Programming for a Branch meeting

What is a programme?

  • A programme is a tool to be used by the leader/group.
  • A programme should provide you with a general outline of your teaching goals, learning objectives, and means to accomplish them. It is a reminder of what you want to do and how you want to do it. There are many ways a programme can be portrayed – One way is a Run sheet – GFS provide a Run sheet at the start of each GFS published programme. Another way is to have a programme book.
  • A GFS Programme aims to help girls develop as a whole person and thus provides for emotional, mental, physical, social and spiritual development.
  • Programmes must stem from the needs and interest of the girls in the group. Activities planned should consider their age, skill level, interests, physical limits, etc. There must be balance and variety in a programme.
  • A good GFS programme helps girls/women’s experience Christianity in the whole of the programme and thus in life.
  • Remember Jesus Christ’s desire to lead each person into a closer personal relationship with God.
  • An excellent programme should:
    • Widen girls/women’s experience
    • Open the mind to Christian attitudes
    • Gain new understanding
    • Improve/develop skill level
    • Increase knowledge
    • Develop Christian character

Stages of a Programme

  • Planning
    • Aim – Depends on the needs of the girls/women in the branch
    • Purpose – Why are we doing this?
    • Planned Activity – What can be done?
    • Resources – What is available that we need?
    • Other considerations
  • Carrying out
    • Preparation
    • Practicing
    • Doing
  • Evaluation
    • Did it work?
    • Was it good?
    • Did it accomplish anything?
    • Improvements?

How to Plan a Programme

 1. Outline objectives

            What is the topic of the meeting?

            What do I want girls to learn?

            What do I want them to understand and be able to do at the end of meeting?

            What do I want them to take away from this particular meeting?

Rank activities in terms of their importance. This step will prepare you for managing meeting time and accomplishing the more important learning objectives in case you are pressed for time.

            What are the most important concepts, ideas, or skills I want girls to be able to grasp and apply?

            Why are they important?

            If I ran out of time, which ones should not be omitted?

            And conversely, which ones could I skip if pressed for time?

2. Identify the content

Design the specific activities you will use to get girls to understand and apply what they have learned.

Because you will have a diverse group with different academic and personal experiences, they may already be familiar with the topic. That is why you might start with a question or activity to gauge their knowledge of the subject or possibly, their preconceived notions about it.  When you have an idea of the girls’ familiarity with the topic, you will also have a sense of what to focus on.

Develop a creative introduction to the topic to stimulate interest and encourage thinking. You can use a variety of approaches to engage girls (e.g., personal anecdote, historical event, thought-provoking dilemma, real-world example, short video clip, posters on the wall, practical application, probing question, etc.). Consider the following questions when planning your introduction:

            How will I check whether girls know anything about the topic or have any preconceived notions about it?

            What are some commonly held ideas (or possibly misconceptions) about this topic that girls might be familiar with or might espouse?

            What will I do to introduce the topic?

3. Required Resources

You may need a variety of resources to conduct your programme. You could need a specialist who is more knowledgeable of the topic such as a nurse. Or you may need specific equipment to conduct an activity such as craft supplies or a story board. It is important to consider assistance from others for knowledge and equipment. You may be surprised at what other’s have and are willing to share.

      Who may know more about this topic?

      What specific equipment do I need to help explain this idea?

4. Plan the specific learning

Prepare several different ways of explaining the material (real-life examples, analogies, visuals, etc.) to catch the attention of more girls and appeal to different learning styles. As you plan your examples and activities, estimate how much time you will spend on each. Build in time for extended explanation or discussion, but also be prepared to move on quickly to different applications or problems, and to identify strategies that check for understanding. These questions would help you design the learning activities you will use:

            What will I do to explain the topic?

            What will I do to illustrate the topic in a different way?

            How can I engage girls in the topic?

            What are some relevant real-life examples, analogies, or situations that can help girls understand the topic?

            What will girls need to do to help them understand the topic better?

5. Check understanding

How will you know that girls are learning? Think about specific questions you can ask girls in order to check for understanding, write them down, and then paraphrase them so that you are prepared to ask the questions in different ways. Try to predict the answers your questions will generate. Decide on whether you want girls to respond orally or by writing.

            What questions will I ask girls to check for understanding?

            What will I have girls do to demonstrate that they are following?

            Going back to my list of learning objectives, what activity can I have girls do to check whether each of those has been accomplished?

An important strategy that will also help you with time management is to anticipate girls’ questions. When planning your programme, decide what kinds of questions will be productive for discussion and what questions might sidetrack the group. Think about and decide on the balance between covering content (accomplishing your learning objectives) and ensuring that girls understand.

 6. Conclusion

Go over the material covered by summarizing the main points of the programme. You can do this in a number of ways: you can state the main points yourself (“Today we talked about…”), you can ask a girl to help you summarize them, or you can even ask all girls to write down on a piece of paper what they think were the main points of the meeting. You can review the girls’ answers to gauge their understanding of the topic and then explain anything unclear during the following meeting. Conclude the meeting not only by summarizing the main points, but also by previewing the next meeting. How does the topic relate to the one that’s coming? This preview will spur girls’ interest and help them connect the different ideas within a larger context.

7. Create a realistic timeline

It is easy to run out of time and not cover all of the many points you had planned to cover. A list of ten learning objectives is not realistic, so narrow down your list to the two or three key concepts, ideas, or skills you want girls to learn. Instructors also agree that they often need to adjust their lesson plan during the meeting depending on what the girls need. Your list of prioritized learning objectives will help you make decisions on the spot and adjust your programme plan as needed. Having additional examples or alternative activities will also allow you to be flexible. A realistic timeline will reflect your flexibility and readiness to adapt to the specific room environment. Here are some strategies for creating a realistic timeline:

  • Estimate how much time each of the activities will take, then plan some extra time for each
  • When you prepare your programme plan, next to each activity indicate how much time you expect it will take
  • Plan a few minutes at the end of group to answer any remaining questions and to sum up key points
  • Plan an extra activity or discussion question in case you have time left
  • Be flexible – be ready to adjust your programme plan to girls’ needs and focus on what seems to be more productive rather than sticking to your original plan

Be diary wise about other events such as special parish dates, public holidays, community events, other GFS activities or seasons before planning to avoid clashes.

Here are some things to keep in mind when planning a programme

  • What is the aim of the group?
  • How many girls in the group?
  • What are the needs, interests and problems of the group?
  • What is the purpose of the programme? (Why do this?)
  • Does this fit in with the overall programme of the branch?
  • Are there any important dates to be aware of? School holidays, public holidays, events at school, in the parish, in the community, in GFS?
  • Is the activity worthwhile?
  • Does the programme help the girls develop their relationship with God?
  • Is it possible?
  • Is the programme balanced and relevant to the girls?
  • Is there enough/too much variety?
  • Are resources available?
  • What facilities available for the group?
  • Are the girls interested?
  • Is it within the ability of the group?
  • How long will it take?
  • Do we really know what we are doing?
  • Who can help?

Presenting the Programme

In presenting and doing the programme, remember –

You are the Leader in partnership with the girls so

  • Give every opportunity for the girls to organise, carry through and be responsible for as much as possible.
  • Do not underestimate the ability of the girls – give them a chance to prove what they can do, and to learn and grow through doing.
  • Remember your attitude towards their abilities is very important;

                  – your enthusiasm will be infectious;

                  – your own example will set the tone of the meeting;

                  – your influence will have a lasting effect on the girls.

 Evaluation

Evaluation is reflecting on your programme plan, It is a comparison of what happened compared to what you planned.

It should not be difficult and should not take long. A programme may not work as well as you had expected due to a number of extraneous circumstances.

You should not get discouraged.

Take a few minutes after each meeting to reflect on what worked well and why, and what you could have done differently.

It is important to evaluate and identify successful and less successful organization of time and activities will make it easier to adjust at another time.

  • Was the aim clear and was it achieved?
  • Did the programme meet the needs of the girls/women?
  • What helped and what hindered?
  • Did we need more help?
  • What should we avoid in future?
  • Was there any new ideas for future programmes?
  • What did we learn?
  • What worked well?

Programme Ingredients

Christians learn through living.

  • Themes – some programmes are based on themes and can be planned over a term or a few weeks.
  • Variety in activities stimulates both the leader and the learner.
  • Physical limitations also need to be considered when deciding the activity.
  • Activities for a GFS programme may include a wide variety of ideas.  Such as:

      – Talking and listening eg Story-telling, Discussions, Worship services, Praying, Plays, Poems, Witnessing

      – Sight and Sound eg films, radio, Pictures, Flannel boards, flash cards, diagrams, models, Puppets, Musicals, Mimes, Dance, Singing

      – Physical Activities eg Games – indoor, outdoor, team, individual; Swimming, Visiting, Archery, Cycling, Excursions, Horse riding

      – Mental Activities eg Puzzles, Jigsaws, Mazes , Find-a-word (Word search), Crosswords, Connect the dots, Colouring-in, Spot the Difference

      – Life Skills eg Grooming, Health care, Money matters, Entertaining, Cooking, Road safety, Gardening, First aid, Visiting/Helping others

      – Arts, Crafts and Hobbies eg Drawing, painting, Photography, Pottery, Sewing, Knitting, Stamping, Screen printing, Weaving

      – Outdoor adventures eg camping, hikes, camp fires, climbing

The list goes on.  GFS Sydney has a variety of ideas for leaders to use on our Resources page. Use your own imagination and creativity to design programmes for your group.

Once you have read through the “Programming for a Branch meeting” section, please do a simple test.

Programming for a Branch meeting Test

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