[#facilitation + #PD + teacher tiredness] I once led a workshop where I was super duper wooper low in energy. And when I arrived at the venue, I realised it wasn’t just me: all the teachers were totally exhausted too. This is not uncommon - in fact, it's a norm as PD is typically stacked at the end of a workday.
So how do you deliver training in these circumstances, when everyone is tired (including you, oh #trainer)?
Some things I've noticed are helpful:
1: Make a joke.
2: Move bodies.
3: Share the plan.
4: Give (and stick to) time estimates.
5: Get things done and finish a few mins early.
6: Make sure one key activity involves movement.
7: Acknowledge, but don't repeatedly talk about being tired.
8: Use something natural to change the scent/smells of the room.
9: Have hot fresh mugs of coffee or range of beverages at the ready.
10: Don’t schedule PD at the end of the day, give it better airtime, doobeedoo ahem…
I think some of these things can also apply to learners too and those 'end of the tether' kind of moments in general.
Note:
About #8: Essential oils/scents: This is inspired by a memorable yoga class where the scent used in the room totally lifted my mood when I was tired. To avoid anyone having a reaction to a spray, you can offer to dab a little essential oil on people’s inner wrists or palms if they would like that. Peppermint is a good one for this context.
About #9: If applying to learners, maybe bar the hot coffee. But some kind of healthy sucrose rush may not be a bad thing…? What’s been your experience in using food to help with learner energy levels? Curious.
About #10: I understand I (and teachers) have little control over when PD is scheduled. But some of the best training I've seen happens when schools have helped 'take care' of teachers' existing duties - they carve out the time for it during the workday, not after it. I think this is a critical factor in effective training for teachers particularly, and professionals in general. What do you say?
In sum, I noticed these small things in combo actually had a rather big impact on how I and the teachers managed our energy that day.
Any you’d add, change, question, want to talk about?
Ahoy. Bring them aboard.
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