Ideas for helping your students bond more with each other (and also with the teacher).

Why is this important?

1) When students get to know each other, it makes the class more fun for everyone, and people learn better when they're having fun.

2) When people are comfortable with the other people in the room they will ask more questions. People learn better when they ask questions. They're more engaged and everyone will retain an answer to a question better than if you had presented the exact same info in a pre-planned lecture.

3) Peer support has amazing powers for helping people cope with life transitions, so getting them connected benefits them all.

4) The more comfortable they are with each other, the more comfortable they'll feel practicing labor techniques in front of each other. The more they practice in class, the more they'll practice at home.

What are some ideas for how to get them interacting?

· Icebreakers. Look back at any of the ideas from the CET training. Could do one each week if you wanted to.

· Check-in: When I do a full series of classes, I like to begin each session with a check-in time. We go around the circle, and each couple has a minute or so to check in. I tell them that they can just use the check-in time to let us all know how the past week has gone: any questions or concerns arisen, any exciting news, any new discomforts of pregnancy... Or, they can answer the question of the week which I've written on the board. (For a week when we're talking about early labor, it might be: "If you went into labor at 4 pm, where would you and your partner be likely to be" (then I switch that to 2 am, then to 9 am, and so on as we go around the circle.) When talking about hospital procedures, I might ask everyone to share "One comfort item I'm bringing to the hospital with me." (I give some examples first)

· Small group discussions. Small group quizzes: give them questions. They read one out loud and try to come up with the answer together. Labor scenario discussions can also be done this way.

· Brainstorming: divide them up into groups and have them brainstorm ideas on a sheet of paper.

· Give them permission to interact. Lots of people are shy, and have a hard time choosing to interact unless they have been specifically encouraged to.

o Also, it’s good to give them a reason why they will benefit from the effort of interaction. At the beginning of an icebreaker, I will say “one of the best things for new parents is to talk to other parents, get support, get advice, share frustrations, etc. We’re going to start practicing that here today, and start talking to other people who are in your same life situation… It’s easy to think that because I’m teaching the class, I’m the expert in the room, but I guarantee that you all have things to teach each other and to learn from each other as well.”

o At the beginning of a class break, I will say: “go ahead and run to the bathroom, or get some water, then come back and chat with your classmates. Maybe you can get some good ideas for baby names, or where to shop for baby bathtubs, or share some positive birth stories you’ve heard.”

· After week 1, remember to tie all these activities into the class topic somehow, so they are also a learning activity. Some students will get cranky if they feel like "we wasted 15 minutes of each week on this get-to-know-you crap.... I came to learn about birth."

What are some ideas for building your connection to the students?

The most important concept here is: Ask them questions!! Questions that require a full answer are better than questions they can say yes or no to.

· In informal interaction before the class, even asking a simple question like: “did you find the classroom all right?” can start a conversation.

· Great questions to ask any expectant parent: What are you planning to name your baby? Do you have all the things you need to get for baby? What’s your experience with babies?

c. Janelle Durham, 2004