Prepared by Jason Dunaway:
As someone who highly values learning and education. There is nothing more important than wanting to be engaged with your teacher or instructor on whatever skill that you are pursuing to learn. When it comes to learning how to save lives, you want a class that is going to keep you interested. With that being said, I am going to share some tips on how to make CPR classes more engaging.
Students will always want to be informed about what they will be learning and what time the course will end, or you will those their interest right from the beginning. They may have already received an agenda, but it is always good to reaffirm and revisit those points. We all have other things going on in our lives and so sharing those pieces of information will certainly help set a precedent for the students’ attention throughout the course. You will be surprised at how empowering it is for students to know they have the knowledge and skill set to save lives.
If you are someone who values learning like me, then you know that understanding the perspective of learning a new skill or topic. People receiving training for CPR should know why it is important and it reminds them of why they are there in the first place: To learn how to save lives. Do some research survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest and some other interesting facts about CPR. You could share those coupled with response time for emergencies, or maybe a personal testimony if you have one. Sharing these things will help students learn that their role is much larger, and it reminds them of the importance of learning CPR.
It is true that you learn more through life experiences and simply doing things hands-on! Just like when you were a child, in order to learn to ride a bicycle, you had your parents show you how, then to get on it and try for yourself. Hands-on training is one the most effective and primary ways to keep students engaged with learning something new. As you teach your students how to perform CPR and to use the AED by performing them yourself, you will help keep them intrigued. Make sure you let them know that they will performing in the class as well!
