John Eller has had a variety of experiences in working with adults over the years he has been in education. His experiences include work educational leaders at Virginia Tech University, developing teacher leaders in a Maters program, serving as the Executive Director of Minnesota ASCD, work as a principal’s training center director, a position as an assistant superintendent for curriculum, learning, and staff development, and several principal positions in a variety of settings. In addition to the work he does in training and supporting facilitators, John also does work in the areas of dealing with difficult people, building professional learning communities, employee evaluation, conferencing skills, coaching skills, strategic planning strategies, school improvement planning and implementation, differentiated instruction, leadership for differentiation, employee recruitment, selection, and induction, supervisory skills, and effective teaching strategies. He has his PhD. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University-Chicago and his MS in Educational Leadership from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. John has authored books on substitute teaching, wrote The Training Video Series for the Professional School Bus Driver, The principals’ Guide to Custodial Supervision contributes articles for the publication Superintendents Only. He wrote Effective Group Facilitation in Education: How to Energize Meetings and Manage Difficult Groups, and co-authored So Now You’re the Superintendent, the best selling, Energizing Staff Meetings and Creative Strategies to Improve School Culture all through Corwin Press.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author1. What am I Getting Into?Why do We Get People Together to Meet?When Do We Use Teams?The Impact of a Facilitator on the Effectiveness of a GroupThe Unique Position of a Group FacilitatorInternal Versus External FacilitatorsCharacteristics of Effective FacilitatorsYour Mission as a FacilitatorSummary2. Get Ready, Get Set...The Importance of Planning to a Successful SessionFactors to Take Into Consideration When Planning MeetingsBreaking the Meeting Tasks Into PartsPlanning for the Effective Delivery of DirectionsSummary3. GoSetting the Proper Tone for a MeetingThe Use of MusicFoundation-Setting ActivitiesGood NewsThe Use of FramingActive Learning StrategiesWatching Team Member Behaviors During the Start of a MeetingOpening the SessionSetting Norms and Ground RulesSummary4. Connecting All Members of the TeamInterdependence/Community and Its Importance to Team OperationCommunityTeam BuildingConflict ResolutionConflict and ChaosProtecting Team Members During the Decision-Making ProcessProtecting Team Members When Announcing the Results of Their DecisionsKeeping Uninvolved Stakeholder Groups Informed About Decision ProgressSummary5. Reaching Peak Performance: Connecting Their MindsThe Need to Minimize/Maximize EnergyDiagnosing Group EnergyWorking/Processing CombinationsGrouping and Regrouping StrategiesOther Group Processing StrategiesSummary6. Working the BrainBrainstorming TechniquesBrainstorming Strategies and IdeasSummary7. Reaching the GoalThe Problem with GoalsTypical Issues Inhibiting Goal Implementation Success and Facilitator ImplicationsOther Important Considerations for Success in the Goal ProcessSummary8. Putting On Your Oxygen MaskImportant Factors for Facilitators to TrackImportance of Self-ProtectionUnderstanding Your Role as the Group FacilitatorUse of Positive PresuppositionsGesturingUse of Charts, Papers and Other Visuals to Deflect AngerUse of Positioning in the RoomDeveloping an Exit PlanReflect Emotions/Content Back to the GroupSummary9. Transforming a Difficult GroupWhat is a Difficult Group?Problem PeopleIdentification StrategiesStarting a SessionMusic and Difficult GroupsFoundation-Setting ActivitiesFramingUse of an AgendaSummaryReferencesIndex

John Eller has had a variety of experiences in working with adults over the years he has been in education. His experiences include work educational leaders at Virginia Tech University, developing teacher leaders in a Maters program, serving as the Executive Director of Minnesota ASCD, work as a principal’s training center director, a position as an assistant superintendent for curriculum, learning, and staff development, and several principal positions in a variety of settings. In addition to the work he does in training and supporting facilitators, John also does work in the areas of dealing with difficult people, building professional learning communities, employee evaluation, conferencing skills, coaching skills, strategic planning strategies, school improvement planning and implementation, differentiated instruction, leadership for differentiation, employee recruitment, selection, and induction, supervisory skills, and effective teaching strategies. He has his PhD. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University-Chicago and his MS in Educational Leadership from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. John has authored books on substitute teaching, wrote The Training Video Series for the Professional School Bus Driver, The principals’ Guide to Custodial Supervision contributes articles for the publication Superintendents Only. He wrote Effective Group Facilitation in Education: How to Energize Meetings and Manage Difficult Groups, and co-authored So Now You’re the Superintendent, the best selling, Energizing Staff Meetings and Creative Strategies to Improve School Culture all through Corwin Press.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author1. What am I Getting Into?Why do We Get People Together to Meet?When Do We Use Teams?The Impact of a Facilitator on the Effectiveness of a GroupThe Unique Position of a Group FacilitatorInternal Versus External FacilitatorsCharacteristics of Effective FacilitatorsYour Mission as a FacilitatorSummary2. Get Ready, Get Set...The Importance of Planning to a Successful SessionFactors to Take Into Consideration When Planning MeetingsBreaking the Meeting Tasks Into PartsPlanning for the Effective Delivery of DirectionsSummary3. GoSetting the Proper Tone for a MeetingThe Use of MusicFoundation-Setting ActivitiesGood NewsThe Use of FramingActive Learning StrategiesWatching Team Member Behaviors During the Start of a MeetingOpening the SessionSetting Norms and Ground RulesSummary4. Connecting All Members of the TeamInterdependence/Community and Its Importance to Team OperationCommunityTeam BuildingConflict ResolutionConflict and ChaosProtecting Team Members During the Decision-Making ProcessProtecting Team Members When Announcing the Results of Their DecisionsKeeping Uninvolved Stakeholder Groups Informed About Decision ProgressSummary5. Reaching Peak Performance: Connecting Their MindsThe Need to Minimize/Maximize EnergyDiagnosing Group EnergyWorking/Processing CombinationsGrouping and Regrouping StrategiesOther Group Processing StrategiesSummary6. Working the BrainBrainstorming TechniquesBrainstorming Strategies and IdeasSummary7. Reaching the GoalThe Problem with GoalsTypical Issues Inhibiting Goal Implementation Success and Facilitator ImplicationsOther Important Considerations for Success in the Goal ProcessSummary8. Putting On Your Oxygen MaskImportant Factors for Facilitators to TrackImportance of Self-ProtectionUnderstanding Your Role as the Group FacilitatorUse of Positive PresuppositionsGesturingUse of Charts, Papers and Other Visuals to Deflect AngerUse of Positioning in the RoomDeveloping an Exit PlanReflect Emotions/Content Back to the GroupSummary9. Transforming a Difficult GroupWhat is a Difficult Group?Problem PeopleIdentification StrategiesStarting a SessionMusic and Difficult GroupsFoundation-Setting ActivitiesFramingUse of an AgendaSummaryReferencesIndex