From Trainer to Student - Susie Crolla's Point of View

It has been said that there is nothing worse than a teacher or trainer sitting in on a training session but wearing a different hat, that of a learner. There's a feeling that a trainer can often approach being in a classroom with an air of arrogance - of knowing it all, yet being on the receiving end of learning is quite rewarding and most definitely very relaxing.

I am a formally trained teacher and trainer, therefore, I have witnessed a huge amount of change in education - from delivering very to the psychological aspects of both teaching/training to learning, so my approach to both has evolved dramatically.
Over the last 2 and a half years, after 30 years of delivering training, I decided to venture back into formal education - first to complete the GDL and then in January of this year to start the LPC. And so being back in the classroom is a privilege and quite extraordinary for someone who talks for a living and is required to deliver results, inspire, motivate and encourage.

I remember being very excited when I received formal offers to the universities I applied to and even more excited when I ventured back into the lecture rooms for the very first time. I had of course been on training courses in a wide range of different subjects, but I had not studied a qualification since the early 90s.

So what has the benefit been for me as the tables have quite literally been turned?

1. Listening is a skill which is quite simply underestimated. Paying attention to detail and the pearls of wisdom are very much a priority. The facts are straightforward, yet it is the application of these facts in real terms which benefitted me the most. Lecturers who were practising barristers and lawyers, provided the detail and the reality of what really happens when implementing the law.

2. Planning and Time-Management are paramount. With 164 hours in a week it was important for me to allocate time very carefully to work, study, family life and so on.

3. I am a visual and kinaesthetic learner; when I studied NLP I knew that I needed to visualise what I was learning, but I realised recently that my learning style responds well to practical activity.

4. If I need to sit in front of a screen or in a lecture room for six hours, the delivery needs to be inspiring and motivating.

   As with many students, I have spent the last year learning online - not my favourite medium, but needs must. Being on screen as a learner or trainer is unforgiving, dull, tough and uninspiring.

5. Don’t underestimate the complexity of what you are learning, so put in the hours - whether it’s reading, note taking, consolidating learning, self-testing, pop quizzes - it all helps.

6. I love colour coding with Post It notes and highlighters and mind maps. Use whatever you can to make the process of learning fun and provide you with the ability to recall information quickly.

7. My ethos centres around Ikigai and life-long learning is part of that.

8. I have sharpened my skill-set. I am a better communicator, better listener and I manage my time more efficiently.

9. Age is not relevant - I was the oldest person on the GDL and I am the oldest person on the LPC. I bring with me experience, wisdom and no fear.

10. Being a student has made me a much better trainer. Partly due to studying and partly because of the pandemic, I have been able to revisit my training style and how I present what is a very dry subject in a very different inspirational and motivational way. The most important point I learnt was empathy and I fully understand what all the students we are currently working with in the Level 3 and 4 qualifications are goingg through. I can reveal that I too comprehend just how nerve wracking waiting for exam results or being singled-out in class can be or just meeting a deadline.

Sitting on the other side of the desk is most definitely an experience I am relishing.

Susie Crolla - BA Hons LLB MPhil