Our step-by-step information to planning an efficient ELT workshop

I can’t start to estimate the variety of ELT (English Language Educating) shows and workshops I’ve deliberate and introduced through the years. As of late it may be as many as 4 or 5 workshops a month, however there’s one factor I’ve discovered to be persistently true, and that’s “work expands to suit the time you need to do it.”  

For those who begin planning your ELT workshop two months earlier than you ship it, then it should take you two months to finish it.

For those who begin planning two days earlier than the workshop then you may nonetheless have one thing prepared in two days, and it might be simply pretty much as good and even higher than the workshop you spent two months engaged on, practising and altering 100 instances. That isn’t to say you have to be ‘winging it’.

I spend plenty of time considering across the subject of the workshop. I’ve it there at the back of my thoughts as I’m studying and doing different issues in order that once I come to begin the work of getting ready my supplies, I’ve already carried out plenty of the onerous considering work and have an thought of what I need to do.

So, if you need to know my course of, right here is my step-by-step information to planning and presenting an efficient ELT workshop:

Step 1: Take into consideration your particular viewers inside ELT

Earlier than you do something, ensure you know who you will be presenting to. Having an amazing presentation or workshop that has been designed for a distinct viewers inside ELT isn’t going to be place to be in.

Who can be sitting within the viewers? Newly certified EFL lecturers? Skilled ELT professionals? College administrators and managers? Trainer trainers and convention audio system? 

There are additionally two crucial components it’s essential to take into account when figuring out your viewers. One is how educated they’re, and the second is how motivated they’re. We will add these to a matrix to analyse 4 various kinds of viewers participant.

Right here you may see that we will map motivation relative to information and take into consideration what every section wants and the way they’re more likely to react.

Within the prime left space, we now have folks with excessive motivation and low information. These persons are fairly simple to please and are more likely to take pleasure in being given loads of sensible actions that they will strive within the classroom. You’ll be able to again this up with slightly concept to assist them perceive the actions however maintain it mild.

Within the prime proper space, we now have people who find themselves each motivated and educated. With one of these viewers, you are able to do a number of group and pair work and get contributors to share concepts and experiences. They’ll be a lot happier to be taught from every, and also you received’t have to enter an excessive amount of.

Within the backside left space, we now have folks with low ranges of motivation and information. With one of these viewers, you’ll have to work onerous. Maintain issues brief, sensible, and never too demanding. Common adjustments of focus will assist. Don’t attempt to go too deeply into theoretical elements.

Within the backside proper space, you might have people who find themselves educated however not very motivated. In some ways, this may be the hardest viewers and probably the most difficult. It’s worthwhile to make sure your floor and you’ve got carried out your analysis.

Attempt to make it interactive and draw on their information, and make sure to not discuss all the way down to them. Be open and trustworthy about what you don’t know.

Attempt to have interaction them on the next and deeper stage that features their expertise. If you will get one of these viewers engaged, then the outcomes might be very satisfying.

Step 2: Do the analysis on your workshop

Begin gathering data and analysis. This might merely be a strategy of brainstorming your ideas on the subject, or it may contain doing an internet search and discovering some related quotes or references from inside ELT or different industries to again up your concepts. You’ll discover I began this text with “work expands to suit the time you need to do it.”  You’ll be able to all the time Google for a quote on the subject of your content material or take a look in A-Z Quotes.

I’d suggest utilizing some type of digital platform to gather and collate your analysis in an effort to discover it simply if you want it. Padlet is a very fashionable instrument for this, although I choose the much less well-known Milanote.

Step 3: Organise and consider your workshop analysis

Subsequent, I often consider the analysis and put the totally different components that I intend to make use of onto post-it notes (or some on-line various) and begin arranging and rearranging them till I’m pleased that they’ve a logical circulate.

That is the place instruments like Milanote and Padlet are helpful, as a result of it’s simple to maneuver the digital sticky notes round on the web page. Whereas I’m doing this, I’m often rehearsing in my head what I need to say or get contributors to do at every stage.

Step 4: Take into consideration the workshop construction

When you’ve obtained your ideas and analysis collectively, it’s essential to take into consideration how you’ll construction it. There are just a few alternative ways to do that, however earlier than beginning, it’s value asking your self:

• What’s the takeaway on your viewers?
• What would you like them to know after they go away the room?

I often notice down just a few key issues after which verify them off once I’ve completed the preparation.

As for the workshop construction, Aristotle taught {that a} speaker’s capability to influence an viewers relies on how properly the speaker appeals to that viewers in three totally different areas: logos, ethos, and pathos. These are the fundamentals of rhetorical talking.

Ethos refers to who you’re and your credibility. What offers you the authority to talk on this topic? I discover it’s value establishing this early on. This doesn’t essentially imply pulling out your certificates, {qualifications}, or awards, it will possibly simply be telling your viewers what you might have carried out within the area and why it pursuits you. Everybody who has taught English has expertise. Everybody who has expertise and who has mirrored on it has one thing to share. 

I often use a single slide like this one to introduce myself with just a few key references to display my credibility as an ELT speaker. It has hyperlinks to my social media and my newest ebook, in addition to the 2 ELT improvements awards that I’ve received.

Logos refers to logic. This would be the most important a part of your ELT workshop. That is the place you current the principle content material of your argument or coaching and recover from the principle studying factors that you really want your viewers to remove. This might embody a sequence of actions that you just share, or you might do that via group work duties.

Pathos is an attraction to emotion. I often consider this as a name to motion. It’s the ‘why’ of the workshop or presentation. It tells your listeners what you need them to exit and do in addition to the way you need them to alter the lives of their college students. I often finish with this, because it sends your workshop contributors out of the room primed and able to act.

When you perceive this formulation, you’ll discover that lots of people use it, whether or not consciously or not. 

Inside this construction, there are two different issues that you really want to do, and these are to make it clear to the listener why the subject you’re speaking about issues to you and in addition to make it clear why it ought to matter to them. This often revolves round fixing an issue. There are a variety of the way you are able to do this. It might be via displaying statistics, photographs or via constructing a private narrative. A story that shares what I’ve realized and the way I realized it tends to work properly for me, however you may discover that one thing else works for you, and it will possibly rely a bit on the subject. 

It is a generally used narrative framework which may give you the results you want if it’s essential to plan and current an ELT workshop. It may match properly into the logos a part of your total construction:

Utilizing the framework under, you begin with an exposition by describing how one thing was (for instance, should you have been utilizing a PPP sort framework for all your classes). 

Then you definitely describe the way you grew to become conscious of an issue (maybe you seen that college students have been simply leaping via the hoops and probably not studying English). 

After this, you describe the way you struggled with the issue (for instance, making an attempt totally different educating strategies and seeing which of them labored). 

That is adopted by what you found (for instance, that utilizing totally different educating strategies and frameworks stored college students extra engaged and curious). 

Lastly, you describe what you do now and the affect this has had in your English college students. 

Step 5: Create your workshop or presentation

Once I’m pleased with the order and the construction, then I begin to put collectively my ELT workshop or presentation slides. I attempt to keep away from any lengthy texts on the slides and use photographs as an alternative with just a few minimal bullet factors. Individuals don’t need to learn off your slides or hearken to you studying from them, so it’s higher to decide on some type of picture or graphic that helps what you’re saying. This may make it simpler to carry their consideration. 

I take advantage of Genially for all my workshops and shows as of late. It has a number of helpful templates and in addition has a built-in picture and graphics financial institution. Genially produces shows which are in-built html5, so these will run in any net browser. This makes it simple to share them along with your viewers by simply giving them a hyperlink. The opposite beauty of it’s you could embed audio and video and have interactive buttons that activate further home windows. Right here’s an instance of a presentation I created about ChatGPT. 

Step 6: Design your help supplies

As soon as your ELT presentation or workshop is prepared, take into consideration any supplies or worksheets that you just want. I often create digital ones that my viewers can obtain from a QR code on my presentation. This protects plenty of wasted paper and wasted time in addition to reduces further stress that may be created by getting supplies printed and handed out. I often use this generator to create my QR Codes. I’ve been utilizing it for years, and it’s free and dependable.

Step 7: Take into consideration what you’ll say

Now undergo your ELT workshop or presentation and take into consideration what you’ll say at every stage. Some folks script what they’ll say or write immediate playing cards, however I discover this makes me extra nervous and it’s one other factor to should fiddle with and maintain observe of. 

As you undergo the slides, additionally take into consideration what you’ll ask your viewers. This might be questions you ask them to consider, or it might be belongings you ask them to do. They don’t essentially want to reply, however an efficient ELT workshop or presentation needs to be interactive and have interaction the viewers. It must also assist them to mirror on their very own experiences and information to make the connection to what you’re saying.

Step 8: Determine finish your workshop

Lastly, go away time for a Q and A on the finish of your workshop. Attempt to predict what questions you’re more likely to be requested and what your solutions can be. For those who’ve carried out the identical session just a few instances, you’ll know what comes up each time, so put together just a few slides to cope with these questions. This may make you look tremendous well-prepared. 

If you need to share your presentation, embody a remaining slide with a hyperlink to obtain it.  Some folks could also be reluctant to share their slides as there are instances of individuals modifying them, displaying your session and claiming it as their very own. For that reason, as talked about above, I take advantage of Genial.ly because it produces html5 slides and ensures that mine can solely be edited by me. 

If you’re eager to construct your community, you may additionally need to embody your contact particulars, social media, QR code to enroll to your e-newsletter, a particular supply or a plug of a service or product. 

Are you prepared to begin planning your ELT workshop?

While you begin making use of these steps to planning your personal ELT workshops, you’re positive to adapt them and develop them in your personal means. That’s correctly. However following these steps needs to be a helpful course of that will help you get began.

For these of you who’re already skilled workshop presenters, I’d love to listen to how you’re feeling your personal course of differs from this. Let me know the way your course of differs by leaving a remark under!

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