Facilitator Resource Index

Complete Guide to Running GitHub Classroom Workshops

Welcome, facilitator! This page helps you navigate all the documentation for running an accessible GitHub workshop for blind and low-vision students.

Start Here Based on Your Situation

"I've Never Run This Workshop Before"

→ Read in this order:

  1. FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md — GitHub Classroom Setup section
  2. FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md — Pre-Workshop Checklist
  3. FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md — For hands-on procedures

"Workshop Is Tomorrow"

→ Quick tasks:

  1. FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md — Pre-Workshop Checklist (all boxes)
  2. FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md — 3-Hour Prep
  3. FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md — Day-Of Checklist

"Workshop Is Happening Right Now"

→ Reference:

"A Student Got Stuck"

→ Go to:

"Something Technical Broke"

→ Check:

"Workshop Just Ended, What's Next?"

→ See:

Complete Resource Reference

Primary Documents

FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md (33 KB)

The complete workshop bible. Everything from GitHub Classroom setup through post-workshop follow-up.

Main sections:

  • GitHub Classroom Setup (first-time setup)
  • Pre-Workshop Checklist (48 hours before)
  • Day 1 Live Operations (hour-by-hour)
  • Day 2 Live Operations (hour-by-hour)
  • Post-Workshop Tasks (week after)
  • Quick Troubleshooting Reference
  • Appendices (templates, keyboard shortcuts)

When to use:

  • First-time workshop setup
  • Planning a cohort
  • During workshop (overview reference)

FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md (18 KB)

Real-time, hands-on procedures. Step-by-step what to do during each hour of the workshop.

Main sections:

  • Pre-Workshop Workstation Setup
  • Hour-by-Hour Procedures
  • Dashboard Monitoring Routines
  • Chat Response Templates
  • Emergency Procedures
  • Facilitator Self-Care

When to use:

  • During workshop (follow procedures hour-by-hour)
  • Preparing facilitator workstation
  • Real-time student support

FACILITATOR_CLASSROOM_TROUBLESHOOTING.md (18 KB)

Problem-solving guide. Specific issues and their solutions.

Main sections:

  • Emergency Scenarios (bots down, video call broken, etc.)
  • Student-Level Issues (can't find repo, confused by feedback, etc.)
  • Specific Technical Scenarios (merge conflicts, autograder failures, etc.)
  • GitHub Platform Issues (GitHub down, Actions slow, etc.)
  • Facilitator Mistakes & Recovery
  • Prevention Strategies

When to use:

  • Something is broken and you need to fix it
  • Student is confused or stuck
  • Automation failed

Supporting Documents

FACILITATOR_CHALLENGES.md (11.6 KB)

Operations guide for managing the challenge system and student progression during a live cohort.

Covers:

  • How the challenge system works
  • Monitoring student progress
  • Responding to help requests
  • Common issue patterns

When to use:

  • Understanding the challenge flow
  • Monitoring student progression
  • Identifying stuck students

FACILITATOR_ASSESSMENT.md (0.4 KB)

Assessment rubric and grading guidance (brief reference).

Covers:

  • How to assess student work
  • What "success" looks like

When to use:

  • Providing meaningful feedback to students
  • Deciding if student meets learning goals

Typical Workflow

Weeks 1-2 Before Workshop

  1. Read FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md GitHub Classroom Setup
  2. Create your GitHub Classroom and assignments
  3. Follow setup checklist in FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md

48 Hours Before

  1. Complete FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md checklist
  2. Test everything one more time
  3. Read FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md overview

Day Before

  1. Final checklist items
  2. Setup workstation per FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md
  3. Message co-facilitator: "Ready for tomorrow?"

Day 1 During

  1. Follow FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md hour-by-hour
  2. Keep FACILITATOR_CLASSROOM_TROUBLESHOOTING.md open in another tab
  3. Reference FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md for overview

Day 2 During

  1. Same as Day 1, but reference FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md Day 2 section
  2. Be ready for harder scenarios and more independence from students

After Workshop

  1. Follow FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md post-workshop tasks
  2. Note what worked and what didn't
  3. Update this guide for next time

How to Use These Documents

During Workshop: Have These Open

Browser tabs:

  1. FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md (current section)
  2. FACILITATOR_CLASSROOM_TROUBLESHOOTING.md (troubleshooting reference)
  3. Your GitHub Classroom dashboard
  4. GitHub Discussions / chat with students

Physical:

Quick Reference: Keyboard Shortcuts

Jump to sections fast:

In your browser: Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac)

Then search for:

  • ### Hour — Jump to specific hour procedures
  • **Student Says** "... — Jump to chat response template
  • **Symptom:** ... → Jump to troubleshooting scenario

Getting Help

If you can't find something:

  1. Check "Start Here Based on Your Situation" above
  2. Use browser search (Ctrl+F)
  3. Check the table of contents in individual documents
  4. Ask co-facilitator or post in team chat

Document Overview at a Glance

Document Purpose Length Best For
FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md Complete workshop bible 33 KB Planning, overview, templates
FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md Hour-by-hour procedures 18 KB During workshop, real-time decisions
FACILITATOR_CLASSROOM_TROUBLESHOOTING.md Problem-solving 18 KB When things break or students stuck
FACILITATOR_CHALLENGES.md Challenge management 11.6 KB Understanding progression system
FACILITATOR_ASSESSMENT.md Grading rubric 0.4 KB Quick reference for assessment

Key Principles Across All Documents

These principles appear repeatedly because they're that important:

  1. Accessibility First — Test with NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver before every workshop
  2. Async-Friendly — Students can join sync or async; both are valid
  3. No Pressure — Fast pace and slow pace are both OK
  4. Narrate Everything — Say what you're doing before you do it
  5. Celebrate Effort — Not just finished work; recognition matters
  6. Ask for Help — "I don't know but let's figure it out together" is OK
  7. Community — Build an environment where students help each other

Pro Tips from Experienced Facilitators

  • Bookmark the documents — You'll reference them constantly
  • Add your own notes — Margin notes about what worked for you
  • Screenshot the dashboard — Keep records of student progress
  • Keep student emails — Reference them when sending thank-yous
  • Document failures — So next time is easier
  • Celebrate publicly — Recognize achievements in real-time
  • Stay hydrated — Drink water throughout the day
  • Sync with co-facilitator — Check in every 60 minutes

In this repository:

External:

Pre-Workshop Sanity Check

Before your first workshop, verify:

  • I've read FACILITATOR_GUIDE.md GitHub Classroom Setup
  • I've created a test GitHub Classroom
  • I've accepted my own invite link
  • Gandalf bot commented on my test PR
  • Progression bot created Challenge 2 when I closed Challenge 1
  • I've read FACILITATOR_OPERATIONS.md procedures
  • I've set up my facilitator workstation per the guide
  • I've tested video call + audio dial-in
  • Co-facilitator has confirmed they're ready
  • I've reviewed FACILITATOR_CLASSROOM_TROUBLESHOOTING.md emergency section

If all checked: You're ready!

If any unchecked: That item is probably your next task. Don't skip it — it matters.

Questions or Feedback?

Found an error or unclear section? Help improve this guide:

  1. Make a note of what confused you
  2. After the workshop, update the relevant document
  3. Tag it with what you learned
  4. Share with next facilitator

This guide evolves with each cohort. Your experience makes it better for the next facilitator.

Last Updated: May 2026 | Maintainer: Jeff Bishop | Version: 2.0

Navigation: ← Back to Admin | View All Docs | Classroom Setup

Authoritative Sources

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