Order Description
Leading a Group
This assignment is designed to give you a chance to practice your group facilitation skills.
Ideally, groups have two facilitators, however, the reality of the workplace setting dictates that groups often have only one facilitator. For this assignment, you will be the sole group facilitator.
The assignment is to create and facilitate a one session educational, skill building, or therapeutic group. After choosing the topic, you will need to write an agenda and plan out what you will do in the group (purpose, exercises, interventions/activities, etc). You will also need to organize the group: recruit 6-8 members, find a location, and time to run this group. Ultimately, you will facilitate your group and write a reflective, self-evaluation paper about your experience.
You also have the option of recruiting friends, co-workers, or family to participate in this group. You must provide informed consent when you invite your group members to help you with this task. Informed consent in this exercise is informing each person that you are asking for their help with a class that is studying group work.
Use of evaluation tool. Develop a written evaluation for group participants to complete and submit at least three completed evaluations with your paper. You will need to create a session evaluation form that fits your group. You can find an example on page 431 in Chapter 14 of our class textbook. At the end of your group, ask the members to take a few moments to fill out an anonymous evaluation to help you improve your next group. It is important to keep the evaluation ANOYNOMOUS as this encourages honest responses, as well as keeping their identites confidential. I recommend keeping it short too, people will gladly complete a concise, simple evaluation. I consider a maximum of 5-7 questions short.
In your paper, you need to:

1. Identify the type of group, the goal and include a written agenda that you made in preparation for the group (you may give the group members a copy, but it is not required). Explain why you choose this type of group and the topic. Discuss group membership and screening. Who did you invite and why? Describe the environment and how you prepared the environment for the group. Environment: Physical arrangements (room, space, materials, room set-up, other considerations) and any special arrangements (child care, transportation, access for persons with physical handicaps, etc.). (20 points)

2. Describe the activity/activities you facilitated during the group. How did you get the group started? How did you promote interaction in the group? How did you end the group? (20 points)

3. Two part evaluation (Self-evaluation and Group member evaluation). 1)Self-evaluation: How did it go? Was the goal met? Describe your thoughts and feelings before and after leading the group. Analyze your work. What went well in this group? Is there anything you wish would have been different? Summarize what you learned and make recommendations for future practice. How would you change things if you were able to do it over? Reflect on your facilitation skills. What areas of group facilitation do you need to improve on in general? What do you see as your strengths in working with groups? (20 points) 2) Group member evaluation: Submit at least three completed evaluations from group members (see above for specific directions). (10 points for designing your own evaluation form and 10 points for submitting at least three completed evaluations)

4. Include references you used in preparation for this group. You should include at least three scholarly articles that pertain to your group. You may also use websites and workplace documents. Please cite your references using correct APA format. (20 points)