I used to get nervous, really nervous, before a class. Sweaty palms, sweaty underarms, sweaty…well, you get the idea. It has been said that people fear talking in front of people more than death. That means the person in the casket is better off than the person giving the eulogy.
Early in my training career someone gave me some excellent advice. They told me I needed to create my “rocky ritual.” The rocky ritual is the ritual you engage in before you get into the ring. It is how you prepare for your training session which in turn reduces your nervousness. Mohamed Ali said “The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road long before I dance under the lights.” There is truth in these words for the classroom trainer as well. It is what happens before the class that makes the difference when you are in front of the class. Here are some hints you might consider in designing your rocky ritual:
- Read and read and read. The more you read, the more stories you remember, the more you know about the topic you are teaching, the better able you are to adapt when things happen in the classroom. When you have a smaller class than you were expecting, you may complete activities sooner than expected. Having some stories to tell or some activities you can “pull out of the hat” allows you to be flexible and makes you feel more confident.
- Study and prepare. It takes 5-10 hours to prepare to teach every hour of class unless you have a lot of experience with the content. Set aside time before the class to review the content, take notes, and create your teaching outline. Don’t wait until the last-minute. Prepare, prepare, prepare.
- Stop preparing. The day before you are in front of the class review your content. Set aside time to retire early and once you have finished your last review, put it away. Get a good nights sleep to be prepared for the challenge of teaching the next day.
- Meals – Have a light meal the night before with minimal caffeine to ensure you sleep well. Wake up early and have a high protein breakfast before you head to class. Grab some snacks you can nibble on during breaks to keep you from “grumbling” from nerves and hunger (protein bars work well). A banana is a natural beta blocker and is a natural way to control nervousness. Drink plenty of water and the water you drink in the classroom should be just cooler than room temperature (water too cold affects the vocal cords).
- Get there early. Set up the class the night before if possible and arrive an hour before the class begins if possible. Set up music, test video equipment and do a final walk-through to make sure everything works before the first participant arrives.
- Complete a mirror check. Stand in front of a mirror and check your overall appearance. Look for coffee on your shirt, an unzipped fly, anything hanging out of your nose. I taught the morning of my first class with my fly unzipped. Complete a self check before getting in front of the class.
Preparation is the key to not only appearing cool, calm and collected in front of a class; It is the key to being cool, calm and collected when facilitating a training.
Any ideas for improving a “Rocky Ritual?” Send them to poortrainer@gmail.com
