The back-to-school mentality doesn’t have to end when you finish school. September is a perfect time to refresh motivation and set new goals. Receiving official supply lists may have gone the way of lockers and recess, but there are plenty of useful items to stock up in preparation for fall training.
In addition to the materials for setting up a classroom, consider adding some of these items to your shopping list:
- Bottle of water and lozenges: Constant throat clearing or pausing to cough is aggravating to both you and your learners. Keep your speaking voice clear and confident so you don’t miss a beat during presentations.
- Aspirin: A headache can be a mental distraction at best and at worst can impede your ability to perform. Having a small container of aspirin on hand to access during breaks will make it easy to keep headaches at bay and training the top priority.
- Comb, mirror, and mints: Worrying about your appearance when you’re facing an audience is a sure way to sabotage self-confidence. Remove that stressor by checking your reflection in a small mirror before the start of a new session, combing back any stray hairs, and popping a mint after lunch to retain confidence and focus.
- Koosh ball: Tossing a koosh ball to people who volunteer to share is a fun way to moderate discussions. The koosh ball makes clear whose turn it is to speak and helps keep participants engaged with tossing and catching the ball.
- Bell or noisemaker: Ringing a bell or making some kind of noise is a great way to signal the end of small group discussions without having to raise your voice. It feels friendlier, is more effective than shouting, and keeps your classroom running smoothly and according to schedule.
- 3x5 notecards: Sometimes during a session you’ll want participants to provide feedback or submit ideas. Having notecards handy as opposed to using torn scraps of paper in all different shapes and sizes makes it easier to stay organized.
- Tote bag: Arriving with a teetering stack of materials balanced in your arms doesn’t make a good first impression. To avoid appearing unprepared and unprofessional, neither of which are true, arrive with materials tucked tidily inside a tote bag.
- Participant-centered essentials: For the one-stop-shopper, The Bob Pike Group trainers’ favorite items for the classroom are all included in our new Trainer Kits. Whether you’ve been training for days or decades, these tools will help you improve your craft and bring new life to your training. Visit our store.
Prepping yourself with the right materials will help you get the fall training season off to a strong start. For more master presentation tips, be sure to follow Becky’s Blog and attend one of our upcoming training workshops.
