1644 Words
Materials Magic
Make your handouts useful reference guides as well as self-exploration (e.g., assessments, answering questions to self) and "aha" catchers. Balance space to take notes with text. Include relevant clip art to anchor/illustrate the idea, but donÕt get too cutesy. (It depends on the sophistication level of your audience.) Remember these are adults.
Scan artist's drawings into computer. Add desk-top-published descriptions or labels. Print out for overheads. Use chart printer for professional looking flip charts.
Seminar Design
Try something new each time.
Honor your audience through your design and presentation. DonÕt ask them to raise their hands unless you acknowledge the information this gives you. DonÕt mix rhetorical questions with ones you want them to answer. DonÕt ask obvious questions: "Do you want to make more money?" Don't submit a sophisticated and highly trained audience to old exercises: hand clasp, arm cross, old lady/young lady, nine dots, finished files.
Make ice breakers/mixers relevant to the program topic. Use as a transition to get audience thinking of this program. Design the highest payoff activity you can, not just a "get to know you" process. DonÕt waste their time. DonÕt embarrass your audience by asking "Share your most embarrassing moment."
Have each write his/her response before asking for audience responses. Gives them time to think. Gets more people participating. A variation of this is to share response in dyads.
To raise/change the energy, have them discuss what theyÕve learned for two minutes with a neighbor. Having them stand up raises the energy. Do not have them do the back rub exercise. In these days of sexual harassment issues, this exercise is inappropriate.
Commitments. In large group have them turn to neighbor and share one idea they are going to apply tomorrow. Then ask them to share these with you. As they call them out reward them with tapes, post it note pads, other small relevant prizes.
In longer programs, have each person list three things to work on as a result of the seminar. Give each a 3 x 5 card to write down their ideas. Ask each person to share one item with the rest of the group. Discuss the value of public commitment.
Idea exchange. Near the beginning of the session have them list their five best practices for (the topic). Then have them get up and find 8-10 people they donÕt work with and exchange ideas. Give them a worksheet to write down the new ideas. This gives them credit for having some good practices already, and lets them see the ideas others are actually using. Then when you bring up similar ideas later in the seminar, they have heard that someone else actually uses the idea and it works.
Enlist a "hokey" monitor if you feel you could go overboard in the silliness or fun area. Ask a cynical friend/colleague whose opinion you respect to review your activities.
Design a stimulating program. It doesnÕt have to be fun, but it has to be stimulating. Yes, it can be fun, but donÕt sacrifice the purpose of the program for the sake of fun. Fun must be relevant to the learning objectives, not just for the sake of fun.
DonÕt be seduced by their laughter and keep adding funny jokes/lines just for the laugh if it isnÕt relevant to the topic at hand. You will be asked back based on how much difference your program made, not whether they had a good time during the presentation.
In seminars, busy adults constantly ask: "What is the relevance of this?" "What value is this to me?" "Is this useful in making my life better?" When an activity is "just for fun," or "an energizer" there needs to be more relevant ways to reach the same result.
Ruthlessly self edit. Listen to tapes of your whole seminar to hear how you really sound. Write out your stories and edit them to the essentials. Rehearse them so you can remember the key points, but donÕt rehearse so much you sound canned.
Questions & Answers:
Q. I teach technical courses. My courses are composed of mostly lecture and I find the participants arenÕt with me. IÕve even had some of them nod off. There must be a better way. What do you suggest?
A. Get your audience involved. Adults learn much better by doing, not just listening. Lecture for ten minutes max. If you lecture for more than 10 minutes, participants get bored, no matter how interesting you and your topic are. Get them involved by asking them non-rhetorical questions. A simple technique you could use in every session is just having them raise hands in response to your questions. For example, "Who ever had a claim on their own insurance?" Getting them to respond by asking them relevant questions and commenting on their responses is a simple way to involve them. Utilize the participants as resources. Get them to contribute their examples--you and they will learn more.
Q. You say to ask questions of our participants, but IÕm not sure how to do that.
A. Ask open-ended questions, questions that have many answers or questions that ask their opinion. When you ask questions that only have on answer--your answer--it makes the participants not want to guess and feel stupid when they guess wrong. Give rewards if you do ask questions that have only one right answer. Adults like rewards as long as they feel the reward is not condescending and has some value. You also need to introduce the reward by saying "WeÕre going to make this a little more fun by giving a (free lunch, dollar bill, candy, ?) to whomever has the right answer." If itÕs not introduced properly it may backfire as the participants may feel it is condescending.
Q. In the technical classes I teach, I want to give the participants as much information on the subject as possible. Therefore, I prepare a lengthy workbook which goes over everything in detail that weÕll cover in class. People tend to read ahead when they get bored and I lose the class involvement. Also sometimes they leave at break and tell me they donÕt have time for the class so theyÕll read the handout. I know they probably wonÕt and that theyÕd get more from the class discussion if they stayed. How can I prevent this?
A. Provide handouts that reinforce your points but donÕt give away your program ahead of time. Help them take notes and keep them focused by designing your hand-outs to use occasional fill-in-the-blanks. When you do give them the fill-in of the blank make sure you let them know, e.g.: "and 80 goes in that blankÉ" A few wonÕt like it, but it will help the rest retain the information.
Q. My workbooks and overheads are all text. How can I find illustrations to liven them up?
A. Using illustrations in your handouts and overheads will help stimulate right brain learning (most classes are taught for the left side of the brain). Copyright free illustrations are found in a series of books put out by Dover PublicationsÊ(31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501) and by Graphic Source (Rolling Meadows, IL 60008). Most bookstores can order these for you. Each publisher has a series of various clip art titles, all for less than $10.00 each. There are many sources for computer clip art, as well.
Q. Using flip charts have become awkward for me. Either people canÕt read them because of my handwriting, the color of the pen, or the position of the lettering. How can I use these tools more effectively?
A. Generally, flip charts are best used for spontaneous listings. Even pre-prepared charts are often difficult to read and sometimes sloppy. If you do use a flip chart, only write on the top two-thirds because the audience has difficulty reading anything on the bottom third. Avoid red pens. Instead, use overheads for information which will be re-used from class to class.
Q. IÕve noticed that classes with different room set ups have different dynamics. IÕm not sure which ones I should use to create an atmosphere conducive to interaction, yet allow everyone to see the visuals easily.
A. U-shape (with chairs only around the outside) is my favorite for small groups, for larger groups I use chevron classroom style. This style has the tables slanted as in a "V". It works with groups even as large as 100.
Q. IÕve heard that you speak on adapting games to use in adult classes. How can I get ongoing ideas for games?
A. Games Magazine is an excellent resource for game ideas as well as specific games you can use in your class room. The magazine can be ordered through: Game Magazine, P.O. Box 10147, Des Moines, IA 50347.
Q. I like to have laughter in my classes, yet IÕm not a good joke teller. The laughs now are mostly generated from others in the room. Should I buy a joke book?
A. First, notice situations and lines you find funny in your own life. Then see if you can adapt these to be relevant to your topic. Use short stories (not jokes) from your own experience to illustrate your points. Even though old jokes may get laughs from some, they are seen as old hat by most. Also, study comedians you like. Listen to their rythym--to see how they tell their jokes. Practice on your friends and family before you try it in the class. If they donÕt laugh, chances are your participants wonÕt either. Use stories and anecdotes which do not portray you always as the hero. Self-depreciating humor, in moderation is better in the classroom than the Don Rickles style.
Copyright 1993 Morgan Seminar Group
Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, is a dynamic speaker and seminarist. She is the author of four books, "TurboTime: Maximizing Your Results Through Technology," "Calming Upset Customers," "LifeÕs Lessons: Insights and Information for a Richer Life," and "Professional Selling." For information on her speaking services, books, and tapes contact her at 1440 Newport Ave., San Jose, CA 95125, 408/998-7977, 800/247-9662, fax: 408/998-1742, rebecca@RebeccaMorgan.com, www.RebeccaMorgan.com. Please contact Rebecca for permission to reprint or repost this item.
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