Book discussion group leader

Discuss the video as a group using the discussion guide. Which behaviors from the list do you believe would be most likely to create and. Association of book group readers and leaders agbrl, also known as the association of professional book club facilitators, is a cooperative information clearinghouse for avid readers, both individuals and those in book discussion clubs. Keep in mind that, just like the chairman of the board, the role of the moderatorgroup leader is not to make all the decisions but to ensure that. At my library we have a parentchild book discussion group, but the guidelines found in this article can apply to any group with children as participants. Groups receive enough copies of their selected title to allow everyone in the group to read the same book at the same time. While writing and researching the giver of stars, author jojo moyes visited kentucky several times, stayed in a tiny cabin on the side of a mountain, rode horses along the trails, and met the people of kentucky. Session leader asks each person to say a behavior on hisher list that no one else has said. The giver of stars by jojo moyes book club discussion. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center. The book of esther is a fastmoving narrative of events that took place during the reign of a persian king, xerxes. A book club leader expert advice on leaders and leadership.

Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. Join us for our educated book club discussion and chat the discussion questions with us. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to your meeting. Each group member is responsible for selecting a book and leading the discussion at the monthly meeting. Important group discussion topics on leadership, useful facts, interesting quotes you can use in group discussion on leadership related topics, arguments to see if leadership is a natural skill or can be learnt. For example, a clients group leader should not also be that clients alcoholics anonymous aa sponsor. Even if your members are used to being part of group discussions and are good at listening to each other, it can still be a good idea to have somebody lead the meeting, in part to make sure that everyones voices get heard but also to come prepared with thoughts on what topics would be good to discuss, so if the conversation starts to run dry in one. This is not intended to be used as a oneoff study without the week of prior reading.

They offer opportunity for intelligent conversation and lead to deeper understanding of an authors work. This is an older book, but continues to be a favorite of mine because its findings were driven by data derived from thorough. Group leaders perform the important task of organizing individual. Group leader kits include a discussion guide and a dvd and includes everything a new or experienced leader needs to have a dynamic group experience. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. Book club basics getting started leader norms san rafael.

Litcourse 3 has a good discussion of close reading. Being the leader of the book discussion group often requires me to spend several. Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and this year will be my third year leading our. Our book discussion leaders volunteer to lead discussions for individual books and not for entire genres or forums. A group leaders responsibilities outside the group that place him in a different relationship to group participants should not be allowed to compromise the leaders in. New zealands only nationwide book group specialist is book discussion scheme. She began with a group of fourteen teen mothers enrolled in a ged program on chicago south side. The book inspired several of the ideas below, and is still a helpful addition to any smallgroup leaders library. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. For leaders who have the heaven book and want to go deeper, we have cross referenced pages from the heaven book next to. Copy of the great decisions briefing book for each member of the group. Our ideas can help you lead a discussion, find helpful resources, and be a smart participant.

The discussion leader for your study group will take on a unique role. The perfect book club is made up of three key things. This discussion is a twoweek curriculum for groups. What follows are ideas for managing and planning, as well as guidelines for the group s leader and prompts students can use to move book conversations forward.

As a member or leader of a book club, you are likely to be reading books on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and nonfiction. Every book we read is an opportunity for someone new to lead the discussion, but members can lead as many book discussions as they like including. Did the characters and sense of place feel authentic to you. Classroom discussion is a timehonored way to learn. Even if your members are used to being part of group discussions and are good at listening to each other, it can. If you are interested in reading books deeply or want to focus on a particular type of book such as. The writing holds the readers attention with stories and concrete examples. It is also an evidencebased way to help students retain information,garside, colleen. A book discussion group is a forum where readers can come together and talk about books and the reading experience. Need to lead your book club and want tips on how to promote a lively conversation. Anyone who loves to read and talk about books is welcome to join in. Book group howtos from the seattle public library guide to leading, coming up with good discussion questions, drawing conclusions and more. No matter the genre, age, notoriety, or length of the book of the moment, book club questions can kickstart or enhance your group discussion.

These groups can be organized in a variety of ways. The first article in this series explained how to plan a group discussion in this article, we describe best practices when leading a group discussion theres much more involved than simply getting people in a room, waving a magic wand, and declaring discuss now. They simply must be willing to facilitate the conversation and move the group towards a resolution to that weeks case. Leading an effective group discussion takes preparation if you have the opportunity for it, an understanding of and commitment to an open process, and a willingness to let go of your ego and biases. We try to keep our membership costs affordable for. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book sales club, which can cause confusion. While is is a oneweek study, it requires the group to read the book of esther the week prior. During this time, you can also support groups who struggle with valuing diverse ideas, referring to their books for evidence, or focusing on the discussion. A book discussion club is a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read and express their opinions, likes, dislikes, etc. For new, aspiring or longtenured leaders, this book is a must. The book discussion group currently meets the second wednesday of each month, at 10. Having great book discussion questions is essential to leading a successful book club, and now that i run an online moms book club i use this lesson to avoid awkward silences yes they can happen online and create a lively, engaging book club meeting each month. Become a member of the book club by joining our facebook group, or by signing up to our newsletter.

Here are some tips and insights about what has worked well for me. Role of discussion leader christian case connection. This group is for people who are living with mental illness to journey together toward hope. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question.

When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most. Arrive at 7pm meet, chat, eat if food is on offer and discuss any book club issues such as what to read next. Discussion facilitator s guide dayton metro library. Are book discussion leader positions permanent or just for one book discussion.

You dont want our small group members to feel like they are in school, taking a test. A guide for beginning a book discussion group the first meeting at your regular meetings you may not need one person to lead the group. Each member selects a book and facilitates the discussion for their book choice. The story relates the intrigues and adventures that took place in xerxes court as a jewish exile named esther was elevated to queen and, with her cousin and guardian mordecai, worked to rescue their people from a plot to destroy. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. Primal leadership is my favorite leadership development book. Get your book clubbook discussion group off to a successful start with this list of key questions to discuss at your first book discussion group meeting. The first smallgroup discussion i led took approximately 15 minutes. This week we finish our discussion with pages 206260 of nine lies about work.

Writing questions that spark discussion small groups. If you can do these things, the chances are you can become a discussion leader that can help groups achieve the results they want. These videobased bible studies are designed to get groups discussing the bible. How to lead a successful book club discussion bookbrowse. Keep in mind that, just like the chairman of the board, the role of the moderator group leader is not to make all the decisions but to ensure that.

Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and pass them out. When barbara and wayne zurl moved to maryville in 1994, barbara looked in vain for a book discussion group. A freethinking leaders guide to the real world by marcus buckingham and ashley goodall. Preparing for, opening, and continuing a great discussion is a skill you can learn. The book inspired several of the ideas below, and is still a helpful addition to any small group leader s library. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. I asked five advisors and contributors of to share their favorite leadership book, and they came up with some great recommendations.

However, if youre a discussion leader, you may be nervous. Founding literature for all of us was an adventure of the heart. As the facilitator, it is your job to recognize tangents and bring the discussion back to the book. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. Book club basics getting started before you start recruiting folks, take a moment to think about what you want out of a book group. When the group numbers eight or more, a leader or facilitator, whether formal or informal, is almost always helpful in ensuring an effective discussion. Explains how to get a group started, determine its ideal size, weigh the pros and cons of having a leader, understand the effects of various leadership styles, develop a book list that will appeal to your group s interests, and foster a good discussion. Becoming by michelle obama book club discussion questions. Dvds include leader tips, choreographed worship songs, and bonus footage. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. Journey toward hope discussion group leaders guide group guidelines group guidelines we encourage you to read these guidelines at the beginning of each of your meeting times. It is also an evidencebased way to help students retain information, pay attention, and gain real insight.

Great decisions discussion groups need the following key ingredients. How to lead a book club discussion pen and the pad. Teresa becker book discussion group leader arizona. In fact, there actually is an advantage to the leader not being the acknowledged biblical authority. I raced through the questions as if i were a greyhound near the finish line. This gd topic will be very useful for all freshers, college students and engineering students preparing for campus placement and interview or mba entrance exams like cat. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. Journey toward hope discussion group leaders guide introduction page 2 we are so grateful for your willingness to lead a group though the journey toward hope. Book clubs are popular not only because people like to read, but also because they are great social outlets. As a professional book group leader, karen has been making literature come alive through book group discussion since 1981. Im an oldfashioned bookgroup leader and proud of it.

Early in the book of luke, the writer begins to make the case that jesus is the king they have been hoping for over the centuries. Take a couple of questions and answers without going too deep. Were a nationwide nonprofit organisation with a 46year track record. Other frequently used terms to describe a book discussion club include reading group, book group, and book. If your group rotates discussion leadership, hosting, and choosing titles, make sure that no one is ever assigned to more than one duty per month. No designated leader and book choices and discussion leader rotates through members.

Use our litlovers resources below to help you with specific questions. You dont want our smallgroup members to feel like they are in school, taking a test. They diplomatically intervene when a discussion deteriorates, being firm but respectful when necessary. Each member choses a month to host and a book to read.

Gather a group of friends, choose a book and start reading. We hope this group discussion guide will help you in the process. A little off topic conversation is fine, but you also want to respect the fact that people have read the book and expect to talk about it. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions. Apr 02, 2020 classroom discussion is a timehonored way to learn. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book.

Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and this year will be my third year leading our small but dedicated book discussion group. This is a literary analysis technique called close reading. How can you ensure that the discussions flow well and are a success. No one had explained to me how to get a discussion.

Even if you use a list of standard questions, come up with questions specific to the book being discussed to add depth to the dialogue. Aug 08, 2019 explains how to get a group started, determine its ideal size, weigh the pros and cons of having a leader, understand the effects of various leadership styles, develop a book list that will appeal to your group s interests, and foster a good discussion. A good book club leader can make a huge difference to reading group meetings, ensuring that they. May 09, 2017 7 tips for leading a lively book discussion group. And they create those conversations without putting anyone in the spot. Each member or team of 2 or 3 takes a card and answers. How to lead a book discussion skokie public library. You dont have to be in an english class to analyze books as a group. General book club questions for study and discussion. If, however, a member should relapse, become seriously ill, or experience some other dire problem, the no. Book discussion groups home libguides at american library. I have been given a label over my sixteen years as a bookgroup discussion leader. Whether youre thinking about starting a reading group or are a longtime book club leader, there are many ways to help ensure a rewarding. Each member or a team of 2 or 3 takes a card and answers the question.

We read and discuss fiction, nonfiction, short stories, and poetry and host live chats and interviews with leading authors. What follows are ideas for managing and planning, as well as guidelines for the groups leader and prompts students can use to move book conversations forward. History literature for all of us professional book. Even if your members are used to being part of group discussions and are good at listening to each other, it can still be a good idea to have somebody lead the meeting, in part to make sure that everyones voices get heard but also to come prepared with thoughts on what topics would be good to discuss, so if the conversation starts to run dry in one area, the leader can redirect to more fertile areas. The literal definition of a group discussion is obvious. Session leader then asks for any other behaviors from the list that no one has said. Remember that the leader serves the group, not the reverse. Our virtual book club is delighting in our latest book club pick. A group of two or three generally doesnt need a leader to have a good discussion. Apr 01, 2006 lauren johns running book discussion groups a howtodoit manual is a wellspring of historical data, organizational tips, publicity techniques, content summaries, managerial information, and very practical pointers about group synamics and group management.

Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. How to lead a good discussion christian bible studies. Alice, a brit, is an outsider, but eventually acclimates to her new home. The first small group discussion i led took approximately 15 minutes. There are adult groups, studentled groups, motherdaughter groups, fatherson groups, and parentchild groups, to name just a few.

Part of being a good leader is being comfortable with silence. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa. History literature for all of us professional book group. Librarian becky spratford in her article, ook discussion first aid, shares her groups norms, which are revisited once a year. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. These discussions should lead to better understanding of who god is, inspire us to dig into the bible for ourselves, and help us to make applications in our everyday lives. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center for.