Synopsis
Ya Gotta Have Heart! is written for community educators and their supervisors who want less presentation and more conversation in their lessons or workshops, but aren t sure how to make these changes. Keying off the notion that learners do not care how much you know until they know how much you care, Dr. Norris begins with an exploration of how caring is telegraphed to learners, and includes a checklist of both initial and ongoing caring behaviors. She then looks at the impact of educators words, tone of voice, and body language on their learners. In addition, educator attitudes, enthusiasm, and energy areas of concern typically not included in educator training - are examined and specific strategies are offered. Next, educators are taken through a step by step approach to knowing who is coming, creating an interesting learning environment, welcoming learners, getting the conversation started, and keeping it going. Ya Gotta Have Heart! adds to and expands upon Dr. Norris earlier book, From Telling To Teaching. Notes the author, How can your learners make any kind of personal meaning of the information you are providing if they do not have the opportunity to talk about it and apply it to their own lives? The facilitation practices suggested here help the educators set a safe environment where learners are willing and hopefully eager to engage in content-related dialogue with one another. Included are six facilitation skills that will help educators overcome their fear of not knowing how to sustain and manage group participation. These skills inviting, waiting, listening, affirming, expanding, and weaving can be learned and practiced so that educators can confidently sustain a dialogue rich setting rather than fall back on presenting. Readers will be introduced to VOICE Guidelines (which include voice by choice ), open questions and partnering, anchoring warm-ups, balancing content with talk time, and strong closings. Ya Gotta Have Heart is written in an easily accessible format that is appropriate for all audiences. It is filled with examples and opportunities for educators to add their own knowledge and experience. Inspired by her twenty years of work with Extension nutrition programs, WIC (Women, Infants and Children), nurses and nurse educators, Food Bank associates, community development organizations, and literacy programs, Dr. Norris offers Ya Gotta Have Heart! to all programs seeking to lift up the lives of those who seek their services.
About the Author
Since 1992, Dr. Norris has been providing workshops and training course for adult educators who desire something more meaningful and engaging for their learners than presentations. In earlier years she worked with adult literacy programs, including ABE/GED and adult high school. After earning her doctorate in Counselor Education at NC State University, the author became acquainted with the ground breaking adult education work of Dr. Jane Vella, founder of Global Learning Partners. Dr. Norris became an associate and eventually program director, facilitating Dr. Vella s learning to listen, learning to teach week-long training programs for such organizations as California WIC, New Orleans Jobs Initiative, and Mountain BizWorks in Asheville, NC. Currently Dr. Norris lives in North Myrtle Beach, SC, and works extensively with Cooperative Extension, WIC and other programs that teach adults.
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