How to reduce participant discomfort on Day 1 with the meet and greet procedure
Hi,
This week, we discuss the meet and greet meeting.
Many courses begin by throwing participants into the deep end right away and hope they learn to swim.
However, gradually lowering them into the water can create more ease and improve learning.
You'll discover how to do that in today's article.
Let's get started.
How to reduce participant discomfort on Day 1 with the meet and greet procedure
When I was in Boy Scouts, I went to scout camp for a week. We were warned in advance - there were no hot showers.
That first morning, the air was very cold.
There was fog all around. When I got to the shower, I turned the spigot with a bit of trepidation. How would the water feel? Would it be too cold for me?
The water came suddenly and with great force. When it landed on my skin, it felt like tiny ice daggers.
Despite the previous warnings, it was a shocking experience. Words alone did not prepare me. When a course starts, students can undergo a similar level of shock.
Instead of throwing them into the cold water of a new experience, we want to warmly introduce them to our program.
One strategy that accomplishes this is the meet and greet.
What is the meet and greet meeting?
A meeting "Before" the course begins in which students get to know each other.
Its purpose is to ...
Get participants comfortable with the instructor(s)
Have them feel comfortable with other students
And have them feel prepared for your program
To prepare a meet and greet meeting, you assemble the following three elements
Instructor introductions: Simply Introduce yourself (and other instructors if you have them) [5-10 min]
Student introductions: Use a simple procedure for your students to introduce themselves. I have students share their name, a nearby landmark, and their goal for the program. [2 min per student]
Clarify expectations: Give an overview of the learning and what will be expected of the students.
This is really all you need and can take an hour or more, depending on the size of your course.
By the way, if you run larger classes (over 20 students), have students introduce themselves in small groups in breakout rooms instead.
So, what happens during a meet and greet meeting?
You follow the plan you laid out.
Welcome everyone, then do the instructor intros, begin your student intro procedure, then present your overview and expectations.
After that, remind them of logistics, such as the date instruction begins, and let everyone say bye for now.
At this point, students should feel excited to take the next steps, and you'll see evidence of it on their faces and in the chat.
But why so much time spent on introductions?
Simple introductions create comfort and feelings of togetherness. The group begins to support each other. And they become much more expressive. You know you've succeeded when people start to laugh and joke around. This good feeling will carry on into everything else you do in the course.
Summary
The meet and greet is a meeting before the course begins
It gets participants comfortable with you, with each other, and with the course itself
A simple meet and greet has three elements. 1) Instructor introductions, 2) Student introductions, and 3) Clarifying expectations.
The simple meet and greet structure will keep the start of your course from feeling like a cold water shock. You'll create a warm atmosphere that lets everyone feel good on day one.
Before you go, you may want to check out any of the following:
The Atomic Course Blueprint- Want to create a course without the usual overwhelm? Try creating a tiny course. Find out more here.
iPARA: How to organize your digital life for action- Is digital disorganization keeping you from reaching your goals? What if just four folders could let you not just stay organized but actually get things done? See for yourself here.
That’s it for this week.
Hey Rodney, this was a great read! As someone who’s always been a student, I used to always scoff at introductions and icebreakers and meet and greets. Just because I was an introvert and didn’t like the meeting part lol. But now I understand why it’s crucial for teachers to do it. In the end, it does help build camaraderie amongst students and the teacher much faster and makes it more comfortable for them. It’s almost like when I had the same professor for the 2nd time. I was much more comfortable and did better in her class because I was familiar with her and her style. Thank you so much for sharing this! Your newsletter is awesome by the way! Just subscribed! :)