A couple weeks back, I mentioned how excited (and nervous) I was to be getting back in the classroom to teach again. I had an upcoming 3-day Design Thinking class at the new Hard Yards home office in Arlington, VA, and I wanted to take some of what I’d learned doing remote training with me into the classroom. So it was a new client, a new office, the first time teaching this class in person, and I had some seriously rusty skills… What could go wrong!? Answer: nothing! Seriously. Nothing went wrong. In fact, I had a blast, and so did the class. But boy did I learn, or perhaps I should say “re-learn,” some things about being in-person. I’ll share everything I observed, but one situation stands out. It’s the problem of 24 people, 24 bathrooms, and face tattoos (or lack thereof). Please, before you go all Mike Tyson on me, let me explain.
Everything in in-person training takes longer. I mean everything.
Simple logistics, getting people to find the training space, park, get into the building… etc, it all takes time, allow for it.
When flexing in/out of breaks and breakout activities, people are not as punctual. Snacks, coffee, breakout room activities, all that movement takes longer.
Bathroom breaks take longer - unlike a virtual classroom, it’s not 24 people using 24 different bathrooms. It’s 24 people using 2 bathrooms. Some basic math should tell you this takes longer. You can’t ask people to pee faster.
Classrooms are an engagement-rich environment. Use it wisely.
There are organic conversations / sidebars that occur in person that are less likely to happen virtually. Additionally, hardly anyone ever approaches during a break for a Q&A over Zoom, partly because we all turn our cameras off.
It’s easier and less disruptive to check in with multiple groups in person. You can get a better sense of team chemistry and how the groups pace themselves, which makes it easier to adjust the plan.
When there’s no mute button to find, people are more likely to “second” (i.e. reinforce) someone else’s idea or anecdote with one of their own.
The open space is magnificent, take advantage of it! Get up. Move around. Get outside if you can. We based one of our exercises on interviewing people at a local mall/food court. This wouldn’t be possible over Zoom, and made for a really unique experience.
Body language can compel instructors to call on people, e.g. based on their facial expression. Use that to explore the discussion, but take care not to exhaust people.
Slides are even more boring in person. If that’s possible.
It’s no secret that Hard Yards classes don’t rely heavily on slides. However, with online whiteboard tools, sometimes slides can help frame/visualize an idea. In person though, they feel flat and inadequate for getting people excited about a concept. I remember now why I hate them.
Written instructions are still super helpful. Slides can be a great supplement for this use.
The printed booklet is a reminder of conversations we had during the class, not the class itself.
So that’s it. Looking back at those key takeaways may seem unremarkable. But it was a good reminder for me that all teaching methods are not created equal. Sure, getting back in the room was a bit like riding a bike. But if you hadn’t ridden a bike in two and a half years, you might be a little wobbly when you first get on. It turned out to be a really fun challenge for me, and one I’m looking forward to again later this month, when we blend our CSPO and Design Thinking classes into one curriculum for a client.
Oh, and if you’re curious about what face tattoos have to do with anything? Well, I now greatly appreciate how much I’ve grown to rely on everyone on Zoom having their name printed right under their face. So for the next class…