Company is Coming! Creating a Warm, Welcoming Learning Environment

The Cone of Learning “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin After 24 hours, we can remember and use:

Visual: 60% Kinesthetic: 25% Auditory: 15% What kind of learner are you?

 Visual Learners:  Visuals  Handouts  Worksheets  Props  Food Activities Eating Smart ● Being Active

 Kinesthetic Learners:  Food activities  Lesson activities  Worksheets Eating Smart ● Being Active

 Auditory Learners  Music  Adds  Partner interactions Eating Smart ● Being Active

60% of us are visual learners 4/5 th of the brain processes visually The Power of the Visual

Respect Safety Trust Adult Learning Principles

Adult learners want to be respected for who they are, where they’ve been, and what they already know. What you can do: Be prepared Know your subject Listen to what they say Respect

In addition to physical safety, learners will respond better to new learning activities if they feel emotionally safe to fully participate, to speak out, to take risks if needed. What you can do: Share ground rules at beginning (“I won’t call on you”) Affirm responses (“Thank you for sharing”) Reveal your own errors Safety

Your learners want to know: Do you care about me? Can you help me? AND, can I trust you? What you can do: Do what you say you will do Don’t do what you said you wouldn’t do (call on them) Keep confidences Show up (be there when you say you will) Trust

 Learning starts at the door!  Company’s coming  Create a focal point Setting the Learning Environment

 Arrive early  Negotiate with host about room set-up  Clean-up  Signs  Color  You decorate the room  Decorate the tables Setting the Learning Environment

___ Put up a welcome sign ___ Have some music playing when folks arrive ___ Have materials set out and ready to go ___ Use as much color as you can ___ Set up a table for your things in a decorative way ___ Arrange chairs in circles or small groups ___ Use program marketing materials to the room and reinforce program name and logo ___ “Decorate” the tables with colorful things related to the lesson Positive Learning Environment Ideas

 Welcoming Learning Environment kits for each core lesson  How to use these kits  Samples from each lesson Creating a Welcoming Learning Environment

 A good way to think about creating a warm, welcoming environment is “company is coming!”  When company is coming:  Arrive early  Clean the space  Set up the room  Decorate the room  Play music Company is Coming!