skulim tisa wokim studens amamas, or 'How to keep students happy'

Of to PNG in a few days to do some CSTP and developer training. One of the most interesting aspects are the genuine and honest nature of the folks there. They are incredibly polite, to the point that it can be hard to extricate information from them when they are placed as students in a classroom. The poorly translated title is my question.

It may well be that I'm not reading the situation correctly, but I'm interpreting their reticence to speak as respect to the teacher, or perhaps the way education is performed in PNG. I like to engage with students for a number of reasons.

1. To confirm they are assimilating the information.
2. To identify areas, concepts and topics they are not comfortable with.
3. To ensure they are within their comfort zone, and are able to ask me further questions.
4. To be able to gauge when a break is required.
5. To understand if the material presented is relevant to the role they perform.
6. To keep my ego inflated.

The last point stems from the perspective of the trainer as an entertainer. In order to provide the right level of energy, and to pace the delivery correctly, I must understand how the students learn, and what makes them tick.

Without any feedback, this becomes almost impossible.

This will be particularly hard when I have to run one training session on a Saturday. This presents two issues, as I won't be able to go diving, and I face a far greater challenge to normal to ensure the students are engaged and excited about the training.

Ice-breakers, energisers and other techniques for engagement are ok but . . . . actually typing those last few words has pinpointed perhaps what I should be looking for.

They are not comfortable voicing their opinion, so perhaps mime might be the way to go. One of the easiest ways to engage people is through humour. Good comedians make you laugh as they provide a mirror to an embarrassing event or situation that you the audience has faced, and use themselves as the protagonist in the centre of the situation. Through exaggeration of the circumstances, and self-depreciation, they allow us to laugh at them, and also relate how they are embarrassed by a situation we might have also come across.

So humour is the weapon to break down the silence, mime is the vehicle, and I must be the target.

Simple. Bugger.