However, how many employees, when asked "do you
*really* want to go to this and that?" would
answer anything but "SURE!"?
The way to handle the brightest and loudest is to create
a humerous situation, and then, half smiling, shut him
up. Usually works.
My way to handle the sleepers is mostly to wake them
with roaring silence. But that's just me. I can't stand
being in a class and having people mock me like that.
That's a personality flaw on my part, but I can live
with it. :)
Roy
Sometimes it’s just bad day.
You are great, and the subject is important.
Barak
Oooh, this brings back memories. I totally hear what you
are saying, I've had my share. Let it go, think of all
the wonderfull moments you've had teaching to interested
and eager people, those should make it up.
Roy,
Here's the way I deal with it.
If they don't care, I don't care. As long as they aren't
disrupting the class then it doesn't bother me.
Now, as far as the disruptive people if they can't be
made non-disruptive with a quick comment like 'We'll
everyone is welcome to thier opinon but why don't we let
every one decided for themselves". Then I would
take a break and explain it a little more strongly.
The point not being to preach to them or get them to
care or agree with you, but just to ensure they aren't
disrupting those that want to be there/learn.
Hope that helps,
BOb
Ruth Cohn (a very skillful learning psycologist) says
"Disruptions have priority". So you
have to handle the disruptions first, the return to
teaching.
In TeachArt (the Swiss Holy Grail of adult education
<g>) you use a number of techniques. One
is to take the "leaders" aside in a
break and ask them for explanation/help. Another is to
take the conduct and agenda and make them topic:
- This is what you are suposed to be able to do after
the training
- This are the topics we cover
- This is the schedule
- How do you want to get there
If the class decides that they want to cover other
topics reconfirm that with management and deliver
different things.
--- So far the theory ---
Being a trainer myself I feel your pain dealing with
audience with a different agenda, especially if it is
your pet subject. What helped me in comparable
situations is the little mantra in the
head"It's not personal, it's not
personal" and "There is something they
want to learn". If that works than putting the
why and how of the course (not the content) onto the
agenda usually works.
And rest asured: I would pay attention to your
teachings!!
;-) stw
I make sure I have a simulation to start, or to pull out
if I have to "sell" the topic. With
test-driven development, I would have simulation anyway,
to help people feel how it's different. Then they might
want to learn.
But people are responsible for their own learning. My
job as an instructor is to prepare good material, make
it interesting, and help people who don't want to be
there go away.
You made me realize that I played the part of the
"star" at the last seminar I took - up
until the point of "this is crap".
Whoa.
Roy,
I have taught (both University and training) courses
related to the MCSE certifications.
I taught (or at least tried) how to use the product in a
manner that allowed the students to learn the material,
not just how to take the tests.
This led to many instance of students "not
paying attention" and on more than 1 instance
"stars" that either "knew it
all" or thought it was
"crap".
My way of dealing with the former students was to ask
questions of the class, and specific students relating
to information covered earlier in the classes (either
previous days, or earlier in the same class).
Questions were generally something like "how
does this compare to xxx" or "how else
do you think you could do this" or
"how do you think you could use this in your
job - with specifics".
As far as the stars that wanted to argue, I generally
tried to answer 1 or to of their questions, and then
after a few minutes gave them the "these are
good points, but we need to get through the
"current information" so that everyone
can have an understanding of this material, why don't
you and I meet outside of class (either during lunch or
after class depending on when in the day this happened)
and discuss this more thoroughly". 9 times out
of 10, the person would let it go, and we could
continue, and they did not want to spend
"their" time arguing and BSing.
On a few occasions when the student would not
"let it go", I told them that what
they were arguing about might very well have merit, and
asked them to prepare a 1-2 page discussion of the
pros/cons of their argument that the entire class could
hear and discuss the next day. If memory serves me
correctly, one 1 student ever followed through, and
because the rest of the class was expecting them to
bring something to the class and they failed, the rest
of the class generally changed their opinion of the
person and discounted what they said from there on out.
In the instance where I really had
"stars" that new what they were
talking about and were too advanced in the subject
compared to the rest of the class, I would pull them
aside during a break and explain to them that they were
going to be "beyond" the class for the
first part of the class, and then ask them if they could
help "student x" during the labs
because "student x" seemed to be
having some difficulties. This generally worked out very
well, because the "star" got the
feedback that they were "good" and
could feel good about their level of knowledge, and also
got to feel "good" about helping
someone else.
The other benefit to this (from what these
"stars" told me later) was that in
order to help someone else, they had to think more about
the material and be able to answer the questions of the
student they were helping, and many times the questions
they were asked were not ones they had ever thought
about.
This also worked for me because the
"star" could bring things to my
attention that the student was having trouble with, and
many times, I found that other students were also having
trouble with the same issue, so I could re-cover the
information in a different manner so that everyone could
have a better understanding of the material.
Using these approaches I found worked very well for me
and for the students.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope it helps.
Later,
Eric
It remind me a long time ago when in a precedent life I
was a computer teacher. Reading your post remind me
those similar situations.
One very bad was when I was doing some training for a
company's staff and everybody was very sleepy or moody.
I couldn't resist to ask what was wrong and heard that
the company has made them redundant an hour before the
session. Sad day!
The other scenario is when you expect to teach people
something and you face people who knows more than you,
and you discover that you were wrongly briefed on their
real needs! It happens to me twice, one I remember was
about Paradox (THE database product of the 80s) anfd my
surprise when I came teaching the basics of the product
and face a panel of 10 experts who want to go further
:-)
Last thing I remember too was this not so funny time
where I was supposed to train a dozen of people and I
find myself in a huge auditorium with more than 300
people... and no microphone, no projector, just a tiny
white board
Ignore them, teach the ones that care, and let the
other's wonder why their lives suck cause they're out of
touch, out of favour, afraid of change and don't offer
them any condolences when they finally realize that
they're obsolete. You should motivate a child to learn
and grow, but an adult should know better.
Actually, Eric's post is a better solution than mine.
See, I'm willing to learn too!
Thatnks for the great feeback, people.
I think I already came up with some of these answers on
my own , but It sure helped me take the steam out :-)
I'm sure many people will enjoy reading these and get
the benefit of experience.
Just lower your voice and continue with it.
If no one wants to listhen you can start whispering...
I'm a bit late here, but wanted to mention something.
Geoff Snowman gave an MSDN event recently where he gave
a sleeping /snoring attendee a good talking to! I was
very impressed! I think you pay attention, or get out!