Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning Dynamic Courses, Books, Resources and Tours for Healthy Groups, People and Culture with Robin Clayfield

It’s many years now since Andrew Hoge did one of Robin’s Creative Facilitation courses yet even recently, in a spontaneous IGA supermarket meeting, he expressed how greatly the work had influenced him and how he felt chellenge to be an integral part of any business, course or initiative.

Robin’s inspiration for the article on ‘Challenge Yourself as a Facilitator or Teacher’ came from this meet up with Andrew. He’s also taken time to write this testimonial. Thanks Andrew.

“Have you ever noticed that some people have a difficult time facilitating truly exciting and transformative workshops?

And that leaves them frustrated that they can’t fully express and enjoy their passion.

Robin transforms people so they can be fulfilled in expressing their passion through amazing facilitation.

I’ve seen her do this with many people.

And she’s done this with me.

So my participants can enjoy great learning as I enjoy sharing my passion.

I recommend working with Robin for yourself and your participants.”

Andrew Hoge

Hoge Consulting

www.hogeconsulting.com

Robin’s ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ course in Italy last July was supported magnificently by Kym Chi, a vibrant and creative young woman from Canada who travelled specially to Switzerland and Italy to spend 3 weeks supporting Robin with her Italy course and also two Women’s Weekends.

On returning home Kym Chi wrote, collated and created this valuable resource which gives a good insight into the ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ Methodology and the kinds of activities, experiences and learning that people receive in Robin’s creative facilitation and teacher training courses. Robin supplied Kym Chi with some of the content explanations from her upcoming book that show the meanings associated with the Jigsaw Puzzle of ELFy, the mascot who supports Robin piece together all the elements which support group work and learning to be empowering, fun, memorable, supportive and effective.

Click here to view the Notes which have many photographs and great explanations.

Enjoy and please give Robin and Kym Chi some feedback 🙂

Here’s a wonderful production of best practices and top tips for teachers of any subject.

A free offering to the World Community as a download at printable resolution and available professionally produced from an on demand printer. 

Explore :www.permaculturedesign.ca/teachersnotes

Permaculture Design : Teachers Notes

Envoy : Delvin Solkinson

Design : Onbeyond Metamedia

Editing and Contributions : Kym Chi

Core Team and Contributions : Annaliese Hordern, Dana Wilson & Tamara Griffiths

Source Inspiration and Contributions : Rosemary Morrow, Robin Clayfield, Looby Macnamara.

Core Insight and Contributions : Larry Santoyo, Max Lindegger, Robyn Francis.

Core Inspiration and Insight : Jude Hobbs, Tom Ward, Geoff Lawton, Douglas and Sam Bullock, Michael Becker, Scott Pittman, Dave Boehnlein, Starhawk, David Holmgren, Dan Palmer

and here’s the new Link for Delvin’s latest eNewsletter

The ABC was interested in the 30th anniversary celebrations of the formation of Crystal Waters Permaculture Village, one of the very first EcoVillages and the first Permaculture Designed Village in the world. The community held it’s 30th birthday party in July and the following article, which has an interview with Robin and her daughter Pele along with other residents, was one of the outcomes, along with a great cake and many shared memories.

Click here for a link to the ABC Article that went on their website.

Here’s a quote from the article – “An eco village on the Sunshine Coast was an experiment in communal living when it first started. Thirty years later the village is still thriving, and the rest of Australia is catching on to some of its pioneering ideas.”

By Erin Young

People wanting to up-skill in supporting their groups and human relationships to thrive are invited to join Robin Clayfield and I as we combine forces to offer a weekend of Social Permaculture exploration for this coming November at Crystal Waters Ecovillage. Dates are 10th and 11th November.

It is an exciting time of growing momentum for Social Permaculture around the world, so this is sure to be a special and potent weekend workshop to attend.

Participants will experience a unique combination of Robin’s extensive and established experience and wisdom as a permaculture pioneer and respected elder. I bring a whole-systems patterns-to-details approach of organisational governance and eco-social literacy supporting groups to be effective, transparent and equivalent. This all combines within the Dynamic Groups methodology to create a fun and experiential learning space.

This workshop will provide a thriving collaboration of our skills and perspectives in an intergenerational teaching team of passionate Social Permaculture designers, each with our own interesting voice in this work.

Participants will develop their literacy of Social Permaculture design, and gather effective tools to apply to a variety of settings to support thriving humans for a better world!

Here’s a link to the poster with all the details.

What does it take to be an empowered, effective group leader, teacher or facilitator? How do we develop the skills and gather the tools, courage and attitude to be a leader yet also support the empowerment of our groups, each and every participant and honour ourselves at the same time?

Robin has been living these questions and discovering some of the answers for close to three decades now. She’s written two pertinent articles in recent years that could be valuable to revisit, especially in the lead up to her new book series ‘Dynamic Teaching and Facilitation’. Both of the articles and her upcoming books address these questions.

Five years ago she wrote a blog about her ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ Methodology entitled ‘Magic Happens in Dynamic Groups’. Many of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that she talks about in this article help to answer the questions that we’re focused on now. Put them all together and you have an empowered, creative and effective leader and an equally empowered group of participants. In the article, and in Robin’s methodology, the jigsaw puzzle once complete is a magician. “Magic Happens in Dynamic Groups and Learning Happens Easily” is the Magicians motto.

Four years ago the article ‘Ten Ways to Love Your Group, Family and Community’ was published. This adds some more answers to the questions and as an overview, suggests that by loving and caring for your groups and yourself in these ten ways will provide a holistic framework from which to base yourself and your contributions.

As Robin’s journey into writing the upcoming books developed she found she was referring constantly to the facilitator, teacher, trainer, group leader, presenter, chairperson etc using all or several of these words to describe the person leading the group. If seemed cumbersome and detracted from the flow of the writing. That’s when ELFy was born. E for Educator, L for Leader, F for Facilitator. ELFy became an acronym for anyone who works with groups or learning in the ways just mentioned. It also seemed very appropriate to name the cute little mascot that now accompanied Robin in her work and represented all the elements that, once pieced together, created an empowered, creative and effective group and learning environment. Dar dar! An elfish looking magician now waves the magic wand.

Participants in Robin’s ‘Dynamic Groups’ course are introduced to ELFy and encouraged to imagine they embody each of the elements. People seem to really love the image and the idea of the jigsaw puzzle to help address all the elements of a holistic approach.

Robin’s often contemplated capturing the image in some way as a three dimensional object, rather than just a handout or colourful image, so people can use it as a reminder, a symbol of empowerment and as support, encouragement and connection to the potency and magic of the ‘Dynamic Groups’ work. Would you value something like this?

Robin’s has made a pendant of her design of ‘The Sacred Union Labyrinth’ for people to wear as a reminder of walking the Labyrinth or simply, finding balance and love in themselves or with another. It’s made from shaped timber, silver inlay and mother of pearl shell with a solid string for placing around the neck or hanging on the wall. She’s considering making something similar with ELFy.

Now, a Question for You ???

– Do you think an ELFy Pendant/Talisman would be a good idea? Would you consider having one? Would you wear one or hang it on the wall? Maybe you’d pop it in your pocket when you’re about to be an ELF… Please give Robin your feedback.

Robin’s been researching the meaning of the word Talisman.

Talisman Definitions

–  An object, typically an inscribed ring or stone that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good fortune.

– The word “Talisman,” derived from the Greek verb “teleo” means, primarily, to accomplish, or bring into effect.

– 1630s “Magical figure cut or engraved under certain observances”