Thinking about offering classes as a way to get your message out to the world? Want to make sure you give your students a wonderful learning experience? Here are some tips for creating a great class experience:

1. Start with the student's experience in mind. What do you want your students to walk away feeling, thinking or doing? For example, in my interviewing class, I want students to know that they are just as responsible as the interviewer is for the success of the interview. I want them to feel empowered to make it a great interview.
2. Forget about being an expert. The minute you think you know everything, you've stopped learning and students can tell. Trying to be an expert means that you're also likely to do all the talking, and that's just too much work. Ask the students to share from their experience.
3. Be curious. What else do you want to learn about your subject? If you're developing an idea, ask your students to help you flesh it out.
4. Ask thought-provoking questions. Keep in mind that you want your students to be thinking and integrating, not just absorbing information.
5. Over-prepare, and then be willing to go with the flow. It's always a good idea to develop more material than you could ever use. Then you have the luxury of picking and choosing the most important things to share with each individual audience. Be willing to collaborate with the class and create something completely new.
6. Make it interactive. Non-stop lectures lead to distracted students. Shake up the agenda with some exercises that allow the students to play with the material.
7. Speak to the students individually. Be careful not to dilute the answer to their question by trying to make it broad enough to fit everyone in the class. Students can usually translate the info to work for their own situation. If you're worried that they aren't, invite them to tell you where they are with things.
8. Let the brightest students shine. Not everyone is at the same point on the continuum when they walk in your classroom. Some students are more advanced and they can add tremendously to the learning curve of their classmates. Ask them to.
9. Keep it light. Even when you have a technical or heavy topic, don't be afraid to inject an appropriate level of humor. Use your voice, your manner, and your facial expressions to show you're approachable.
10. Have fun! If you're not having fun, no one's having fun!