
We want Learning and Work
to be Innovative,
Collaborative and Fun.

We want Learning and Work
to be Innovative,
Collaborative and Fun.
We need more super heroes. Not the kind you’re thinking of — that can leap over a tall building in a single bound, defy gravity, move mountains, or see through walls. No, we need more real life training superheroes.
Maybe we already have them and we just have to take time to notice. They’re in our midst, disguised as teachers, trainers, and managers. They’re in our schools, offices, and meeting rooms. In fact you, reading this, you may be one of them!
When I think of the super natural abilities of the great teachers and trainers, I think of:
Building playful activities into learning events takes valiant effort, commitment, creativity and forethought. As Jill Vialet suggests in her TED Talk, that those who buck resistance and embrace the power of play reap the benefits of engagement and memorability. Even if a lesson isn’t really conducive to a learning game, training super heroes still build in interaction in these easy ways:
If you want to engage the whole brain in your learning event, start with a “wake-up” activity:
Sitting and remaining focused for long periods is difficult for everyone. While you might be afraid of how long it will take to settle your group after a break, console yourself with the knowledge that losing 2-3 minutes is way better than having your group mentally drift for the next 20 to 30 minutes. Favorite ways to break up learning segments include:
Plan for 2 minutes of transition time at the end of your session. Use the time for activities that will bring closure to the learning session or prep the group for whatever comes next. For instance:
Super Heroes are rarely thinking only of themselves. More often, they are preoccupied with rescuing others in distress and saving the world. Everyday super heroes have a similar outward focus. Not only do they notice the effort and contributions of those around them, they take time to point it out.
Let’s not confuse the power of super-sensitive hearing with the superpower of listening. Hearing, of course has to do with how sound waves are received by your ear. Listening, on the other hand, requires taking the time to thoughtfully consider what others are saying, and to discern nuance and meaning, without interrupting or pausing to think of a reply.
Resources that encourage listening and promote the development of listening as a skill include:
Even with the many heroes already in our midst, who bring confidence to incorporate play in their daily lives, have a compulsion to compliment colleagues and are loyal listeners, our world needs more super heroes right now.
Hopefully this array of resources will enable more and more trainers and teachers to ascend to hero status.