I’ve been floating on a cloud since wrapping up my first online basic mediation training last week. I mean, look at the gorgeous group I got to work with (see class pic below). It was a fun and eventful training and I want to share a bit about the experience.
First of all, we began our work together the same week that Tropical Storm Isaias hit the Northeast. We forged ahead, not knowing how the weather would impact everyone’s ability to participate. And then we continued on, although many of us were challenged with power outages or loss of internet service. Somehow we all managed to stay connected and on track. Whew! I felt grateful for the capabilities of modern technology, and especially grateful to my husband who kept our home running on the generator through a week-long power outage on our street.
Aside from the excitement the weather brought to the experience, it was also exciting for me to have this chance to connect with twelve new mediators on a virtual platform. Since March when all in person trainings stopped I’ve been exploring ways to build and strengthen professional relationships virtually. With the approval of the New York State Unified Court System to hold Part 146 Initial Mediation Training online for the rest of this year, I decided that translating my basic mediation training from in-person to Zoom could be a great way to continue growing my professional community.
Moving to an online platform provided some thought-provoking challenges for me as a trainer. How could I replicate the sense of connection and community that I value in my trainings? How could I engage multiple learning styles? Which training exercises would translate well and which would need to be revised or scrapped altogether? The outcome was a super fun, ongoing exploration and conversation of the foundational principles and skills of mediation.
Some of the most significant changes that I made were in deciding how to schedule the training. My experience with training online led me to conclude that full-day sessions are more challenging than they are worth. And so I chose to break up the training into six half-day sessions. The feedback I received was that the half-day sessions not only made it easier for people to stay engaged the whole time, it was also easier for them to balance their other responsibilities while participating in the training.
Some things that I made sure to hold on to were plenty of opportunities for practicing skills in exercises and role plays; lots of time for groups conversations and dialogue; and ice breakers and activities that focus on connection.
Overall I feel so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do the work that I love, even in this challenging time. The quality of the this group of new mediators was fantastic and they were a joy to work with. I am looking forward to continuing to build on the connections we made together long into the future.
