Are you stressing about an upcoming training class you’re teaching? Not sure it’s good enough? Got all those dang voices in your head second guessing your every move leading up to the class? Here are 5 Proven Concepts to ensure your class delivery isn’t going to suck. But don’t take our word for it!
Introducing Kendra Vair founder of Access Inspired and all around badass teacher. Kendra has the teacher pedigree that warrants the time to stop, listen and follow the work she is doing with Access Inspired. She absolutely will help you become a better teacher, leader and firefighter! Believe us, your crew members and students will thank you! We’ve even provided a simple infographic downloadable to help along the way.
Take it away Kendra!
Get out of your own way:
Have you ever excused yourself from a professional development seminar (gross- never call it that) because the content you’re paying for is the worst? If you’re anything like me, I quickly revert to high school algebra I when I would do anything to get out of class; use a pass, fake a stomach ache, desperately need something from my locker. It is because of this personal experience that, as a teacher, I have a sixth sense when it comes to kids trying to escape the classroom. As much as I don’t want to think it’s me…the reality is it probably is. I learned a long time ago if you want a bunch of hormonal adolescents to give me the time of day- I needed to get out of my own way. If I plan to captivate an audience and inspire creativity, I need to plan with THEM in mind and take myself out of the equation completely.
Here are 5 proven methods to make your delivery not suck:
5: Why would I CARE?– Create purpose
When people sign up for professional development they are making an investment in themselves; they want assurance that their time and money are being well spent. In order to make the delivery mean something to your audience CREATING the PURPOSE is essential. I’m talking about spelling it out for your people, listing the learning targets for the time and making promises that the learning will be meaningful and personal. These statements should be measurable and readdressed at the end of the learning. Participants need to see the connection for the learning to last. Make a promise to your audience- and then keep it.
4: Why should I ENGAGE– Set the stage
Now that your audience is aware of the PURPOSE- it is your job, as the instructor, to set the stage to ENGAGE. The best way to ensure your audience will listen to what you have to say is to put yourself in their shoes. If YOU were in the audience- what would you want to hear, talk about, do in order for the content to make sense? EMPATHY drives purposeful planning and creates a sense of wonder and urgency to learn. If you’re BORED while you’re planning- imagine how AWFUL the delivery will be to your audience. Set the stage for the most interesting, engaging, and purposeful time of their lives. No one wants a BORING lecturer- so don’t be one.
3: Why does any of this MATTER– The real world skills
“Why do we need to know this?” Remember sitting in high school algebra thinking, does any of this even matter? How will I even transfer this information to real life? Unless your teacher explicitly stated the HOW and the WHY- you probably never really understood the real world application (unless you are an engineer). Your audience WANTS and NEEDS to know WHY and HOW. They need to know how your message will matter to them on the job. This might mean you need to STOP talking and START having them DO. They know you’re the expert- that’s why they’ve entrusted you with their time- they need more than your words and scenarios to making the learning stick. How could you create real- world application opportunities for your students? Incorporate collaboration and communication experiences into your presentations by encouraging your students to talk to each other, overcome challenges, and discuss the real- world implications. You want your audience to GET IT? Stop talking AT them and create opportunities for your students to actually practice what you’re preaching.
2: How will this REALLY PREPARE ME– Cut the fluff
You have limited time with your audience- so cut the fluff and FOCUS on the skills they will remember. In the teaching world we often compare learning to a bullseye. The, “good to know” information outlines the bullseye. It’s the minutia that MIGHT help us be successful- but isn’t essential. Often times instructors and teachers find themselves on the edge of the bullseye when they try to compact too much information into a small time period. Your audience will learn all of those small elements in time, but today isn’t the day. Cut this fluff from your plan and focus on the,“important to know” and the, “NEED to know” details of the bullseye. These are the details your audience SIGNED up to learn about. They create the foundation and leave students wanting to know more. When we spend our time on the bullseye information our students believe the promises we have made because they can see we have planned for THEM, not us. Adding fluff sends a message that their time wasn’t important enough for us to put thought into the presentation. We needed to add more because our PURPOSE wasn’t clearly established. No one came to listen to you tell stories of fluff. Give them what they came for.
1: What makes this DIFFERENT– Make it worth their time
Why is this professional development different from all the other classes and lectures your audience has taken before? What will make this one MEMORABLE? Will it matter in the long run? As you build content and prepare the stage to engage, plan with your audience FIRST. They came to learn from you, but that doesn’t mean it has to be ABOUT you. It’s about them. Their prep for the real world. Their professional growth in the field. Remember what it was like to BE THEM and then make the experience more meaningful, relevant, and engaging than anything they have ever experienced before. They deserve your time, your diligent planning, and your attention to detail. Don’t be basic. Don’t be boring. Don’t be about YOU. Get out of your own way.
Kendra Vair’s highlights include:
- Middle school teacher since 1999
- Teacher of the Year for her district in 2016
- Coach for Track and Swimming for 10 years
- CrossFit Coach for 5 years
Here at Firefighter Craftsmanship we believe it is insanely valuable to learn from other industries outside of fire and emergency response. One industry we look consistently is education and the awesome teachers that live within this professional space. We’ve all had great teachers and horrible teachers inside and out side of the fire service. What we do is to important for THEM to have instructors or designated “leaders” who could use a lot of work when they’re trying to to deliver a message. Follow this awesome framework from Access Inspired and take your class delivery to the next level! Check Access Inspired out on Instagram
