Reply to 2 classmates
Questions used to write the texts:
1. What are the leader’s responsibilities when bringing a group to an end?
2.How might you handle an individual’s leaving in an open group? How would you introduce a new member into the group?
3.What personal characteristics of yours could get in the way of helping members of your groups deal with separation and termination issues?
4.What guidelines can you develop to help members think about what they learned in a group and identify ways they can apply these lessons to daily life?
5.What are the key characteristics of an effective action plan, and how would you encourage members to formulate a plan?
6.What assessment techniques might you use at both the beginning and the end of a group?
7.How can you build evaluation research into your group design? Do you see any value in combining research and practice in group work?
8.What issues would you think of exploring with your co-leader after a group terminates?
Write replies to the texts below
Reply to peer 1
1. When a group is coming to an end, leaders need to take what members have learned and figure out how they can implement this into their everyday lives. Leaders must give enough notice prior to the group’s termination. They should prepare themselves mentally and emotionally. Looking into the cultural influence on members’ understanding of endings should be viewed further prior to the group ends. Go over changes made by each member in the group. Also, help the group members recognize how meaningful the group was to them and how they can incorporate this gratitude into their everyday lives.
2.When individuals have fully completed the group sessions, I would like to ensure that what they have learned can be used regularly. But an individual that leaves the group mid-session and doesn’t plan on returning, I would like to know if something was said or done that resulted in their departure. What feedback do they have regarding their decision to leave; if there is something that needs to be adjusted or completely taken out to avoid members leaving in the future? For new members, I would of course welcome them with open arms. I would inform the other members that we have a new member and see if this new member can relate or shares the same intentions of finishing the group sessions successfully.
3.When a group comes to an end, members could develop feelings of separation. Personally, I would feel sad that I’d no longer be going to a place with people I’ve grown to know and form relationships with all coming to an end. Other members of the group may have the same feelings especially if they’ve grown close with someone in the group. 21st-century technology has taken us places we could’ve never imagined. With the power of social media, texting, and even email, we can stay in touch with people who went to group together. The point of a group is to communicate and socialize so forming relationships is bound to happen. I don’t have any characteristics that would get in the way of helping members. Ultimately, it is their best interest I have, and I wouldn’t let that interfere if they have termination issues.
4.Overcoming your fears can aid in your growth and progression as an individual. We can grow and learn from our mistakes and apply the lessons we’ve learned to our everyday lives or any daily struggles we may face. What you’ve mastered during group doesn’t end. Expand your knowledge of these newly learned skills by reading. Ask for feedback when the opportunity arises. The feedback you receive can help you find ways to improve if needed to be. Networking within your community, you never know whom you’re going to meet. Be an attentive listener by talking less and listening more. This is a way you can practice effective listening.
5.An effective action plan should be planned out clearly, effective, and focused on the here and now. It can get overwhelming sometimes when an action plan is scattered all over the place. It can cause confusion and not encourage members to execute the action plan. The action plan should also have a realistic outcome that is measurable and works with members of the group.
6.Assessment techniques that I would use at the beginning and the end of the group would use active listening with members of the group to ensure them that I’m listening and am aware of their feelings, reflection on statements that they’ve said within the group, clarification on what is being said and encouraging members to speak when we have an open discussion to encourage communication.
7.Evaluation research that can be built into my group design would be performance monitoring which is an ongoing evaluation that would provide real-time feedback on the progress that is being made within the group. I see value in combining research and practice in group work because with real-time feedback, it would align with the group’s objectives and goals.
8.
I would want to sit down with my co-leader and go over the previous group session we just had regarding what was said and done, along with how we overall would ‘rate’ our overall performance. What could we have done better or what we did that could be incorporated into the next meeting? I would also want us to think about the next meeting and begin to create our mission and goals for the upcoming sessions and how we can implement what we discussed.
Reply to peer 2
1. When bringing a group to an end, group leaders should accomplish the termination process by using techniques to consolidate learning and deal with unfinished business. It is also important for group leaders to explore each member’s thoughts and feelings about the ending of the group. Preparing the group members for leaving the group should be done in a good fashion and is important for the group leaders to have member feedback as well.
2. If an individual was to leave an open group voluntarily, I would educate members to give adequate notice when they decide it is time to terminate, this will insure that members have time to address any unfinished business and allow the person to prepare emotionally for termination. If a new person came into the open group, I would introduce them to the other members, go over with them what we have been talking about and tell them that it is a safe space for them to be in where they can share their thoughts and feelings, I would also ask them if they need any additional help.
3. Some of the personal characteristics that could get in the way while helping members deal with separation and termination issues would be maybe hoping that I could facilitate a few more sessions with them because I had a connection with the members where I felt that they needed my help and needed me to listen to them.
4. One of the techniques that I would suggest members to use in order for them to apply the lessons learned and apply them in their daily life would be for them to build a specific plan of action. For example; by asking members to project themselves into the future either by writing a letter to themselves or expressing their thoughts to other people that they feel comfortable enough with sharing.
5. The key characteristics of an effective action plan is to contemplate, think before you act off of impulses, stay motivated, and being patient. I would encourage group members to form an action plan by having them contemplate change, to stay motivated for beginning the process of doing things differently, translating their awareness into action and leading with problems as they arise.
6. The assessment techniques that I would do at the end of a group would be to ask questions about how they felt about their experience, ask members for feedback, suggest the group members some practice techniques to do at home and suggest homework as well. The techniques that I would use at the beginning of a group would be for the members to engage in an ice breaker to get to know each other, give them some background history about the topic and engage the members to participate discussion and activities.
7. In order to build evaluation research into my group design, I would introduce standardized instruments that can tap into each member’s individual feelings and emotions. An example would be to make a personal assessment of the group which can help the leader know what interventions were more or less helpful.
8. The issues that I would think of exploring with my coleader after a group terminates would be to analyze the responsibility that each coleader assumed during the group either for directing or the other coleader following. I would ask my coleader if we agreed on basic matters such as evaluating the group’s direction and what was needed to keep the group progressing. And last I would talk about what I liked and what was challenging about leading a group with each other.
