Tip:
Working alone is difficult and isolating. Being a professional developer means you need to be at least one step ahead of the people you are training. That isn’t always easy when things are changing so fast. I find that working with a partner or two makes my job easier.
- Schedule several planning sessions to plan your planning. You’ve hear of “Fail to Plan. Plan to Fail.â€
- Determine each other’s strengths and weaknesses to see who is best to do what.
- Meet for breakfast before the session to go over the day.
- Switch roles occasionally just to give each of you a break. Sometimes it is good to watch someone else deliver your material.
- When it is the other’s turn, sit in the audience to provide constructive feedback and to give cues to the other: pace, timing, content, etc.
- Share control on specific areas of the session. Sometimes it is difficult for professional developers to share control, so take control of one area with your partner taking control of other areas.
- It is okay to disagree while you are planning your program. Just make sure you agree in front of your participants.
- Take a break if you notice any problems: i.e. participants losing interest, time left over, a problem participant, etc. This is where working with a partner is helpful.
- Make sure you meet after the workshop to review and evaluate how it went, what you may want to change next time, and to offer feedback to each other so both of you can improve.
Submitted by:Barbara Bray
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