How well did the facilitator lead the group and create a safe space? Please explain and give examples.
Used a participant's sharing to expand on another topic (the video about glasses that allow the wearer to see people's reality labeled in the air in front of them) to expand input on another topic at hand later in the conversations. This is a wonderful way to make participants feel safe and that their input is important and valued. Sharing personal difficulty with having compassion for others whom we don't like shows authenticity and vulnerability that can make people feel it is safe to share their own struggles.
Good involvement of group by asking what they thought they might have done during the Holocaust in terms of protecting people and/or speaking out - and taking through the three components of compassion.
Good description of two-winged bird, weaving in/relating it two equanimity and noting that discernment can lead us to taking no action as the best action.
How well did the facilitator explain this Skill using the PowerPoint presentation? Please give examples.
Used the slide to emphasize that we're the ones caught in our own Thinking Traps.
Excellent use of personal experience as an analogy for the Thinking Trap of not seeing common humanity by comparing work with rescue dogs and potential new doggy parents who demonstrate they don't really get the who rescue reality because they're stuck on a purebred...and how emphasizing that "all dogs need this, and all dogs provide that, and all dogs experience another thing really got them thinking about mixed breeds in a different (more beneficial) way - and perhaps thinking about all people that way could produce the same shift in thinking.
Used a participant analogy to expand the content of one slide and use it to segue into another point (the frequent subtlety of the suffering of others)
How well did the facilitator explain and lead the activities in this Skill? Please explain and give specific examples.
Very well. Description was adequate and clear.
What aspects of this Skill did you think the facilitator did exceptionally well? Please give examples.
Overall, wonderful use of metaphors, analogies and other comparisons. For instance, using the understanding of the differences between people to develop greater compassion (understanding why some Asian people have a much smaller perception of personal space due to far greater population density in comparison to most US cities). This may be able to flesh out into a CE for forgiveness (and include some references that telegraph causes and condition in Skill 9 - or not; rich enough to use elsewhere, too).
Good addition to Thinking Trap (lack of agency) that the "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts" with which we've been acculturated can prevent us from feeling as if we have the ability/agency/permission to act.
Good personal sharing about how "someone you know" had a serious medical diagnosis that caused a kind of "freeze" until understanding that even small actions can make a difference - and relating the situation to each of the three components of compassion.
What aspects of this Skill could the facilitator improve? Please give examples.
Could have engaged participants more, ensuring facultative (rather than instructive) approach.
Ended two-winged bird slide a bit abruptly.
Better for Three Components of Compassion skit exercise to include an example (might be the one you and your group did when your first took CIT).
Do you recommend this facilitator to become certified?