Re-igniting Passion (Via elearnspace.) Kathy Sierra: “Apparently ALL of the best teachers kept their teaching fresh and inspiring no matter how many times they had to teach the same damn topic, day after day, year after year.”
I like to begin each professional development with a “Welcome Activity.” Following my introduction, I usually offer a thought provoking idea or quote that participants can respond to when they introduce themselves. I look for a quote that will bridge the gap between the training and the participants’ life outside of work. In this sense I am hoping to start the session with a little bit of “and Life” to get them thinking and talking. Ideally, this will spark a passion in the participants. Because passion is contagious, I often start with something that ignites passion in me… and because passion often comes from something fresh, I often wait until the night or morning before a training for something to serendipitously present itself as my opening anecdote. This has the added benefit of making even a well rehearsed and often delivered topic seem fresh and spontaneous… just for them.
I can’t believe how much this changes the tenor of professional development, when the trainer connects with the participants on a human level – and even more so when they are able to also connect with each other.
UPDATE: Passionate Work (Via Weblogg-ed News: The Read/Write Web in the Classroom.) Will links to Kathy Sierra’s post, too, and offers this bit: “Now I know passion doesn’t necessarily pay the bills. But I almost defy you to show me a successful person that didn’t get there by being passionate about something.”
I seem to be linking to posts on passion more frequently, and I think these thoughts are finding fertile ground in me…