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Amazing Things Happen - by Alexander Amelines

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Free Training Modules | British Dyslexia Association

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training, modules, free, daw, dyslexia awareness week,

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An interesting view on teambuilding and the marshmallow challenge!

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Some simple and handy tips for great engaging sessions

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Teaching is an art form. Great teachers hold our attention, make us laugh, help us to fully understand complex subject matter and, most of all, inspire us.

Gaining this kind of engagement from your students takes practise and experience, but even if you're new to teaching, there are steps you can take to make your workshops or training as interesting as possible.

So, set aside those snore-inducing lectures and make your events fun and interactive by following these 9 tips ( you can also find more tips and tricks for great workshops over on event industry forum EventTribe).

First and foremost, to earn people's attention you need to make sure the content you are delivering is useful to them. The only way to know exactly what they want out of your course is to ask them.

Conduct some initial research with your target customers to shape your course content or send a pre-event survey to your attendees so they can pinpoint anything in particular they'd like addressed.

On the day of your training or workshop, kick off by giving a brief overview of what attendees are going to learn and how those skills will help them achieve their goals.
Related: How freelancers, consultants and small businesses can win with events

Accommodate different learning styles

People learn in different ways. Some of us are visual learners, preferring pictures, videos and diagrams, while others respond to spoken and written word, music, logic and reasoning or even physical activities.

Try to vary your learning by combining traditional linguistic teaching methods, with audio and visual presentations, written handouts, interactive tasks, and group work. This will provide an inclusive environment for all learning styles and ensure no one gets left behind.
Related: 9 Experts reveal how they turn attendees into clients
Training rooms are always laid out in the same way - rows of tables and chairs. Challenge the convention and surprise your attendees by perhaps providing beanbags instead of chairs, standing podium tables or tables with just a few chairs in order to encourage small groups.

Your choice of venue can also have an impact on engagement. A space full of light, colour and texture can prove far more inspiring than a bland, windowless meeting room.
Related: How to make a living teaching what you love
To make your teaching even more visual, add in some real life props. These could be practical items such as weighing scales, an abacus, or a mannequin, or they could be just plain silly, like a rubber chicken or magic wand - anything that will help liven up the proceedings and help people to remember.

Although the nature of your training or workshop might be serious, it is important to remember that people learn best when they are having fun.
Related: 5 Trends in creative classes
Likewise, games are a brilliant way for people to learn without even realising it. This could be 'Generation Game' style tasks, puzzles or riddles, crosswords, memory games or ordering tasks - anything that focuses the attention. You can even do it against the clock for extra excitement.

Try introducing a quick quiz at the end of each content section, helping recap on what's been learned, and offer a small prize for the winner.
Related: 6 Ways to engage Millennials at your event
Whatever you're teaching, try to make it relatable to everyday life by using real examples and case studies or even creative metaphors or parables (it worked in The Bible!)

By associating imagery that is left of field to what you are actually teaching (such as comparing milking a cow to the stock market) you can more easily embed it in your students' memories.
Related: 7 Ways to engage attendees before your event
Music is a great way to get people energised before your session and during breaks. Play something upbeat to pump them up and lower it back down to let them know it's time to start.

You can also use music during the session - soothing classical pieces to help people concentrate while completing tasks or group work, or the theme tune from 'Countdown' to gear them up when they're against the clock!
Related: Maximum event engagement from start to finish
One of the best ways to keep your audience engaged is not overloading them with information. Go on too long and the brain simply shuts off and people stop listening.

Either make your session a maximum of two hours or, if it's taking place over the course of a day, schedule in plenty of short breaks. As well as giving attendees a chance to get up, walk around and take refreshment, you should also facilitate 'downloading' of learnings.

Give them time to write and organise notes and assist them by providing pens, pads, sticky notes and highlighters.
Related: Free workshop organisation template
Training participants will be more motivated to successfully complete the course if their efforts are recognised and they have something to show for it at the end.

Make attendees know they will receive personalised certificates to mark their participation and perhaps also consider extra incentives such as a competition or small prizes for top students. An element of good-natured competition can keep the attention of those attendees with a competitive streak!
Related: How to market your classes Conclusion
Teaching is as much about entertaining your audience as informing them. Make your training or workshops lively, varied, fun and unexpected and your participants will learn quicker and better - and most of all they'll come back for more!

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9 Ideas to Spice Up Your Workshop or Training and Engage Your Audience - Eventbrite UK Blog

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Teaching is an art form. Great teachers hold our attention, make us laugh, help us to fully understand complex subject matter and, most of all, inspire us. Gaining this kind of engagement from your students takes practise and experience, but even if you're new to teaching, there are steps you can take to make your workshops or training as interesting as possible.

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Building rapport with a group is a key skillResearch on the top 25 questions  to break the ice

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#1: What was your first job?

By far, this question has prompted the most interesting responses for the companies we work with. Employees are always find it hilarious to learn that their boss' first job was as a pool boy, or find it fascinating that a coworker's first job was working in her mom's doctor's office. While it's an unassuming question, the responses stand out.

#2: Have you ever met anyone famous?

This question is a fun one, as it taps into the people that your coworkers admire. Folks bond over a mutual love for Jude Law, or have a laugh when a manager shares her story about meeting LeBron James at a gas station.

#3: What are you reading right now?

People are always looking for something new to read - and so swapping book recommendations are a great way for people to know each other. Learning what others are reading also provides insights into coworkers' interests. David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO of Basecamp, shared his answer to this question here.

#4: If you could pick up a new skill in an instant what would it be?

With this question, you'll learn how your coworkers want to grow or what they aspire to do. For instance, you might learn that a coworker would love to be able to pick up Italian instantly, or that your boss has always wanted to get good at woodworking.

#5: Who's someone you really admire?

Understanding who someone looks up to reveals a significant amount about a person's influences, preferences, and outlook on life. This is a great question to ask to help get a sense of what and who a person values.

#6: Seen any good movies lately you'd recommend?

Perhaps you've asked this question before - but don't overlook it. Movies are a great shared conversation topic. It never fails to be one that people like to answer and like to see other people's answer to. Often times, people will end up going to see them movies that are recommended and talking about it over lunch, etc.

#7: Got any favorite quotes?

Personally, I'm a sucker for a good quote. I think it can provide a fascinating look into a person's point-of-view. Asking about a person's favorite quote is a great way to break the ice and get to know them better.

#8: Been pleasantly surprised by anything lately?

While this question may seem vague, the answers to this question are often a delight and intriguing to read. Someone might share an excellent customer service experience that surpassed their expectations, or share a funny story about them liking squash soup despite their initial reservations. This is especially a great question to ask to a group of folks who might know each other a little better already.

#9: What was your favorite band 10 years ago?

This question always elicits a chuckle or two. You'll find out that you shared a embarrassing favorite band from years ago, and also find the generational difference between coworkers humorous as well.

#10: What's your earliest memory?

This is typically something that's not shared even between close friends - so asking about it creates a special connection between folks. Hearing about an intimate, early part of someone's life says a lot about who they are.

#11: Been anywhere recently for the first time?

Sharing a new, novel experience is a wonderful way to create a sense of connection between people. You'll learn about a new restaurant, a fun out-of-the-city getaway, or a never-heard-about bookstore you might find interesting.

#12: What's your favorite family tradition?

Cooking Korean dumplings together around the holidays is one of mine. When you ask this question, you get an inside look into your coworkers family's heritage and the things that bring their family together.

#13: Who had the most influence on you growing up?

A mother, a sports hero, a grandparent, an elementary school teacher... This question is touching to hear the answer to. You'll gain a sense of respect about who has shaped your coworkers.

#14: What was the first thing you bought with your own money?

Maybe it was a goldfish as a pet or a pair of Air Jordans. This is another great question that fosters a sense of nostalgia and provides insights into people's interests of the past and what they valued when they were younger.

#15: What's something you want to do in the next year that you've never done before?

I love asking this question instead of the stale, "Do you have any goals this year?" Rather, this is a great aspirational question that exposes people's dreams and hopes they'd love to pursue.

#16: Seen anything lately that made you smile?

The answers from this question are often unexpectedly lovely. You'll find yourself nodding your head as a coworker talks about his kids, or about a beautiful tree she saw on her walk recently.

#17: What's your favorite place you've ever visited?

Responses to this are varied and fun - you'll find that some folks have the same "favorite place" in Spain that they've visited, or a place that happens to be just 20 minutes from where you live.

#18: Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?

This is a cheeky question that turns up a variety of answers and interpretations. You might be impressed about how a coworker was in the newspaper one time or get a good laugh about how they were on the evening news.

#19: What's the best advice you've ever heard?

I'm a big fan of this question, as you're essentially asking a person about what wisdom they personally find most valuable. The best advice I've ever received, myself? "Trust yourself."

#20: How do you like your eggs?

Our customers who ask this question are always shocked by how popular the answers to it are. They discover that colleagues are immensely passionate about scrambled eggs or are sunny-side-up diehards.

#21: Do you have a favorite charity you wish more people knew about?

This is a fantastic question to ask. One company I know took it as a way to make a small donation to each charity mentioned.

#22: Got any phobias you'd like to break?

Spiders, heights, the ocean... Sharing fears is always a great way to feel closer to someone.

#23: Have you returned anything you've purchased recently? Why?

Ask this question and you'll unearth some interesting observations on why people buy things - and what they find unsatisfactory.

#24: Do you collect anything?

Skip the boring question, "What are your hobbies?" and ask this instead. You might find that someone is unexpectedly avid butterfly collector (my uncle does this), or enjoys finding a new postcard every time she travels (my mom does this). Regardless, it's a more unique way to learn about a person's interest.

#25: What's your favorite breakfast cereal?

This question continually (and surprisingly) blows people away with the response when they ask it. One customer of ours had such an enthusiastic response on this from her staff, she created a Cereal Day for her team.

I've used these questions to get to know a new employee, kick-off group meetings for boards I sit on, and even in one-on-one coffee meetings when I'm meeting someone for the first time. Give 'em a shot. Think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

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The 25 most popular icebreaker questions based on four years of data

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1: What was your first job? By far, this question has prompted the most interesting responses for the companies we work with. Employees are always find it hilarious to learn that their boss' first job was as a pool boy, or find it fascinating that a coworker's first job was working in her mom's doctor's office.

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How Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are - TED Talk

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How Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are - TED Talk

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Great body language is an essential for working confidently with groups: This talk makes some interesting points about the power of body language.

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Your body language may shape who you are

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(NOTE: Some of the findings presented in this talk have been referenced in an ongoing debate among social scientists about robustness and reproducibility. Read “Corrections & Updates” below for more details as well as Amy Cuddy’s response.) Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that “power posing” -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident -- can boost feelings of confidence, and might have an impact on our chances for success.