When PULSE is out facilitating for tutor teams across South Africa, one of our focus areas is to facilitate for reflection. We work together with the tutor team, using their expert knowledge about the field band and their members to come up with solutions that work in each individual situation.

One of the tools we often use to facilitate for reflection is activities calles Cases.

The team is given a scenario that can arise in a field band, and are then asked to act it out, each one taking roles such as tutors, members, social officers, etc.. In each scenario, a conflict, problem or something to be improved is present. Some of the cases can also be taken to the members, having the whole band work together towards being more inclusive and considerate.

After acting out the situation, the PULSE facilitator leads a discussion, asking follow-up questions and examining what exactly is going on in the scenario. The tutor team is then asked to reflect on what could be done differently to solve or improve the situation.

Here’s an example of a case as presented in the PULSE guides, and suggested follow-up questions:

There are many benefits from using this way to work:

The tutor team gets to involve themselves in the situation through roleplay, and often can see the situation from other angles than they usually do (e.g. through playing the role of a member).

The tutors know their own band and band members best. PULSE is only initiating the discussion and putting light on possible problematic scenarios. Having the tutors reflect on how to solve challenges in their bands brings up a lot of thoughts and creativity, and ensures that the solutions being decided on will actually work in each specific band. Implementing this way of forward thinking, not only of immediate issues within the band, but also of what could become or create issues along the line prepares the tutor team for facing challenges head on and provides tools to do so.

A lot of the material we facilitate is theory. This is necessary and useful as well, but getting up from the chairs to move around and do some role-playing every once in a while brings the material to life in another way than even the most engaging facilitator, and contributes to the material feeling relevant and fresh for the participants.

We know that expressing yourself creatively through music and art can be an important booster for holistic health. As such, being able to work creatively with theory material could help increase positive feelings such as self-esteem and mastering.

Written by Ine Nord / PULSE