- Individuals familiar with the culture of those you'll be teaching. They can direct you regarding approach, facilitation, teaching and conversation in ways you might not have considered. They may also coach you on what to avoid - topics or body language that could be misconstrued.
- Those more experienced in classroom management. They can offer suggestions for methods and flow that serve to supplement the instructional design already in place.
- Learners. Yours. What they need might not exactly fit your original objectives, and some alteration may be required.
Then there are reasons:
- Faulty assumptions. We all have them. They may not even create a problem - until the rubber hits the road in the classroom. You thought they knew _________, _________, and ______, but they actually know only one of those three, in a "I think I heard something about that once" kind of way. Then what?
- Oxygen. The rooms needs some. Without engagement, we're back to Charlie Brown's teacher. We can be well-prepared with a well-designed course and still hear crickets if the learners aren't connecting and interacting in response to the material, the delivery. We can't provide all the energy required, as Vella points out, "In a classroom the energy center is not only the professor, but also the learners" (p. 94).
- We don't know what we don't know. Even for Vella this is true, as she suggests that we have to be open to input before and after sessions, since we never know it all. We need to recognize that, and be open to suggestions.
Then there's the subject matter. Do we know what it is that they expect to learn from us?
For myself, I plan to keep her book as a reference and for future rereads. Her message is clear, and her advice is helpful for anyone ready to listen.