I attended a workshop conducted by the Bhoomi Network called "Discover the strengths of your child". I have a 3 year old daughter and figured this is one of those golden opportunities where I can learn to become a better parent.
I walked in expecting a typical instructor-led kind of workshop, but I was in for a pleasant surprise. Right from the start, the participants were engaged in group exercises. I don't want to get into specifics here as it would spoil the fun for others interested in attending this workshop. Suffice to say, you will be on your toes throughout the workshop!
This is similar to the Active Learning Methodology where participants learn from each other and instructors act as facilitators. I had a great time interacting with parents with kids from different age groups, it was like a preview of wonderful & terrifying experiences to come :) The instructors did a good job ensuring that the exercises were timed and the participants moved on to the next activity, otherwise we (the parents) would have rambled on in our little group exercises.
A serendipitous moment occurred for me when I realized that the workshop is focused more on the participants. Each participant learns how to identify their own strengths. My understanding is that once you are able to do this, you can extend the same process to someone else (like your child).
This workshop was largely based on the book, "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton. I realized later that I have actually have this book at home, but never bothered reading it! Of course, that changed after this workshop.
In the end, I walked away with more questions than answers, which I feel was a good thing because it meant that I was actually processing this information and working with it. The workshop was inclusive of lunch, which was wholesome. It was a pleasure to be at Prakriya campus with their vegetable gardens and all round greenery.
Positives
- Active learning methodology
- Participants learn from each other
- Instructors were good facilitators
- Chance to meet parents with kids in different age groups
- Workshop focused on the participant (pleasant surprise)
- Learn the process to discover strengths in yourself, then apply it to your child
- Good reference material from the book
- Walked away with more questions than answers (actually a positive!)
- Lunch was homely and nourishing
- Pleasure to be in the "green" campus
Suggestions
I recently came across this video where the instructor conducts a 60 second micro-meditation that ends with a key question. The idea is to prepare your mind to use what's called the prefrontal cortex or the analytical part of your brain. I thought this might be an effective approach for the "Define Yourself" exercise conducted during the workshop.
Taking a cue from the book, it might also be a good idea to give participants a chance to say one thing they liked most about the workshop. The book is all about focusing on your strengths rather than your weaknesses, so perhaps if the instructors found out what participants liked the most, they could do more of that or make it even better.
Lastly, some of us felt the workshop ran out of time, perhaps because our heads were buzzing with more questions. Maybe the workshop can be structured to spend some quality time with the instructors, not just during lunch while we are feeding our hungry stomachs!
- Micro-meditation to start off the "Define Yourself" exercise
- Give participants a chance to say what they liked most about this workshop
- Give time for Q&A with instructors
Conclusion
Overall, an excellent workshop for parents. The heartwarming message came from one of the instructors when she mentioned that they also learn from the participants, so you can expect this workshop to get better over time.
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