The goal of this activity is to have 5 people standing at all times.

One rule: No talking or signaling is allowed.

Tell the group that it is important that everyone be able to see each other. They may want to move their chairs so that they can see everyone in the room.

Facilitator participates. At the end of about 3 minutes, stop to debrief.

Debrief:

• What was this activity like for you?
• What can we learn from this activity?

Some things participants might notice or reflect on:

• It was hard to count to 5 because of people standing up and sitting down.
• The activity requires being aware of everyone in the room. As one participant said, “You have to keep your head on a swivel.”
• We might communicate in subtle, non-verbal ways to see if someone else is going to go first.
• Some people jumped up quickly, others took longer to stand.
• I let other people stand up and just watched.

The facilitator might ask a few probing questions:

• Did anyone stand up more than, say, 3 times? 5 times?
• Did anyone not stand up?
• Did anyone see if someone never stood up?
• So, we each participated in different ways. What can we learn from that?

If it comes from the group, there is no need to say it, but if not, the facilitator might make a couple comments:

• We all participate in groups in different ways. Some people are quick to stand and participate. Others might naturally wait if others are standing.
• This activity can help us see our natural inclination. If you are a person who naturally stands up quickly, you might consider waiting and giving others space to stand at times. If you are a person who naturally waits, you might consider stepping forward more quickly.
• In a classroom, we can’t all “stand” (or talk, contribute, etc.) at the same time.
• There are no judgments. It’s not bad to stand quickly or often. It’s not bad to wait for your opportunity. We are just looking for ways for everyone to contribute to the classroom.