The title of this blog entry came from a friend in the speaking industry - a motivational speaker who was trying his hardest to change his own habit of speaking while not allowing any audience participation. As he began to engage his audiences by using short, quick activities sprinkled throughout his speech, he realized how challenging it was to move away from the "sage-on-the-stage" role. Even something as simple as tossing a beach ball around the room to elicit feedback to a question was difficult: he still commanded "center-stage" by having audience members return the ball to him after each toss. He realized that he needed to step off that "center-stage" place and allow the audience members to toss the ball to each other while responding to the question.

Simple things make the difference between "teacher-centered" and "learner-centered" instruction. For example, when you ask a table group to summarize a discussion they just had, do they face you and tell YOU the summary, or do they face the other participants and talk to the WHOLE GROUP? By doing the latter, the focus is on the group, not on you. The difference is subtle: participants are now in charge of their own learning and they don't have to look to you for agreement or approval.

Anything you consider important enough for learners to remember should be repeated by them in some fashion: verbally, in writing, with images, in small group discussions. If it's important enough for YOU to say, it should be equally important for THEM to say. And when they are talking, you close your mouth, move to the side of the room, and give them the space and time to LEARN the content, not just HEAR it. The more they talk about the content, the more they learn and the less you have to say.

Browse the free articles on my website for short, quick ways to engage any group of learners. These strategies will help you move from a "sage-on-the-stage" to "guide-on-the-side" teaching and training role. Good luck!