ED97/197
Experiential Teaching Practics and Theory

Planning Procedure
Following a structured planning procedure is extremely important when designing and implementing classes, activities, and events, especially when the those classes, activities, and events are being tried out for the first time. The planning steps outlined below do not necessarily need to be followed in the order presented.  They are in their entirety, however, very useful for the planner to proceed in an organized and detailed fashion regardless of the order in which they are used.
 

Research
Find out as much as you can about the general details and aspects of your desired class, activity, or event.  Your goal is to familiarize yourself with as much of the real considerations as possible beforehand.  Read books, articles, and personal accounts written by those who came before you; interview and converse with experts; investigate equipment and space requirements; learn about safety practices and preventative measures, etc…  In short, immerse yourself in information and begin synthesizing it to suit your needs as you begin to better understand them.

Inventory Resources
Take a solid look at and document all of the information, equipment, vehicles, skills, staff, space, etc. you already have at your command.  Use that inventory to guide you in the acquisition of other necessary resources.  Use it also to help you make decisions regarding desired itinerary events as well as necessary and unnecessary purchases.  Also consider the time you have prior to the event.  Time is a resource.  The more of it you have to plan, the more thorough and knowledgeable you can be, and the more you will ultimately be able to provide.

Assess Skills
Take an objective and honest look at and document the knowledge and technical, interpersonal, organizational skills of all the people you will use in implementing the class, activity, or event, including yourself.  Use this skills assessment to help you make appropriate decisions regarding goals, desired outcomes, and potential services/portions of the event you or your people can actually provide.

Consider Your Clientele
Who are you serving?  Is it a group of mixed ages, social or other backgrounds?  Or is the group relatively homogeneous sharing common characteristics such as age?  Make plans to accommodate the most likely characteristics of your target group.  Consider the general needs of individuals within the group and arrange activities and/or the flow of the event to be consistent with what you may be able to expect from such a group.  Example:  When planning a kayaking class for 10-12 year olds, consider the average attention span of the average 10-12 year old, along with any other needs (like a need to play) such a person might have and plan accordingly.  Minimize talking, keep the group moving, maximize hands on portions and encourage fun.  Understanding, considering and accommodating for specific clientele needs is critical to successful planning and implementation.

Set Reasonable Goals
Use the information gathered above to set reasonable goals and desired outcomes.  List them out and share them formally with everyone involved.  The goals set and shared will be different depending upon the perspective and relationship of the individual to the event and may include:  breaking even or showing a profit financially, to teach a skill, to get somewhere safely, to incorporate all members of the group, to have fun, to be challenged, to try something new or to meet new people.  Whatever the goals may be, state them clearly and concisely.  Work toward making them understood by the group.

Assess Risks
Think about and document all of the possible risks involved in the production of your class, event, or activity.  Begin by brainstorming and writing down every possible mishap or accident that can occur, no matter how improbable.  After you have done this, take a break and let you list sink in to your thoughts a little.  You will be surprised by all that can go wrong!  Next, prioritize the risks according to the most probable leaving all, regardless of probability, on the final list.  Example:  If transporting people, a likely risk is vehicle breakdown or accident.

Create a Formal Risk Management Plan
Take your list of assessed risks and plan detailed and specific preventative and responsive measures to be lived by when underway for the most probable mishaps.  Share and practice these procedures ahead of time so that, in the event of an accident, the team is prepared and practiced.  Create and agree upon a series of guidelines and ethics to be followed in the event of a less probable mishap.  These guidelines may include group management techniques, problem solving guidelines, crises management techniques etc…Formalize and share these as well.  Live by your risk management plan!  The safety of your people and event is at stake.

Acquire and Train Skilled People
If there is a need, acquire and train people who are skilled in the areas of need.  If this is not possible, re-adjust your goals to be more consistent with the skill level of your people.  If acquiring skilled people is possible, take the time necessary to create an informed and cohesive team.  Invest your time in them.  Share your information and personally lead when necessary.

Acquire and Inspect Appropriate Equipment
Clean, appropriate, and properly functioning equipment is essential for success and a smooth operation.  Take the time to go over every piece and test it.  Nothing affects a group more adversely than having an essential piece of equipment fail or be inoperable when it is needed most.  Make necessary purchases.  If purchasing is prohibitive, re-work your goals and expectations accordingly.

Draft a Flexible Itinerary
Think about and document a minute by minute itinerary.  Use it to keep you and your group in line with the goals.  Be conservative with time and budget more than you think is necessary for each portion of the event.  Also plan for things going wrong.  You may find that there simply isn’t enough time to meet all of your original desires given real timing restrictions.  It is wise to create a minimal itinerary with just enough specifics to meet your goals.  Then, when underway, have a private list of extra activities to be implemented if time allows.  This ensures the meeting of stated goals as well as enhancing the credibility of the guides/instructors and planners. In short—“Under Promise, Over Deliver.”

Create and Distribute Detailed Information for Customers
Sit down with a friend and ask:  “If you were doing this class, event or activity that I am planning, what would you want and need to know?”  Create a detailed information packet outlining the details you come up with.  Also provide additional resources that participants can use to enhance their own knowledge.  Finally be available to answer questions and address concerns personally.  Services like these go a long way to ensuring credibility and success.

Implement and Run Event—Be Flexible While Underway.
Run your event keeping in mind all of your planning, work, and research.  But be ready for the unexpected.  Do not hesitate to change the itinerary or plan to accommodate for unforeseen circumstances.  Be sure to communicate with your group and explain the reasons behind unplanned itinerary changes.  Be honest, positive and forthright.

Note Successes and Challenges While Underway, Keep a Log
Keep written notes or a log of events while underway.  Document decisions and the reasoning behind them.  Doing this will ensure success in the future when you plan and implement the event again.  It is also a great learning tool for others who will walk in your footsteps.

Post Trip Evaluation
After sufficient time has elapsed, come back and objectively review all information, research, participant evaluations and notes.   Make recommendations pertinent to every aspect of the event.  Use these recommendations when you plan the event again.

Repeat Process With New Information For Next Time
Use everything you have documented and learned to make the next time better, easier, and more enjoyable. Your ultimate goal when planning is to create a repeatable event that improves in quality and manageability over time and with practice.