Mindmapping is the concept of taking a central point, demonstrating branches of a topic, and elaborating concepts. I first learned about mindmaps in a leadership training I facilitated. It was used as a review technique for participants but I have since tweaked the approach so it fits as a pedagogy in my class. I begin the class by presenting the "key" concept for the day and place this in a circle or box. I find this works best on a whiteboard. From this central concept, I facilitate discussion and add appendages and topic bubbles. I generally wait until the class… >>>

I find that ice breaking activities are helpful the first day. Unfortunately, we (teachers) often fail to continue using activities to create group cohesion and togetherness. Imagine if you are in a class that meets once or twice a week. By the time your next class rolls around, you've already forgotten most of the people in class and you may be experiencing apprehension anew. I find that a quick 3-10 minute activity really helps accelerate class cohesion. Doing this for the first two or three class periods streghtens the group. Taking a few minutes out of class is a small… >>>