Remember those long days in class? It seemed like you were there for an eternity, yet gained just a bit of actual knowledge.
Fast forward to today. Ever attend professional workshops for advancement in your current or future career? A lot of people do, and more and more companies are creating such programs. Career development is important, but how do you go about developing that? Check out these couple of tips and ideas if you and your company is debating hosting a workshop or class.
Starting classes or a workshop for others is going to take a lot of time and planning. First, you’ll have to create a curriculum. What are you (or someone else) going to teach? Are you going to employ textbooks, research, presentations or other resources during your lesson? If you feel like you have a lot to cover, think about a series of classes. Or if you have really narrowed down your topic and will only be instructing for a day, then make sure you keep your content engaging. Again, think back to those days learning in high school. Your newest, professional students might not be able to survive a straight 90 minute lecture either.
Have you thought about where you are going to host classes? Finding a location is one of the first steps, but you have to have some ideas of time, number of attendees and so on first. Possible hosting locations include you company’s own building, a local school or community center, renting a studio for a day…the list goes on. Or, if you are really invested in providing classes for others, think about a mobile learning center.
Like we said, there’s a lot to think about. There are the big questions, like where and when, but a lot of important, smaller decisions too. Check out this list to make sure your prepared for your students:
- Any note-taking materials (pen, paper, etc.)
- Wifi for those techies
- Parking upon arrival
- All day learning? Make sure to either feed your guests or give them time to go out for lunch
- Any reading material
- Contact information upon leaving so you can continue to be a resource to your students