Group Dynamics Course, easycoursesportal.com

In the daily funtioning of the group, games are very important. They can have specific aims or can be used simply for fun.

A appropriate time to carry out a game is at the beginning of the day (for example, a group activity) as it can help the group to focus and put the group in the context. By carrying out a group activity you are motivating the group. By carrying out a game you are helping the group to have a good time and relax.

The coordinator should always bear in mind a series of factors which condition the activity. For example, the number of participants, their ages, their ability to understand, their confidence, the climate conditions, the place you are going to carry out the game, materials available, games they have previously played, this will determined whether you give a higher or lower level game.

The coordinator should be creative (the group will copy this creativeness) so as not to repeat games. This way, he will get the group's attention and intensity. Two more things to consider: 10 adequate use of cooperative game, so that those that loose don't feel displaced and 2) attention to how the game ends - do not extend the game too much as you will loose the interest of the group.

However logical it may seem, this series of activities are very useful when you are forming a new group or when there is a new member in the group. Often the new member of the group will be very uncertain of the new situation. In both cases, there are a lot of doubts, but I must say that there are probably more doubts in the case of someone joining a previously formed group. These doubts can be resolved in the following aspects:

        -What is this? What have I dones? The person is full of doubts, and he wants answer to his doubts, he is anxious to have his doubts answerwd. Perhaps he only knows what the group has told him, but he will be able to find out the answers for himself by being a member of the group. He is going to pay a lot of attention to every movement, every gesture. He doesn't know how this new experience is going to develop, because he doesn't know the group very well, how they funtion or behave..... He is going to pay special attention to what the group coordinator does and says, as the coordinator has the role of helping the new member in his first steps and he is responsible for integrating the new member into the group.

       -What are my colleagues like? The new group member will be anxious to find out what his colleagues are like. It is a new experience in which time is important to achieve answers. In this case, the coordinatos should tell the new member the names of the group members, so that they can carry out tasks together, this will help the new member integrate into the group. The new member will have his eyes open in order to get a first impression of his colleaguer but he will not make any conclusions, as he will not be able to make any conclusions until he has worked or carried out activities with his colleagues

    -What about me? How should I behave? How do my colleagues see me? This is a question of self confidence, which unquestionably, is normal. People always have doubts when they undergo a new experience, in this case, in a new group with unknoen people. Doubts grow as you don't know if you should act or behave normally. You just don't know - this is when anxiety rises as you want to know. You don't know what first impression you will give the group. Will they include you in the group or will they reject you? .... You don't know if you will be able to get over your shyness in this situation. The coordinator should be aware of all of these aspects. He should try and make you feel as comfortable as possible from the first moment. In my opinion, you can behave in two different ways: you can be yoursellf so that the group get to know what you are really like, which will help your integration in the group; or you can get the coordinator to talk about his own experience of how he had to go through a similar situation, so that you (the new member) can see the coordinator as a mirror which you can use a reference point.

	Lesson 9