The Benefits of Being Master Of Your Own Programme.

It's just one day before the enrichment programme runs, and an idea sparks in my head for an activity that, though straightforward, connects 3 of the modules that I'm teaching. That's pretty hard to come by!

Because I'm the one who wrote the programme, I can integrate it right away and see if it works as well as I think it will.

And because it's a simple activity that doesn't require a lot of additional materials and because I don't have to ask anyone to provide these materials or explain it, it's also much easier to implement.

As I've mentioned in an earlier post, I love testing new activities out.

I can't be sure this (or a modified form) will stay in the programme or in another that I've written, but, at the very least, I'll know that it's been tried out and I would have seen the response first-hand.

Very exciting! I love my work.

Live Classes Are WAY Better Than Virtual Ones. Change My Mind?

Not too long ago, I was back in a classroom, teaching live.

Yes, everyone had masks on and inter-mingling wasn't "allowed", but it was miles better than running the class online.

I'm no fan of virtual versions of hands-on activities, because a lot of the learning points and, let's face it, fun, are in the unpredictability of what may happen and how your group members will react.

Dissecting a virtual mouse is nowhere near the learning experience of dissecting a real one (that has been humanely killed).

So, I'm glad to be back after so many months.

Based on what I heard, my students had a memorable learning experience.

And that’s what makes it all worth it.

I Had an Early, Terrible Experience as an Educator. But it Helped Frame My Thoughts on Future Bad Days.

Early in my career as an educator, I was placed as an assistant trainer to a senior trainer in the company I was working at.

The school we were running the programme in had a reputation.

A good one.

When we entered the school, something felt off. I couldn't quite pinpoint it until we commenced class.

Despite the best efforts of the senior trainer, the students refused to settle down and fights nearly broke out at least twice (among the students).

Even the form teacher of the class, who was sitting in, couldn't exert any control. And we had 4 or 5 lessons with them in total.

Later, I heard similar stories from another trainer (from the same company) who was teaching another class in another location in the school.

For obvious reasons, I cannot disclose the identity of the school. It was, to put it mildly, my worst-ever experience of disciplinary problems in a school.

I've heard since then that the situation in the school had improved over the years, but, as I've never been back there, I cannot confirm or deny the truth of this.

The upshot of this is that every other school seems, in comparison, so much better.

Because I always compare potentially bad experiences to this one, I end up being always thankful even when things go slightly awry.

Framing. Such an important thing.

The Training Industry (at Least in Singapore) is Filled with Fear and Mistrust. We Have to Change That.

I once talked to a few fellow trainers about education and the current ‘landscape’ of training opportunities. One of the things that they brought up resonated deeply with me.

They said that training companies that they work with/for aren’t very open to sharing resources, collaborating with one another, or sharing freelance trainer databases.

I asked them if they, as trainers, are open to these things and they responded with a resounding yes!

As a long-time trainer myself, I cannot help but agree with their assessment.

It felt strange that there was such a disconnection between the attitudes of the trainers and that of the training companies.

But I get it.

The prevailing concern is that of intellectual property "theft". And at least one of the companies I've worked with seems to have a crippling fear of this.

Even after working for so many years with them, readily sharing material I come up with on my own, it still feels as if they don't trust me.

The truth is, in the post-information age, information is so readily available that it's impossible to completely protect your lesson plans and curriculum, unless you ban all recording devices and recording methods, including webinars and online classes.

Further, even if someone else knows what you train, can they deliver it the way you can?

If they can do so easily, maybe your material isn't that good or original to begin with.

In which case, is it really as valuable as you think it is?