This page contains information to strengthen your facilitation skills with practical strategies, like asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing, and using follow-up probes, to help students reflect more deeply and confidently. This section equips you to guide meaningful conversations, navigate silence and group dynamics, and connect students with support when needed.

Conversation Facilitation Tips

Utilizing facilitation skills can help your ElonGROW conversations flow better and be productive. We suggest supervisors use open-ended questions, paraphrase, and ask follow-up questions during the conversation.

Open-Ended Questions

Asking questions in such a way that they cant be answered by yes, no, or a one word answer. The ElonGROW questions are already phrased as open-ended, but make sure that any other questions you ask are open-ended as well.

Examples:

  • Open-ended question: What are you learning here thats helping you in school?
  • Not an open-ended question: Have you learned anything here thats helping you in school?

Paraphrasing

Summing up what the other person says in your own words is a good way to show that you understood what your student said and can also help you make connections to other points. In your ElonGROWconversations, paraphrasing can reiterate the connections students have made about their learning.

Examples:

  • It sounds like you are learning time management skills here at work, and youve used these skills to make sure you are getting your homework and other tasks completed every week. Thats great!
  • You noted how much youve learned about communicating with your team. How has team communication been a part of your classes?

Follow-Up Probes

Follow-up probes are questions you might add to help the student think more deeply. Probes are very helpful if the student doesnt seem to be able to think of an answer to one of the questions.

  • They can be very simple: Whats an example of that?, How so?, Tell me more.
  • Or more specific: As a part of this position, you are developing customer service skills. Tell me how youve improved your customer service skills.”

Keep in Mind

消消犯 and supervisors benefit from reflection before the conversation

  • Sending the questions prior to the conversation gives students the ability to think about their answers before you meet, leading to deeper and more authentic reflection.
  • Reflecting on what students are learning as a result of working for you can help you prompt students about their learning during the conversation.

You are the air traffic controller, not the pilot

  • It can be difficult to give students proper space to reflect on their learning. During these conversations, you are providingdirection for reflection, but the student is responsible fordriving the conversation.
  • You are not there to provide the answers but to give students the space to reflect and make connections.

Make peace with silence

  • Give students the opportunity to reflect. Don’t immediately ask and answer the question.
  • It’s common for someone to need 15-30 seconds to think of their responses.

Make sure to wrap up the conversation

  • Remind students why you had the ElonGROW conversation and that you will continue to talk about learning in the workplace. Frequent reminders create an environment where learning is a key aspect of the student employment experience.

Student Care and Outreach

In your conversations, your students may share something about their personal lives that could cause concern for their well-being. Please know there are resources available to faculty and staff when navigating difficult conversations. For non-emergencies, consider filing a Student Care Referral so that the Office of Student Care and Outreach can anonymously connect them with the proper on-campus resources.