Tips on forming a nomad group
Here are a few on-line communities that would be good place to look for people who might want to start a group in your area:
When you first get in contact with a group of people, have a get-together where you can all meet and discuss what your goals are and what kind of time commitments you are able to make. Make sure everybody realizes they are taking on responsibility to the whole group and that once they join in they need to take this group as seriously as they would a class in school (except this will be fun!).
Tips on running group meetings
Depending on your group's interest and level of experience, you may want to customize your path through the book. Take a look at some of the syllabi in the Teachers Lounge for ideas on how to proceed. You may also find it useful to look through the chapter guides in the Teachers Lounge.
Remember to check the prep guides for each chapter in the Student Union.
Set a regular schedule as well as a meeting time: every two weeks for three hours, for example. You may also want to set a deadline for getting through the book (or the particular syllabus you agree on). You can always keep going once you reach that deadline, but in the meantime it will help keep your group focused.
It's a good idea to choose a group leader or alternately to switch leaders for each chapter. This person can lead the meeting and make sure everyone has the right materials and so on. It might also be useful to elect a secretary who will keep track of where in the syllabus you are, keep a contact list of the whole group, send out reminders of upcoming meetings, and so on.
Don't be discouraged if you lose a few members or if your group goes through a bit of a slump. It's all but inevitable but it's not a disaster. Just keep going with the members you have and eventually you will regain momentum.
If you do form a group, we hope you will let us know how it works and share any insights you have about what worked and what didn't. You can contact us here