Week 1

I've been working in call centres for what seems like a loooong time. Before that I worked in bars for what seemed like even longer. Not a single job I have had since leaving school has held very much interest for me... until, that is, I have been asked to teach others.

Whether training others on how to survive a busy Saturday night behind the bar, or coaching a new call centre agent through complex billing systems and telephone soft skills, teaching the job has always been more rewarding than actually performing it. Whilst I have felt fortunate to hold roles delivering mentoring, coaching and training in my various places of employment, I have begun to realise, after applying for several training jobs without success, that these highly transferable skills are not necessarily enough without a qualification to back it up.

After doing some research on the various courses available I settled on the Award in Education and Training (formerly PTLLS), which my father had completed a few years ago and recommended. 

Monday was our first class and, like most new things, came with a combination of nerves and excitement. New faces and names to remember (uh-oh) and trying to find that delicate balance of leading without being overbearing (nobody likes that guy), but also making sure to get involved,which can be difficult in large groups where everybody, understandably and importantly, want their say.

I thought the first session went really well. There's a fantastic mix of people in the group; different ages and backgrounds, and we got to know each other through an ice-breaker presentation where our tutor, Jackie, paired us off with the brief to find out who the other person was, what they do and why they are taking the course.

I was paired with Elaine Dodge, who is employed by the college as an apprenticeship assessor. She's currently learning to play the piano; a life-long ambition which she finds difficult, though recently achieved Grade 1, so she can't be that bad... :P

Once we had completed our interrogation of our new classmates we were then required to approach the front of the class in our pairs, write the other student's name on a temperamental electronic whiteboard and deliver a brief introduction to the rest of the group. Elaine began;

"This is Duncan..." She began.

"Who's Duncan?" I asked

There was laughter and I think that is the sound of ice breaking. 

The rest of the session was made up of a brief tour of the campus, followed by another ice-breaker presentation where we were split into groups of six and briefed to design a spider-gram detailing a particular unit of the course. I always find this bit a little more tricky, particularly with new people, as I want to get fully involved without inhibiting anybody else. It's that delicate balance I mentioned earlier.

So hopefully I made a good impression, it's certainly always my intent, and everyone else seems really nice. I definitely found the first session enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the rest of the course.

Well, that's my first and slightly rambling course blog. More next week!

Gav