Last month, Kristen Dore outlined the basics of a great training to launch campaigns - taking it beyond lectures to the "holy trinity": Teach, Practice, Debrief.
I'm going to focus on the elements of an engaging teaching presentation. The best sessions motivate participants so that they are on the edge of their seats, eager to roll up their sleeves and really dig into the workshop that follows.
The process is simple - clearly define the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of whatever you are teaching.
The WHY: Why does anything you are saying matter to them? This is like the hook in a song. How will you get their attention? How will you make it relevant to them so they start singing along with you?- The WHAT: This is the meat of your session. What is the concept or skill that you are teaching? How can you make it simple and digestible for your participants?
- The HOW: This is your opportunity to model or role play the concept or skill in action, so that participants have some guidance when they dive into the practice in the workshop.
During our Building Teams training module, we start by asking people to share experiences of being on a "Dream Team" and a "Make You Wanna Scream Team." This helps participants get in touch with their own experience and into a mindset to learn about building teams. We then define the building blocks of teams, and role-play how to create them. This helps get people over the fear of working in groups, and helps prep them to participate in the team building workshop that follows.
For more examples of engaging upfront sessions ideas, check out the trainer's notes for this module and many more in our Organizing Toolbox.
Hope Wood is Director of Coaching and Curriculum at NOI
Leave a comment