Bringing Life to Your Workshops

Workshops aren't that difficult, but they can fall apart. Audiences come expecting to hear from an expert. Students expect to hear from someone who is knowledgeable. The problem is not that you might not know your material. But, the problem comes when you seem like you don't know your material.

I recently watched a workshop where the teacher was working with no more than ten students. That's a manageable class size. Could you imagine working an audience of over a hundred? A class of ten to fifteen gives you the chance to get to know people, to look in their eyes and be more personable. You will actually know their names.

But, there can still be problems. Of course, you know the material. But, you have to be able to know it frontward and backward. You can't just walk into a workshop thinking you are going to wing it because you know the material that well. After all, it is your business and the grave mistake is flopping in front of your audience.

The teacher mentioned above was one of my students learning how to run an art workshop. She was so nervous that she forgot half of the things she intended to talk about for that day. She didn't have notes ready to help her recall anything. I gave her a few tips after allowing her to struggle through that class. After all, those students sitting in that classroom were soon going to get their chance to be nervous in front of their own classroom so it was a good learning experience for all.

Pulling my student aside after class, I asked her how much she had prepared. That has to be the most important thing that you have to put yourself through. You might know the material, but a classroom dynamic changes everything. Staring at blank faces ready to learn all of a sudden gives you sense of responsibility. It also makes you nervous because not many of us are natural public speakers.