I recently returned to the land of conducting a public class. Yep, I still love it!
Last week, I trained on how to increase learning and engagement leveraging Sharon Bowman’s Training From the BACK of the Room. I know this is not my appreciation post of the month but there are things I just need to highlight:
- This class is non-stop in terms of tools (exercises) that you experience. I won’t even pretend that I was not nervous about getting them all right and the timing. The irony is not lost on me that as I headed into the last 10 mins of the class, the realization that I did it swept over me with a grin from ear to ear…only to then forget the very final step. Luckily a learner called my attention too it and I could conduct the failure bow and high five.
In that moment of grinning from ear to ear, the exercise turned to me for an appreciation. Now I fully expect to get emotional when I share about really personal vulnerable information (such as my journey into leadership). I did not expect to get emotional about this class. Yet, there I was about to speak and the tears were forming. I have had plenty of “I love what I do” grateful moments but I guess it never dulls. I get to make a difference for people and that’s just freaking awesome!!!
My colleagues are amazing. This class has a materials list that makes a person’s head spin. It was absolutely amazing that not a single thing was missed or incorrect. Angie and Carol, you rock! In addition, I attempted an exercise to highlight my own personal “issues” with the word expert: a standing survey with one side “new to agile” and the other side “agile expert”. I never stand on the expert side. I hate the word expert and I personally just feel uncomfortable with the seeming expression of indicating I know all there is to know. Low and behold my teammates have the same thing, they stood in the middle too. I smiled and was immediately proud to be with people that get me!
I did a WOW chart at the end to find out what people were amazed by within the course. The results were not shocking. However, no matter how many times I get the same amazing result, the feeling of being proud to be sharing this is just as high.
Now I’m just left considering when and where do I give this learning opportunity again because there absolutely will be a next time!
