Facilitating my first session: Learning along the way

The first awareness session that I facilitated on anemia and healthy dietary practices was a very special experience for me. Since the beginning of my fellowship, I have been working closely with adolescents, and my project primarily focuses on them. Over time, I have built a friendly and comfortable bond with the students, which made me both excited and a little nervous to conduct this session on my own.

This was the first session that I designed and planned on my own, along with my POC. I was involved in everything, from structuring the session to planning the activities. One important thing I had observed during my earlier school visits with field workers was that students tend to lose interest if sessions are lecture-based. They get distracted easily after a point. Keeping this in mind, I made sure that my session was participatory, interactive, and engaging.

Before going to the school, I also conducted a mock session in the office with my colleagues. This practice session really helped me build confidence, especially since I was a little sceptical about how my first session would go.

On the day of the session, I was accompanied by Tanuja, one of the MPWs, who co-facilitated the session with me. Having her support made a big difference and helped the session run smoothly. We reached the school, spoke to the Principal, and set up the projector and other materials needed.

We started by showing a video on anemia awareness and healthy habits. Once the students gathered, we began the session. The main activity was called “Two Truths and One Lie.” The students were divided into groups, and each group was given a chit with three statements two true and one false. Their task was to identify the incorrect statement and explain why they thought it was wrong.

The statements covered topics like symptoms of anemia, groups most at risk (such as adolescent girls and pregnant women), healthy foods, local iron-rich Kumaoni crops, balanced diet, IFA tablets (why and how to take them), deworming tablets, and ways to prevent anemia.

The response from the students was very encouraging. They actively participated, discussed within their groups, and shared their answers with enthusiasm. We also made sure that every student got a chance to speak and be involved. It was really nice to see them learning with so much joy, enthusiasm and excitement.

One of my biggest learnings from this experience was how different a session looks in reality compared to how it is planned on paper. You may have a clear picture in your mind, but once the session begins, it takes its own shape. Sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned, and that can feel a little unsettling. But often, something even more meaningful and beautiful comes out of it.

This session also taught me important aspects of facilitation, when to guide the discussion, when to step back, and when to let the students take the lead. Another key learning was that even though I had designed the session and knew the “expected” answers, the students came up with ideas and perspectives that were new and surprising.

It made me realise that such sessions are not one-way. They are spaces of shared learning, where both the facilitator and the participants learn from each other.

Overall, my first session was not just about spreading awareness on anemia, but also about understanding how learning can be collaborative, engaging, and full of unexpected insights. It made me realise that a good session is not about delivering everything perfectly, but about creating an environment where students feel comfortable enough to think, share, and participate.

It also helped me become more confident in my own approach and trust the process, even when things don’t go exactly as planned. This experience has stayed with me as a reminder to keep learning, adapting, and growing with every session I facilitate.