Four key differences between member only workshops vs free workshops, with Community Lead, Sumbella Khan

[#facilitation & feeling safe] So far we've delivered over 10 member only CPD & Wellbeing workshops and events for the Founding Members of #TheWell since April. Here are four key reflections on these events from our Community Lead, Sumbella:

1: Vetted members makes for better group work

Some memberships don't vet members before accepting them. Schools and universities rarely accept students without an entry interview before joining - some have many hoops to jump through than others.

At Well Teachers, to join #TheWell, each educator needs to apply by responding to several questions. The answers are reviewed before they can become a member.

More than anything, we look carefully at these responses to sound out if it's a good values fit for this person to join the group. Members who are assured that one another are vetted before joining makes the shared learning experiences not just more efficient - but also special.

2: Smaller groups = tailored learning

Most teachers will know that the smaller the group, the more tailored the approach can be. The same is true for member only events - generally they are held with smaller groups. This means, from a Community Lead perspective, I can tune in to the needs I know about each member and spotlight different things that would appeal to each of them. Or to encourage certain members to join specific events. Or event, to create events specially for members and their requests. These smaller groups also allow for something else important to happen:

3: Being seen + being heard

When we started the membership, educators who joined answered that they most hoped they would feel seen and heard. Sometimes workshops focus on catering to large audiences with no cap, and in this instance a facilitator can rarely ensure every individual will be seen and heard.

In smaller, member only events, being seen and heard becomes not just possible, but inevitable - and this makes the learning opportunity even deeper.

4: Familiarity = safety

Students can be a little shy to open up at the beginning of the year. The same is true for adult learners. Yet when members know they will meet with vetted members, some of whose names become more and more familiar as the year progresses, the learning experiences become deeper: you feel safer to ask questions and share experiences.

And just like in school, in a membership, this creates the moments in which lasting friendships can form.

Speaking of memberships… What’s on at #TheWell?

At #TheWell we provide at monthly workshops & events - CPD workshops, plus wellbeing meetups and gupshup/dardasha/chai & chit-chat sessions. So there is intensity, and then there is a bit of relaxation and fun.

All learning takes time. And playtime matters as much as "class" time. Good company matters. Structure and safe spaces matter.

Upcoming member only CPD event:

Later today we have another member only session coming up on Communicating Efficiently with All Learners, which Margi Kulsoom Orchard is facilitating for our Inclusion hub.

Upcoming member only wellbeing event:

And with August coming to an end, we also have a month-end Wrapper session, in which we gather to take stock, reflect & prep for the new month to come.

Join in, learn more, become a member

If you'd like to become a member, there are different plcaes you can check out:

Our page here on the site: wellteachers.org/thewell

Our curriculum for the year: wellteachers.org/curriculum

Or, dive into the platform over at wellteachers.mn.co, where there's lots of free spaces and materials to help you find out if the membership is a fit for you.

#overtoyou: In what kind of workshops do you learn best?