Anybody ever attend Mike's Instructor Seminar?

StevieP007 · Dec 2, 2005

Hi Guys, I just recieved an e-mail about Mike's instructor seminar happening in June of '06. I was considering attending, and I was just curious if anybody has ever been to one before?

If yes, How was it? what was it like, and did it really help or educate you with mega tips to be a better instructor?

Thanks in advance, Steve P

bphgravity · Dec 2, 2005

Re: Anybody ever attend Mike's Instructor Seminar?

I attended this past year's and found it to be a great experience. I learned that alot of the methods and techniques I was intentionally employing for my instructing was actually not appropriate nor effective. And at the same time, some issues that I thought would not work have turned out to be absoultely correct.

This seminar has more of a workshop feel and the class participation is much more extensive than the typical Mike Holt Seminar where Mike is the show. At the Instructor Conference, you will have alot of one on one time with Mike and a great opportunity to meet several other instructors from all over the place. I believe we had 9 different states represented at the Orlando Conference.

By the way, the hotel will be great and the lunches are fantastic. Mike goes all out on these Conferences.

ryan_618 · Dec 2, 2005

Re: Anybody ever attend Mike's Instructor Seminar?

I agree with Bryan. I found out a couple of the mistakes that I was making, and I learned about some things that I was not doing that I should have been doing. I have since changed some of the ways that I teach, and I have no regrets.

charlie b · Dec 2, 2005

Re: Anybody ever attend Mike's Instructor Seminar?

I have not been to one of Mikes instructor seminars, but I have had some formal training on how to run a formal training session. I have been told many times that I am very good at giving presentations. I have had to endure many presentations and lectures and sales pitches from people who were exceptionally poor presenters. Whether you are going to teach an entire course or just give a one-time presentation, if would be a great service to your audience to learn how to teach.

For those who won't have the time or the opportunity to attend a formal training session on conducting training sessions, here's a few "hints":

Talk to your audience. Never, under any circumstance, look at the image you have projected onto the board and speak in the direction of the board.

The only time you should look at the board is to point to some item on the screen. Then while continuing to point at that item you face the audience and talk to them.

Never turn your back to the audience, not even for the few moments it takes you to move to the other side of the board.

Here's a simple aid to help you follow the "never turn your back" rule: Whichever foot is further from the audience (closer to the board) should be forward of the other foot. Try it. Start on the right side of the board (as seen from the audience) with your right side close to the board and with your right foot forward, and then try to move to the other side without turning your back on the audience. You will see that it is easy. Two steps and an inboard turn of the hips, and you are there.

Every 15 seconds or so, do something to recapture their attention. Their minds work faster than your mouth can speak, and they will drift away from you if you let them. All it takes is an unusually long pause (what's this guy up to?), or asking a question of someone in the audience (oh no, maybe he'll call on me next!), or changing to the next slide, or pointing to one particular item on the slide, or picking up a prop, or taking a sip of water, or asking if there are any questions, or switching from a quiet conversational tone to a slightly louder and more intense tone to emphasize the importance of what you are about to say, or just any little thing.

Never project onto the board a sheet that has more than a couple dozen words, and make sure the text is large enough to be easily read from five seats further back than the back of the room. Remember that the main educational experience comes from you, not from the board. The purpose of what is on the board is to help them follow what you are telling them. Don't make them read.

Understand that 70% of the understanding that the audience is likely to obtain will come from visual clues (words on the board, images on the board, props, and yes even hand motions count as visual clues). 20% comes from the manner of your vocal presentation ? speak in a monotone and you throw away 20% of your effectiveness. Your actual choice of words has no more than a 10% influence on what they learn.

Know your audience. Know what they know and what they don't know. Use what they know to help them make the jump into understanding what they don't yet know.

And my personal favorite, the pet peeve of all pet peeves,

Never allow a laser pointer to come within 30 feet of your hand. They are worse than worthless. They are a serious detriment to process of instructing. If you own one, throw it away. Don't even inflict its evil onto another person by attempting to sell it on MeBay. To those of you who like to use them, I say, "Learn the error of your ways and repent." To those of you who sell them or otherwise promote their use, I offer no apology, and I urge you also to repent.

StevieP007 · Dec 23, 2005

Re: Anybody ever attend Mike's Instructor Seminar?

Wow, thank you so much for the kind and honest advice,

bph,Ryan,and charlie, I really appreciate it, and sorry it took so long to reply. I just may sign up for his summer'06 instructor courses.

Here's my situation;
I teach a 170 hr course on electric code at a highly accredited technical school. This class is designated at HVAC guys who are going for their refrigeration licenses. The State of Massachusetts requires at least 150 hrs of NECcode before applying to take the test. So this is a 20 week (2 nights a week) course on some big
boring codebook that's not even directly related to their trade! ("I" know it's related, "they" always seem to need convincing) The class is 4 HOURS long each night. I'm finding it very difficult to keep the attention of 20+ men who've probably been up since 5am,worked all day, and now haveto spend their last hours of 6-10pm with me.

I try to mix and break the class up by showing a Mike H. dvd for about 20-25 minutes, then do some reading in his Understanding the NEC book, go over and explain alot of Mike(culbreath's) pretty pictures in the chapters, and follow up with some related code questions that I pass out as homework, but let them get a start on , during the last 20-30 mins. Some nights the time flies, others the time drags, and I can see I'm losing some people.(their eyes rolling into their heads, and their faces hitting the books is a good hint also ;-)

I love the electrical trade and HVAC as well, my area of expertise is DDC temperature controls. I've had "special nights" where we wouldn't open the codebook at all, and I'd devote the whole class to motor controls or the basics of DDC controls, or VFD's. Some times it would go over well, this current group of guys had absolutely no interest in controls. I was kind of surprised.

I'm thinking of going the laptop/projector route. I have a bunch of powerpoints, pictures, PDF's, and diagrams that would make for some interesting additions to my training methods. Of course I would haveto remember to face and address the guys even more so, and not just turn my back to them and point to the slides.(by the way, I've NEVER owned a laser pointer

)

I enjoy teaching, and have only been doing it for 1 and 1/2 yrs. I'm sure more experience will yield greater results in effectively passing the night away. Thanks again, I appreciate your replies.

Happy Holidays!

Steve P

Anybody ever attend Mike's Instructor Seminar?

StevieP007

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bphgravity

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ryan_618

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charlie b

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StevieP007

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