Week 1 Setting Expectations, Values and Ground Rules
State the format to the group as below.
00:00 – 00:15 Statement of Intent
00:15 – 00:40 Pomodoro
00:40 – 00:45 Rest and Refocus
00:45 – 01:10 Pomodoro
01:10 – 01:25 Cuppa and Cake
01:25 – 01:50 Pomodoro
01:50 – 02:00 Regroup and Review
Explain that at the beginning we briefly state intent and capture it on a file or padlet if you can. Point members towards the cohort document in files area which will be accessible for the whole 6 weeks. Then begin the introductions and intent to set expectation on how long this will take - it is important to begin each element on time.
We encourage each member to select the next person to give their intentions, this makes people consider the participant list and use peoples names with helps group cohesion. Being in this together is what determines success the aim is to create a community of writers. (Friend, Jennifer I., and Juan Carlos González. “Get Together to Write.”
Academe, vol. 95, no. 1, 2009, pp. 31–3.)
"In general, these writing programs have proven valuable for midcareer faculty as they negotiate the demands of academic work. They help revive or renew writing commitments (Jensen 141) and provide a safe place to express “frustration, anxiety, doubt, and fear” (Bosanquet et al. 212). They create accountability by establishing deadlines that often do not exist for scholarly projects (Friend and González 33). Moreover, writing programs provide emotional support, even facilitating academic alliances and friendships where individuals learn about institutional structures or campus politics (Friend and González; Jensen). In short, participation in these coordinated efforts increases motivation and confidence while decreasing feelings of anxiety and isolation, thus enabling academic writers to write more and write better (Friend and González; Haas; Geller; Yagelski)." Alexander, K.P. and Shaver, L., 2020. Disrupting the Numbers: The Impact of a Women's Faculty Writing Program on Associate Professors. College Composition and Communication, 72(1), pp.58-86.
In the longer break sharing some experiences of how it feels to begin and how progress is going with the pomodoro approach. People often say they want to keep going - remind them that after any 4th Pomodoro they might add on they would need a longer break.
EVERY 4 POMODOROS, TAKE A LONGER BREAK
Once you’ve completed four pomodoros, you can take a longer break. 20 minutes is good. Or 30. Your brain will use this time to assimilate new information and rest before the next round of Pomodoros.
