Flip Chart (((hugs))) & Brain Beating

I teach when I'm not behind the chair and hairdressers can be funny. And fickle. And fussy. BUT, they can also incredibly talented, right brained and overwhelmingly generous. Some of them think of education as something they have to do because someone else has told them they have to. Others see it as a way to grow, and still others use to to show off. I never really care why they are there. I always tell them that I came prepared but their learning is their responsibility and if they walk away at the end of the day with nothing they can use, it's because they chose not to put anything into the time investment. Sometimes they get it, sometimes they don't.

I use a lot of tools to present the information several different ways to accomodate all the different learning styles and I can tell a pretty good joke when I want so for the most part, people learn if the want to, and if they don't, well - they don't. Anyway, I use music - Get Down On It by Kool and the Gang is my favorite opener; I use flip charts - both fruit smelling markers and the kind that get you high available in a large array of colors (in case someone wants to help with the visuals); I hand out surprises to people to contribute, volunteer first, ask great questions, etc.; We play games, take personality quizzes, share chocolate and other treats, and believe it or not, we actually get around to doing some hair. I share true accounts of personal experience behind the chair and invite my attendees to share theirs as well. And, I share quotes. A great quote can paint a picture, motivate, educate, inspire and explain. They're like modern day parables only they're usualy true however cleverly worded.

Twitter-esque pearls to illuminate or entertain; Flip chart (((hugs))) for the short attention span, often the only thing some will remember from their day of brain beating.

So, here's a few of my favorite quotes. They may not teach you how to do hair, but who knows? Maybe one will inspire YOU!

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become." Wolfgang Riebe

"Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow."

William Pollard

Moral to this story? Learning and growth is a lifelong pursuit. We all have plenty to learn and plenty to share.

"To succeed in life you need three things. A wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone." Reba McIntyre

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire." Reggie Leach

"How you choose to deal with the things that bug you set you apart just as much as how you approach your business, your art and your life." dana

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi

"Be yourself. Everyone else is taken." unknown

"I find it helps to organize chores into categories:

1. Things I won't do now.

2. Things I won't do later.

3. Things I won't do ever. " Bugs Bunny (dunno who Bugs stole it from though)

And perhaps my all time fave:

"If at first you do succeed, try not to look so bloody suprised." Robert Cromeans

Cheers