Category: Training and Development

I started teaching technical courses over thirty years ago. At that time, I’d taught similar topics in a university setting and I enjoyed it then as I do now. But I was frustrated by one item on the course evaluations: “Contribution of personal experience.” The scores on that metric didn’t seem to reflect what I […]

Imagine you are the customer service representative working the live chat support the day of the company holiday party. It’s pretty quiet in the office, but you get an incoming chat that says HAPPY HOLIDAYS! You think “wow…so kind”, but then you notice no reply and eventually it ends. Immediately afterwards, you get another, and […]

Online vs. Live Classes Taking a live online class is just like taking a live class, except when it isn’t. Live online classes are usually referred to in the training industry as “virtual instructor-led training” or VILT. Likewise, classroom style training is called “live instructor-led training” or LILT. That ‘V’ can make a big difference. […]

If you’re worried about interviewing for a SQL Server job, here’s some advice from the former head of an IT department on what matters (along with examples from the three critical areas where you need to have answers ready). As an instructor for Learning Tree’s Querying SQL Server 2014 and 2016 courses, I’ve worked with […]

As a young boy, my favorite part of Kindergarten (after milk and naps) was “show and tell.” I truly loved standing up in front of the class and showing them something I’d found, learned, or otherwise enjoyed. As a writer, trainer, and instructional designer, I learned to “show don’t tell.” Then I learned the Kindergarten […]