When I was a classroom teacher, I spent many hours in front of trainers and consultants being entertained, informed, inspired and encouraged to 'have a go' with this or that new idea.
Like most of my colleagues, I enjoyed these experiences and often had a fine meal into the bargain - plus an uninterrupted lunch break. But I'd usually go back to the classroom and make no real changes to my practice.
So now that I'm the person leading the day's training, I want this time to be as effective as possible for you - I want you to gain the confidence and ability to make changes - and then actually go and make them. How do I do this?
Well, I too aim to entertain, inform, inspire and encourage, but our learning will be practical and hands-on: as it should be in the classroom.
I'll use what I believe about Personalised Learning, Thinking Skills, Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles in the way we work together, so that as well as a nice meal and an uninterrupted lunch hour, you'll get to try out, test and apply lots of straightforward, SMART new ideas.
In the true sense of the phrase, I'll practise what I preach.