My first conversation with a conspiracy theorist.

[deckeda]

It was in a professional setting earlier today, which I was not about to get into politics about.

One of the things I do is screen people who wish to become qualified to teach. Very early in the conversation Covid came up, as it sometimes does, because the pandemic has really hurt the classroom worldwide.

Only, her word was, “Plandemic.” That was followed by a short statement of how governments are behind it all.

I still had a job to do on the phone call, which did not include discrimination of any kind, right?

Turns out she’s not ready to become an instructor candidate, because she’s not regularly engaged with any of the chapters, councils, or communities or universities/collages or training companies who might potentially hire her! We’re a global association. Membership engagement is what we do, and yet she said no one will talk to her or help guide her on how to give back to the industry or stay involved. Are you shitting me??

“Have you been to any of our annual conferences?” No.
“Have you spoken to anyone about ....”
“Have to looked into X,Y, or Z on our site?” The website is not good.

But she “researches a lot, often at night while other people sleep” and stays very busy with work.

Oh, OK.

A high point during the conversation, while talking about our annual conferences, was her surprise that our next one is currently scheduled to happen in Anaheim. “They should do it down here instead (in Florida) because no one wears masks down here.” That was her response.

I mentioned that last year we were originally scheduled for Chicago, but when McCormick Place become queasy about our Events team asking them safety and operational questions we cancelled and planned to do it in Texas, wide-open for business and much cheaper as well.

Only problem was, that too was canceled once the ‘rona travelled south. “Maybe if Texans had worn more masks we could have assembled there, but for safety reasons decided to do it all virtually.”

Sustainability, risk, operations, leadership, strategy, etc are all part of our globally-identified core competencies we teach. Somehow this person achieved our highest credential related to all of that, but some folks are just good test-takers actually.

[btfc]

“ Turns out she’s not ready to become an instructor candidate...”

Just curious, if she had checked off some of those other boxes, how would you have ended up evaluating her?

[JoeH]

Sounds like the typical "been exposed to education, but did not become educated" kind of person all too often seen associated with the prior administration. Got the credential, but didn't learn anything while getting it. At least that is the best case view, all too many sources of such that are either fake or low quality.

[vision63]

She's programmed into that cult.

[deckeda]

btfc wrote:
“ Turns out she’s not ready to become an instructor candidate...”

Just curious, if she had checked off some of those other boxes, how would you have ended up evaluating her?

What we look for is evidence of existing instructional or teaching experience. Ideally they would have history in leading structured course content, because that’s what WE have them do. Failing that, I need to at least see where they’ve held company trainings or whatever. That isn’t nearly the same thing as teaching, but it’s a start.

She has some of the latter. The vast majority don’t have much teaching experience because let’s face it, they aren’t teachers. They’re acct managers or facility directors or something else in the industry looking to help get others credentialed.

Next I want to see if they can articulate a plan for whom they would teach, because “our” instructors (i. e. the ones we qualify) are not our employees (they are independent contractors for whomever hires them). In other words they need a clientele even though it’s our reputation at stake. We’re not a job service and can’t find them regular gigs. On this, she has no idea, no real connections, and tellingly, no one from her local Chapter asking for her services.

I told her, it would do her no good to set her up to instruct if she had no next step to do. Both instructor-candidates as well as our company invest both time and money on this, so screening and accepting just a few pays dividends.

I manage nearly a 100 or so who are technically approved. Less than half are active, with maybe half of that number truly active and engaged. Most who approach me don’t make it to a first meeting.

[btfc]

Thanks for the reply!

[RgrF]

That was illuminating Dec - although I still don't know what you do!

[deckeda]

RgrF wrote:
That was illuminating Dec - although I still don't know what you do!

Before me, my wife had much the same job for several years, same company. I never understood it either. Some time after she had left, and I was hired she said I got the job because no one else wanted it. Yeah baby!

My goal is to put myself out of a job by simplifying it enough that it can be handled by someone already doing something else. I have a habit of getting hired and saying, “why does this job even exist?”