Train-ee | Learn Expression Engine Fast

1st EE Classroom Training Wrapup

So, the big week is over and now it’s been 3 days since the the first ExpressionEngine classroom training event (and my first-ever time as an instructor).  I wanted to post some follow-up thoughts while the memories are still fresh.

There are just so many thoughts in my head that it seems hard to get them in order, but here goes:

The Instructor
Self-review is very hard, and I know I tend to be harder on myself than most others are.  The first day I came home not feeling well at all about my performance.  Especially after lunch - I could tell I was rambling and the people in the class were drifting.  I felt much better after going back for beer and pizza and talking with several folks and getting positive comments about the class from them. 

The rest of the week I felt better about my performance as I found more of a groove, was less nervous, and just more at ease.  I know I still need practice in keeping the class on task, and not getting too distracted or off-course by comments and questions.  Some revision to the course materials will help in this area.  I did enjoy the teaching experience, and seeing heads nodding after making a point or an explanation was very rewarding.

The “TA”
Having AJ Penninga of PrettySquares there to “TA” the class was so essential I’m almost reluctant to admit how late the decision was made to have him there.  His input on different development techniques, available 3rd party code, and willingness to help folks with the inevitable small details was absolutely essential to the success of the class.  My thanks again to AJ for being there.

The Curriculum
Not bad, needs work.  While the mix of—and amount of -  content I had in the coursebooks ended up being just about right, the sequencing can be improved.  I also want to put all the content into the framework/context of a project site.  I want to be able to show the finished site at the beginning of the week and say “this is what we’re going to build”, then show progress against that goal as we move through the class.  I purposely didn’t do that this first time around in hopes of being able to use ideas/examples from the students instead, but in retrospect that was a mistake.

The group activities went very well - by not only taking the focus off me but also letting the class interact with each other.  It was also nice to get up and be moving around.  I was able to move from group to group providing more focused feedback and attention, and the questions/issues the groups came up with while doing the exercises were spot-on.  I’d love to work in one group activity per day so will look for a couple more.

Class length was about right, I think.  Any less and I’d have to drop something pretty important, any more and it would either be forgotten or not well presented.

The Venue
Yes, we had some issues. Some travel arrangements and hotel registrations were bungled, the overhead projector bailed on day 3, and the Michigan weather saw fit to bring people in and send them out in the rain.  Definitely room for improvement.

However - once people were here, I think the experience was a positive one.  The conference room felt good with lots of windows and upbeat colors.  The hotel rooms were a hit with people (when was the last time you took pics of a hotel room you stayed in? ;) ), we got a nice beach night for a cookout, and the area provided other things to do for people who wanted to. 

The biggest challenge in doing another round will be venue - finding a place with all the right ingredients but in a warmer climate.  September is really about the end of the season for Michigan.  If you know of a place with a fun/funky hotel, walking distance to good restaurants, with other things to do in the area - all located in a warmer region of the country please let me know.

The Food
Oh man - I’m so glad I didn’t do a before and after check on the scales.  Suffice to say - we ate well.  My only concern was the length of the lunches out - while they were a great socializing time I’d like to shorten them a bit as they cut into the class time more than I would have preferred.

The Students
I’ve purposely saved the best for last.  It’s hard to describe the vibe that happened in the classroom - but this was a bunch of folks that just gelled very well.  I saw it right away - as we did an icebreaker that involved posting tidbits about ourselves anonymously to Twitter, then reading through them, figuring out who posted what, and then talking more about ourselves.  Lots of humor came out, lots of great personalities, lots of good-natured ribbing that continued on for the entire four days.  By the end of the week it felt more like summer camp - where you make fast friends and hate to say goodbye at the end.  People were hugging each other, trading business cards, connecting via Facebook/Twitter, and conversations already included talk of a reunion. 

I’m honestly a bit hesitant to do the class again because the group of people set such a high bar for the experience that it’s hard to imagine it happening again.  As I sit here typing this I’m a bit disappointed that I don’t get to head downtown for another day of interaction with these folks.  If you’re reading this - I miss you! ;)

However - I will do the class again.  Where and when I don’t know - between some projects to get back to, an out-of-state speaking gig at the end of September, wanting to revise the course materials, needing to research a winter venue, and with EE 2 looming, it feels like most likely it will be after New Years.

Giving Thanks
So again - thanks to the class sponsors, to AJ, to my wife (who attended the class but also made a great hospitality ambassador and gave me space to develop the curriculum), Daniel, Bryan, and Brandon from Sessions by Collective Idea, Leslie and the rest of the EllisLab crew for promoting the event (and sending the mugs), and especially everyone who took the risk on a teaching newbie and came to the class. 

I’m still humbled by the trust you all showed in being part of this event.

 

Previous Comments

Add Your Comment

Comment on this Post

1. Name:
2. Email:
3. URL:
4. Comment:
5. Remember Me?
6. Email Notify of Response?
7. Enter this word:
   In this field: