Contents
As the facilitator, you can ask for others to speak up and create the space needed for quieter members to jump in. You also carry the authority to gently mediate any conflict that might arise. For more on this topic, see the article, What to Do When a Book Club Member Talks Too Much.
What is one important guideline for a book club discussion? Listen quietly while someone is sharing their opinion.
You could give each group a set of questions, a specific topic, or leave it open. Use a common experience as an icebreaker –Reflecting on real life experience is meaningful to students and encourages participation. Listen – Attend to students’ ideas and feelings. Don’t allow other students to interrupt.
At the first meeting its most likely the group won’t have a specific book to discuss so this is the perfect time to talk about your expectations for the group or club, listen to what others think, discuss books in general and the types of books members have read or would like to read.
Book clubs fail because: People don’t like the book choices. People will stop showing up to your book club if they don’t like the book choices. The schedule is too frequent.
How often do you want to meet? Once a month is the standard, but if you plan on reading longer books you may want to meet every 6 weeks.
Book clubs promote a love of literature in a positive, nurturing environment. The purpose of any club is to bring a community together to learn about and discuss something that matters to them, and a book club is no different.
Select a regular meeting time. Read, meet, discuss. A suggested way to lead the discussion is to ask one employee a week to lead a discussion about the portion of the book that participants read. A second employee then leads the discussion about how the reading applies to your organization.
Often, from fear of standing out, members agree with the popular opinion, even if they think otherwise about the story. The whole idea of a book club is to encourage debates and differences in views. Thus, be sincere about your feelings and talk about the book freely.
Many book clubs get anywhere from five to 12 members at each meeting. Some hosts strategically invite, say, 16 people, knowing that only eight will actually show up. Remember: a more diverse group will bring more diverse perspectives of the book.
Most new groups starting out will probably find it best to meet monthly and to discuss one book of about 300 pages or less.
In the general population, book clubs have gained popularity in the past few decades. Roughly 5 million Americans gather (in person or virtually) to eat, socialize, and discuss common texts every few weeks. Most book clubs are small, consisting of ten or fewer members.
Perhaps a hand written letter to the club president, or at the very least, a phone call. Or send an email to all the members. You could even attend the last meeting and say your good-bye at the very end, thanking everyone for the good times and friendships.
Your goal should be between 5 and 15 people, so everyone gets a chance to speak.
The best way to ensure future success is to keep track of what your group is reading and discussing, meeting locations, guided questions, and more. The more organized your group is, the more likely people will attend your meetings on a regular basis. 3. Make sure everyone talks.
Part of being a good leader is being comfortable with silence. Don’t feel like you have to jump in if no one answers immediately. If needed, clarify, expand or rephrase the question. Make connections between comments.