Back in The Game

This week in class I had the opportunity to lead the lesson on cultural proficiency. I was excited and anxious to be back in front of a group. Although it was not my favorite topic to facilitate, it was a good lesson anyway. By the end there were several parts of the lesson that went well and some things I would like to improve on in the future.

Teaching is my passion. Down the road I see myself teaching college students about agricultural engineering topics. I love working with students and peers, especially when I enjoy the topic. Cultural proficiency is not a topic I normally enjoy from the presenters standpoint. The lesson was outside of my comfort zone and challenged me with something different. I was careful to take extra time preparing the lesson so that I would be more familiar with the information.

If you have ever been in a workshop, class, meeting or any type of gathering with me before… you will know that I am all about doing things differently. I am not a fan of sitting at a table or in a desk for long periods of time. I do my best to get people up and moving around to get them awake and also to get them thinking. I wanted to do a really fun icebreaker for new groups, but decided to do one that fit the subject more closely. I am not a big fan of lecturing so a discussion style lesson is my preference.

One thing I did struggle with was allowing the groups to do some off their own processing. In my feedback comments I was advised to work on silence. As I look back I am kicking myself for talking when I didn’t need to say a thing. I believe the reason I was continuing to speak was because the group seemed lost when they were more likely thinking.

I am looking forward to the next time so I can improve on some of my presenting strategies.