How to teach in an unfamiliar place?

I delivered several trainings in small towns in the countryside. I didn’t know the place. I didn’t know the people or the client company. I knew little about the room. Twice it happened to me that the trains broke down and I arrived just on time or with a delay. These are among the most challenging situations.

Less nasty, but more common are major organizational changes: Last minute changes of the room, an extra load of participants, or having to work with equipment that you have never seen before.

Can you prepare for this kind of event, or better, for its eventuality? Of course. In a risky environment, you need to plan more:

• develop an airtight lesson plan
• start with something so simple that you can do it without preparation
• check the expectations of your participants right at the beginning
• plan to collect feedback several times to adjust the course to the situation at hand
• prepare material that works for multiple audiences and skill levels
• use tested material, so that you know its strengths and weaknesses
• stick to your plan, but be ready to improvise