My first meeting with my students had its share of logistic difficulties, some of which have also been expressed by other facilitators in their blog posts, but on the whole I found it to be remarkably engaging and emotionally fulfilling.
My previous facilitation experience has been mostly directive as opposed to free-flowing and collaborative (that is, nothing like a true conversation.) I am used to having to draw small talk out of students, which can be a painful and awkward process -- this first conversational meeting, however, absolutely broke the mold for me in that respect. The students who attended were very lively and talkative; they were also considerate and friendly, not only to me but also to one another. Their English language abilities ranged along an interestingly wide spectrum but I was both surprised and incredibly pleased to discover that these differences in ability did not deter them from being open, genuine, and amicable with one other. I've often found myself in unfamiliar linguistic environments and usually treat that as a challenging barrier to communication. My chat cafe students, however, seemed to perceive language as an additional component of the conversation rather than an obstacle or barrier.
I did have one minor problem (which I alluded to in my first paragraph) regarding the logistical organization of my first meeting. I made the mistake of meeting in a location that was unfamiliar to the students (Espresso Royale on State Street), which resulted in one of the chat cafe members being unable to find us. In future e-mails I will be more detailed and explicit with my directions, and individually check with each member that they know how to get to our agreed-upon locations. I really want to create an atmosphere of attentiveness and concern for each member, and to make sure that the students feel like they are welcome at our weekly meetings!
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