I have to say that having our own venue, even for smaller classes is so fantastic I am still excited by it – we had the CST1 last week and here is what we had to do to get ready:
10…. Al came down in his van (which has currently been stripped out before being turned into a tempting weekends away kinda groovy thing). We ‘dumped’ everything into it from the office that we wouldn’t need for the class!
9…. We set up the room and cleared our desks – which luckily enough could double perfectly as tables with the blow up mattresses on them!
8… We finished printing and binding the study guides.
7…. We chased anyone who had not responded to our ‘ACTION REQUIRED’ email. It’s always the one person who hasn’t responded to it who is the person moving or changing phone numbers! Then that will be the mistake in the details.
6… We printed the evaluation forms, the practitioner networking directories the CPD hours letters and all the other bumph that we give out on the last day (and on CST1 on each of the evenings too). Then packaged most of them in the envelope that helps keep it all together for the students.
5… Preparing to teach I made sure I had enough 20ps (5gms demo), balloons (to help demo the rhythm)… and of course my plethora of anatomical models to help me explain everything we’re doing. Made a note for the next time of needing some new elastic bands that are in different shapes to give the sense of the elastin fibres! (I think animals rather than fruits for the next lot!)
4… Name badges. Have to have the name badges as it really does make a difference somehow, being able to see (and then remember or see again) the other participants names – even though many of us don’t really like wearing them it seems. We’re grateful on more advanced course that most people already have a name badge as they’re tricky to slice to the perfect size for the badge holder!
3… Refreshments – making sure we have enough teas, coffees, biscuits and accoutrements to keep people going between major feeding times.
2… Then all we are doing is awaiting the lovely folk who arrive the next morning. It is always such a joy to put names to faces and see those who are embarking on this new or another level of training. We love this work so introducing it to others is such a privilege…
(I love asking people to add one thing they are passionate about in the introductions – it’s amazing how often a good and proper theme emerges… This last class it turned out that dancing and music was really up there for the participants resting moments! See our facebook page for evidence of the didgeridoo that came out to play on the last day….)
1… And after the event…. Sit back, reflect and relax, and then get ready to remake the office and put away those lovely anatomical props – until the next time…
Caroline x
2025 update.
I wrote this post at a time when we had an Al (he was my husband – pancreatic cancer got the better of him in 2020 😢) and a venue we could teach from…
However, when we prepare for classes these days, be they home or away, its not too dissimilar a process! Although we often get the study guides printed now rather than doing them ourselves. And its much better when I’m not in charge of the refreshments as its definitely not my area of genius…
