Free 2-minute quiz for adult educators and facilitators
Take this quick quiz to discover the teaching strength you reach for first, recognise when it begins working too hard, and get one practical shift you can use in your next session to help learning stick without adding more to your load.
The Collective Giggle
In a complex classroom, every educator has a teaching strength they reach for first. Take two minutes to find yours, get your custom Monday morning micro-challenge, and see how your team can paddle in sync. Go with your gut, not the "right" answer.
First, how should we name your character choices?
Question 1 of 6
You ask the room a question and... silence. Your first instinct?
Question 2 of 6
It's the night before a course. Where does your prep time go?
Question 3 of 6
A learner gives a wrong answer in front of everyone. You...
Question 4 of 6
Your learners would most likely say...
Question 5 of 6
Halfway through, the session isn't going to plan. Your gut says...
Question 6 of 6
Driving home after a course, what's on replay?
Start with the free 60-Second Reset Guide: the first habit that started my way back from exhaustion. Check the conditions, pack for today, and put down the rest.
Get the free 60-Second ResetHow the paddlers connect
A waka only moves well when every paddler pulls in their own way. Your strength is one of five, and each one brings something the rest of the crew needs.
Notices how everyone is doing, often before anyone says a word.
Keeps the load light, so the crew can focus on what matters.
Sets the rhythm, so everyone paddles in time.
Holds the course, so the journey stays on track.
Brings reflection, so the learning holds.
No single strength carries the waka alone, and all five are already in yours. It starts with a one-minute check before class, so you can pack for the day you've actually got.
Get the free 60-Second ResetHow this came about
One
I was watching Zac Efron's travel series, Down to Earth, when he filmed in Australia, and one moment stopped me. Before crossing Aboriginal land, he asked the elders for permission, and they told him that when you come into their camp, you are under their protection.
The moment you step through that door, you are in my space. Which means you are under my protection.
The standard clinical or academic power dynamic disappears. It is my job to look up, look down, and look all around to protect you from the hazards of the world outside today.
Two
The other piece comes from a real day out on the Avon River, running first aid scenarios for the Waka on Avon group. When it was time for me to get on board with all my gear, the crew didn't just tell me to climb in.
They all reached out and physically held the waka rock-solid against the riverbank so I could step in safely.
We can all do that for each other. In a true partnership, we take turns standing in the water to steady the boat when a colleague or a learner is stepping in, navigating a personal storm, or just trying to find their balance.
Educator, navigator, and developer of the 8 Paddles of Teaching | Ngā Hoe e Waru. Head of Training at City First Aid, with postgraduate qualifications in Occupational Therapy and Adult and Tertiary Teaching. Still paddling, after more than 25 years in the classroom.
Your next step
Because tired is not a teaching strategy. The free 60-Second Reset Guide gives you a one-minute check before class, so you can stop carrying every possible version of the session before you've even started.