Getting signed up for a continuing education class can be a huge relief, especially if it is a goal you have been thinking about for quite some time or a requirement you need to complete in order to renew your license to practice massage therapy or bodywork. Even though it can feel so good to get your continuing education enrollment crossed off your to-do list, it is important to take your time when choosing your continuing education class, so you don’t end up wasting time and money.
As you begin to narrow down your search for a continuing education class, it can be helpful to ask certain questions and find out specific details about the class, to be sure it will be a good fit for your and your goals. Among the most important details to assess is who will be teaching the class.
You don’t want to enroll in a continuing education class with no knowledge about the person who will be instructing you on the topic. Find out his or her name, and then try using an online search engine to see what kind of experience this person has with the topic of the continuing education class.
As you go about your search, you may find that some continuing education teachers seem to have more experience than others. Perhaps these more experienced continuing education instructors have been teaching for an impressive amount of time, have written books or have received prestigious awards.
You might also find that it costs more to enroll in a continuing education class that is led by one of these more well-known educators. Depending on the topic of the continuing education class, it may be worth it to you to pay more in order to learn from such an advanced instructor.
However, there are times, too, when you may feel perfectly comfortable learning from a continuing education instructor whose name does not ring any bells, but who has a solid track record as a successful practitioner. Much of your decision may be based on those search engine findings, and how they resonate with you and your specific goals for the upcoming continuing education experience.
Beyond assessing the instructor of a potential continuing education class, it is also a great idea to ask questions about the specific content of a class, especially if the course topic is one that could allow for broad interpretation.
For example, if you are considering a continuing education class on the topic of marketing for massage therapists and bodyworkers, take the time to send an e-mail or make a phone call to figure out exactly what the course will cover, if such details are not readily available. This way, you can find out if the continuing education class will mostly cover one specific topic—such as marketing through social media, participating in community events or reaching out to related businesses—or if it will cover a wide array of marketing topics.
Certainly, there are other important questions to be asked and answered before you rush to complete your enrollment in a continuing education class. Start with the teacher and the topic, then decide what else you need to know from there.