JoRoger
Full Member
Following on from the two threads yesterday about reasons why some MM's don't like attending meetings, and one of the main reasons coming back that people can't stand the chatting when the Consultant is talking, during lunch with my friend today who happens to be a Consultant I asked her what her take on it is.
She said that she makes little comments to the class in general like 'did you hear that at the back there', which usually makes the chatters stop, or if she can hear that the talkers are actually talking about whatever she is talking about in the lesson (for want of a better word) she'll invite them to discuss with the rest of the class what they are discussing, if that makes sense. She said this seems to sort the situation out after a few weeks once people realise that she will bring it up however much in a jokey way.
I think this just goes to prove that it definitely is the Consultant that makes all the difference to how rewarding the class part of the WI is, I know with my friend she is a very commanding, school-teacher type of person, so this helps.
On another note though she did mention (when I said about MM's and our thoughts on meetings etc) that she was surprised to think that talkers would put people off, and that from now on she would mention in her talk to newcomers that she always tries to make light of any such situations and usually manages to stamp things out. I thought it made for a very interesting discussion and just thought I'd pass it on
She said that she makes little comments to the class in general like 'did you hear that at the back there', which usually makes the chatters stop, or if she can hear that the talkers are actually talking about whatever she is talking about in the lesson (for want of a better word) she'll invite them to discuss with the rest of the class what they are discussing, if that makes sense. She said this seems to sort the situation out after a few weeks once people realise that she will bring it up however much in a jokey way.
I think this just goes to prove that it definitely is the Consultant that makes all the difference to how rewarding the class part of the WI is, I know with my friend she is a very commanding, school-teacher type of person, so this helps.
On another note though she did mention (when I said about MM's and our thoughts on meetings etc) that she was surprised to think that talkers would put people off, and that from now on she would mention in her talk to newcomers that she always tries to make light of any such situations and usually manages to stamp things out. I thought it made for a very interesting discussion and just thought I'd pass it on
