The Pyramid of Planning an Engaging and Effective Workshop

Feeling nervous and worried about your upcoming presentations or demonstration classes? Here's an effective structure designed to enhance communication, ensure a dynamic flow in your delivery, and increase student/participant engagement. Below are some attendees' feedback and reflections on the workshop I conducted at a university. They serve as a great testament to the effectiveness of this magical recipe for engaging and effective communication:

1“同學早在看到課程大綱時就極力大推這位老師，據同學說國禎老師是很厲害的老師，後來我才回憶起，去年嘉義縣讀者劇場比賽時見過老師的身影，老師曾受邀評審。很可惜今天沒有更多時間可以聽老師指導讀劇的方法與技巧，今天老師一上場，透過創意的簡報與開場就讓我們見識到了老師的魅力！

老師以英語教師跨領域的角度去談雙語教學我覺得對我受惠良多，我學到了很實用的步驟去設計我的雙語課程，例如一節課拆成四個流程，每個流程的重點，以及用CAT三原則貫穿整個教學設計等等。

但我覺得教學最困難的還是創意的發想以及經驗的累積，如何挑選適合的暖身活動，切和主題又能吸住眼球，我覺得國禎老師做了很好的示範，但實際設計時真的要花好多心思。

最後我覺得老師很值得學習的還有每節課後的自評，老師會去檢視自己的課程做到了什麼，還有什麼不足，我覺得這部分也是我應該開始記錄的教學過程。

謝謝校長替我們安排了一系列的講座，透過前輩的經驗指導我們未來一定都可以披荊斬棘變成更好的老師！謝謝老師用心的安排”

 

2“這次講座邀請到台中市西區光明國中李國禎老師，李老師本身為英文科老師，同時也是國教輔導團英文科的成員之一。他用比較宏觀的角度來看待雙語，包含雙語教案的呈現、對雙語教學的省思、及實施雙語教學該注意的事項。在雙語教學活動中，他提到的重要元素為mini-lecture及interactive activity，而在雙語教案呈現上，老師希望我們思考三個面向，包含預期成果

教學活動、及英文的融入；最後國禎老師也以親自現場演示的方式，讓大家

知道雙語課程中建議的進行模式。李老師本身博學多聞，而最讓我們印象深刻的是老師的人格特質，他有一種溫暖卻堅定的能量，會讓學生們自然地跟著他的教學互動。很開心能聽到這樣的講座，雖然是最後一次，也是這門課

的壓軸講座，期待未來還能聽到類似這樣的主題分享。”

 

3“今天有幸聽到來自光明國中李老師的分享，一開始就被老師有趣的授課方式吸引住，因教育界內鮮少有英文程度佳的男性教師，老師以簡單的真謊話猜猜看引起學員興趣，並且整體研習皆以幽默、風趣的方式進行分享，李老師有特別強調三個點:1.Comprehensible -要讓學生對於主題產生了解的興趣，並且使用的語言要簡單易懂，而非置入艱澀字彙，反而讓學生排斥學科 2.Attractive - 就如同上述提及，要讓學生沉浸於課堂中非常不容易，所以要盡量以生活中的事物相連結，使其有反應。3.Task-based- 建立穿插於課堂中的小任務，讓學生忙碌於學習與活動中，並讓他們確實是能產出與給予反映的。聽得懂、被吸引，做得來，是老師的教育哲學，我也深受影響，在規劃課程時，也可以照預期結果、教學活動設計，最後融入英語為三奏去思考，這場學習讓我受益良多，也更知道將來雙語融入學科時該如何呈現。”

Principles and techniques for effective communication during public speaking, in-service training workshops, and a demonstration class have more in common than you might expect. Recent podcast episodes of "Think Fast Talk Smart," a resource specializing in structured communication advice, inspired me to develop my own framework for workshops and demo classes. This initiative stems from my abundant trial-and-error learning experiences over the years. In the preparation phase, I ask myself the following questions in order of delivery:

1.     Why should they care?

Right from the start, we aim for our target students/attendees to feel the need to pay attention, get curious about what comes next, and then be ready to learn.

They will actively engage with your opening speech not because of your flashy resume or credentials but due to questions that have likely concerned them for a while. For instance, faced with mounting pressure and demands in Bilingual Teaching or Teaching English Through English, they ponder questions such as 'Are you prepared for a TETE demo class?' and 'Do you seek the secret recipe for guaranteed success in winning the Readers' Theater competition?'"

A quick and enjoyable ice-breaking or warm-up activity related to the theme of your presentation can greatly assist in not only making the session engaging but also preparing your audience to willingly and actively enjoy the main course. I've employed Two Truths and a Lie for various topics and received positive responses.

2.     What will they KNOW and DO to achieve the desired takeaways?

     Consider addressing these questions through a combination of a concise mini-lecture and interactive activities. Ensure your lectures are brief, easy to understand, accompanied by appealing visual aids, and organized content. Throughout the lectures, maintain engagement through tasks such as ranking and matching. Follow up immediately by involving them in collaborative tasks related to the newly acquired knowledge.

Align your combinations of 'Know' and 'DO' under the principle of Backward Design to produce the end product—the takeaways promised at the beginning of the workshop. Each combination should contribute to the next, ensuring that attendees remain motivated until the conclusion of your presentation.

3.     How can they creatively integrate and showcase everything they've learned?

Regardless of the workshop's duration, it's crucial to allocate time for teachers to freely discuss and collaborate with their group members for the final presentation. This can range from delivering a simple verbal feedback session to crafting a short lesson plan or engaging in a Gallery Walk activity.

Ensure everyone knows what to do by providing a step-by-step procedure, a modeling example, and a clear time frame. Following that, I'll visit each group to engage in a short and casual conversation, asking questions like 'Are we doing okay?', 'Is there anything unclear?', and offering positive feedback such as 'Wow, this looks great.

If everything goes well, I'll conclude the workshop by summarizing today's learnings and concluding with a call to action. I'll express understanding towards the participants, acknowledging the challenges and demands involved in stepping out of their comfort zone and implementing new skills with their students.

All in all, conducting workshops plays a significant role in my career. I appreciate every invitation and make it a priority to cater to the participants' needs. It's fulfilling to be both needed and recognized, allowing me to showcase my learning journey and demonstrate to teachers that I not only talk the talk but also walk the walk. Most importantly, by assisting even just one or two teachers during a workshop, a handful of students can benefit as their educators apply the acquired knowledge in the classroom.