Reading the Room: Check Ins and Energizers with Lea Crusey

### Reading the Room: Sensing Group Mood Through Visual Facilitation and Check-ins

How do you really know what your group is feeling?

In this interactive, visual, and movement-based session, innovator and area educational leader Lea Crusey will guide participants through playful, evidence-informed techniques to sense and respond to the emotional and energetic state of a group — in real time. Together, we’ll explore how group check-ins and curated activities can help us “see” mood and energy, beyond facial expressions and body language, to deepen connection and collaboration.

We’ll move and reflect together while unpacking why these activities work: how they create psychological safety, spark micro-behavioral change, and build trust and flow within a group.

Lea will also introduce WOOF, a digital wellbeing platform she co-founded to help teachers — and soon facilitators — gather real-time insights on mood and engagement. You’ll see how WOOF complements the intuitive sensing that visual practitioners already do, making group dynamics visible over time through simple, data-informed feedback loops.

Takeaways:

• Understand the theory behind effective check ins and energizers
• Practice reading mood and energy through interactive activities
• Learn to use mood insights to tailor your facilitation style
• Experience WOOF, a tool for fast while authentic online mood tracking and feedback

Ideal for:
Facilitators, trainers, educators, and anyone who wants to deepen their skill in sensing and responding to the emotional undercurrent of a group.

Lea Crusey is a social entrepreneur who has spent the past two decades working across sectors to strengthen policy and practice in service to American schoolchildren. She is now the co-founder and President of WOOF in the United States, a Copenhagen-based startup created by educators to help teachers and students better understand and support emotional wellbeing in the classroom.

Before WOOF, Lea worked across education, policy, and social innovation — from the classroom as a Teach For America corps member to national leadership and entrepreneurship roles focused on equity and learning.

Lea lives in Washington, DC, where she serves on the DC Public Charter School Board and continues to champion environments — from classrooms to community gatherings — where people can show up as their best selves.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leacrusey/

Interested facilitators can create their own WOOF account to conduct anonymous group check-ins and access group activities. The first 30 days will include free access! https://planetwoof.io/us/plans-pricing/

NOVA Scribes has entered into a partnership with the IFVP: the International Forum of Visual Practitioners! This workshop is an IFVP Learning Lab. All IFVP members have access to Learning Labs at https://ifvpforum.circle.so/c/learning-hub/

This workshop will be recorded and posted on YouTube for anyone who cannot attend. You can find the YouTube link in the Comments section of this NOVA Scribes Meetup event once the workshop video has been uploaded to YouTube.
You can find previously recorded videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJfInZHmS8prj2_DUaJ35CYY8n7SzoPMJ

We’re not charging for this workshop, but we will be asking for donations! Donations cover the costs of hosting events on Meetup, to honorariums for new graphic recorders, and scholarships.

Please be sure you are registered on Meetup! If your Zoom name doesn’t match your name on Meetup, you will not be admitted. (We’ve had Zoom bombers.)