This week I'm attending a training class. Nothing unusual about this, but as a trainer myself, it got me thinking about the difference the two roles experience. Looking at the students from the front of the room, I can see the expressions on their faces and try to derive clues from this. Are they bored? Do they find the curriculum interesting, funny, annoying, etc.? It's important for me to figure this out quickly and make necessary adjustments, so that I can hold my student's attention and get them to learn the information they need to know.
As a student, I realized how difficult it is to pay attention. It doesn't matter how interesting a given speaker/educator/trainer is; after a few hours, it is genuinely exhausting! Why this is, I can only guess. Why is it so much more difficult to listen to someone speak, vs. actually speaking? I'm sure there is a reason, and perhaps finding out why will make me a better trainer.