plate and use the language they are trying to hard to acquire!

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.

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8 Simple Tips to Encourage Student Participation During Group Discussions

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by Susan Verner 108,266 views For some students, nothing will give them the push they need to share in a group. For most others, though, small changes in your leadership style and your expectations can be just what they need to open up and contribute to the conversation.

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It's not always easy to engage with young people and encourage discussion. Here are 10 simple points to help your small group discussions.

1. A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT

Try to provide a comfortable and casual atmosphere. Is there adequate and comfortable seating? Is the room warm - but not too warm zzzzzzz! Are there any distractions? Are you building in the right amount of social time and using it effectively to make connections and build relationships?

One of the best icebreakers I know is food! Providing and sharing snacks before your study time is a simple and natural way to break the ice with young people. Or, what about a meal or a barbeque?

Simple icebreakers and games can also get things moving and encourage interaction. They can help provide positive momentum for small group study and discussion by,

Helping new members to integrate into a group.

Helping young people feel comfortable together.

Encouraging cooperation.

Encouraging listening to others.

Creating a good atmosphere for learning and participation.

Use icebreakers which encourage everyone in the group to talk or share non-threatening information about themselves. Download the free eBook
'40 Icebreakers for Small Groups' for lots of simple game ideas.

Perhaps an obvious point, but clearly explain that your study time is meant to be a discussion. Some young people need 'permission' to talk! Encourage every group member to participate.

4. USE OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS

Use open ended questions and non-threatening questions. To find out how to do this check out the Insight article 'That's a good question' Are you designing questions which avoid simple 'yes' and 'no' answers? The best questions allow young people to express their own ideas, views and opinions. Help them to discover and apply what the Bible says for themselves.

5. LISTEN

Avoid answering your own questions! If necessary, rephrase them until they are clearly understood. An eager group quickly becomes passive and silent if they think you will do most of the talking.

Don't expect every answer to be addressed to you. As the group becomes more at ease, they will broaden their interaction with each other. This is a sign of a healthy discussion.

Include everyone in the discussion whenever possible. Don't allow one person to monopolize the conversation. Don't be content with just one answer. Ask what others in the group think, until several people have had an opportunity to give answers to the question.

Instead of starting with a question use a role play or case study to bring about a response. Use a group survey to provide a platform for further discussion.

Acknowledge all contributions. Avoid any put-downs. Affirm young people for what they are saying. Allow young people the right to pass and not share.

Don't be afraid of silence. Young people need time to think about the question, phrase their answer in their own mind first, before expressing their thoughts out loud and in public.

From time to time summarise what the group has said about the question or bible passage. Clarify and add any teaching points. This helps to draw various ideas together, gives continuity to the study and keeps the discussion on track.

What would you add to this list? What have you found to be effective in your group to promote discussion and personal involvement? Your comments are welcome.

Each month I add more youth ministry resources and personal reflections on youth ministry and leadership. May I encourage you to subscribe to INSIGHT and you won't miss a thing.

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10 ways to encourage discussion in your small group

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It's not always easy to engage with young people and encourage discussion. Here are 10 simple points to help your small group discussions. 1. A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT Try to provide a comfortable and casual atmosphere. Is there adequate and comfortable seating? Is the room warm - but not too warm zzzzzzz!

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Call it "active learning," or "classroom participation" -- every teacher wants to know how to motivate students to particpate, and how to nurture more involved students and fewer apathetic ones. With a little extra planning, that is possible.

Below are four common reasons students don't participate and techniques to solve those problems and spice up your lessons.

Maybe it needs to be repetitive because the students don't really "get it," or maybe you're reviewing for a test. In any case, they're tuning out.

Solution #1: Assess their prior knowledge.

This could be as simple as asking students, "What do you know about (topic)?" and writing their responses on the board. You could also try a pre-test or a graphic organizer like a K-W-L chart . The goal is to find out what they already know (or think they know). You create buy-in for the students because they feel smart, and you can tailor your lesson to the information they don't know or don't remember correctly.

Solution #2: Try skills grouping.

Divide the class into groups based on what skills they need to practice - not forever, but for a class period or two, so they can focus on what they really need help with. So have a group that works on multiplying fractions, one on dividing fractions, and one on converting fractions to decimals. Make a group of "already got 100% on the test" kids and give them an extra credit activity or let them preview the next lesson. Then take time to move between the other groups and help them review. You'll have more students engaged in the lesson and they'll get specific, focused practice time.

Solution #3: Let them teach each other.

Especially good when reviewing before a test: divide the class into groups and give each group a topic. Set some guidelines and then let them teach each other. Encourage them to do interesting activities - write tests for each other, design review games, etc. - and evaluate each group on the accuracy of their content, the creativity of their approach, and how well they work together as a team. This is also a great way to discover how to motivate students.

This is really half the problem. The other half - especially with older students - is their fear of "looking stupid" by asking questions.

Solution #1: Allow anonymous questions.

Put out a "question box" where students can submit questions any time. Give each student an index card and ask them to write something about the reading assignment they did for homework. If they don't have a question, instruct them to write a comment on the reading. Collect the cards and use them to lead a class discussion. You'll easily recognize what parts of the reading confused a lot of students and they won't feel embarrassed.

Solution #2: Allow them to work together.

We can't do this all the time; individual students need to be assessed. Ask yourself: is the goal of this activity for them to learn the content, or for them to be assessed? If you want them to learn the content, why not let them work together? When they bring in their homework, do a quick survey for completeness, then put them in pairs and let them review the homework together. Encourage them to make changes if their partner's answer looks right. When they've finished, review as a class. Students may be less embarrassed to share a group's answer than their own and you may be able to complete the review more quickly.

Solution #3: Try a jigsaw approach.

No, we're not talking about puzzles or scary movies. If you're introducing new, difficult content, divide the class into groups and ask each group to master only one portion of it at a time. If, for example, you're teaching the American Revolution, have one group focus on the Continental Congress, one on Washington's Army, one on French support for the war, and so on.

Ask them to do a reading on their topic - to become the class "experts" on that subject. Then split up the class into new groups that include one "expert" on each topic. Ask these new groups to work together to write an essay or complete a worksheet that requires information about all the topics. They will teach each other in the process. Learn more about the Jigsaw Approach.

Problem: There's too much information to present in too short a time.

Sometimes there's no way around it: you simply have to get a lot of information out there in a short amount of time. So you opt for a lecture and just want your students to absorb the content. Instead, they fall asleep or stare out the window. What can you do?

Solution #1: Keep it "bite-sized."

Remember: research shows the average student's attention span is as long as her age. So even high school kids can only handle about 15 minutes. If you have a lot of information to convey, re-arrange your lesson plans so you never lecture for more than 10-15 minutes.

Break up large concepts into smaller sections - give a brief lecture, then do an activity to help it "sink in." Repeat this process over several days. You'll increase participation - and improve comprehension, too.

Solution #2: Keep them busy.

Don't allow students to stare into space while you talk. Give them something to stay connected. Try "fill in the blank" lecture notes. Delete key words and phrases in your lecture notes to create a "fill in the blank" worksheet. Then ask students to fill in the worksheet while you lecture. Another fun variation - lecture bingo .

Solution #3: Look into the future.

Before a lecture, give students a prediction activity. For example, tell them you will be lecturing on Shakespeare and ask them to predict what you will say, or give them a set of true/false statements and ask them to take their best guess.

As you lecture, instruct students to compare their guesses with what you actually say.

When the lecture is over, have a class discussion and evaluate how accurate student predictions were.

Problem: The lesson emphasizes the teacher, not the students.

Solution #1: Keep them busier than you are.

The traditional classroom of yesteryear had the teacher at the front of the room, droning on while students doze. Re-imagine your classroom as a place where students are busier than you are.

Keep the "sit still and let me talk to you" moments as brief as possible; get those kids working! Give them worksheets, activities, discussions, and projects. That doesn't mean you get to sit around -- you will still be busy, moving from student to student or group to group, correcting, evaluating, or providing feedback. But now everyone is busy and involved.

Homogeneous grouping? Heterogeneous grouping? Tracking? Forget the buzz words: having students work in groups is one of the best ways to increase student participation. Don't keep them in the same groups all the time -give them a chance to be the "smart kid" who can help someone one day and the kid who needs help the next.

Take a traditional worksheet or activity and give it to students in groups. Offer a reward to the group who finishes first with the most answers correct and watch them go! Note: it helps to have additional prizes available to keep groups motivated after the first group "wins." Even high school students enjoy these competitions.

Solution #3: Give them a voice and a choice.

Do students ever get a "say" in your classroom? Of course you need to make most decisions, but there must be some things you could leave up to them - whether it's what color chalk you use today or how long they practice a specific activity.

Kids tune out because they feel like their ideas don't matter. Show them their opinions are important and they'll pay better attention and speak up more in class.

There will always be some unreachable student who won't respond, even with these efforts. But if you give these a try, you may be presently surprised at the previously unreachable students who just might join in!

How do you encourage participation in your class? In what ways did you discover how to motivate students? Share in the comments section!

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top 12 ways to increase student participation

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Top 12 Ways to Increase Student Participation

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Call it "active learning," or "classroom participation" -- every teacher wants to know how to motivate students to particpate, and how to nurture more involved students and fewer apathetic ones. With a little extra planning, that is possible. Below are four common reasons students don't participate and techniques to solve those problems and spice up your lessons.