Getting the most from your continuing education experience can depend on a number of variables, from the topic of the class and the quality of the provider to the method of delivery and the environment in which you choose to learn.
Enhance the Continuing Education Experience
For professional massage therapists who are considering enrolling in a home-based CE program, there are several steps you can take to enhance the overall experience and gain the best possible benefits. Along with having a space set up that will lend to your ability to learn, creating a home-study group can be a great way to boost your next home-based CE experience.
Network with Colleagues
In order to develop a home-study group, you first need to find fellow massage professionals who are interested in taking the same course. You may know massage therapists in your area because you work together at the same spa or clinic, or perhaps through local professional networking events.
If you are not in contact with any massage colleagues, search on social media sites or find other ways to reach out and build connections with colleagues. Once you know a few practitioners in your area, you can open a discussion around the possibility of building a study group for an upcoming home-based CE course.
When one or more of your professional peers has agreed to enroll in the class at the same time as you, the next step is to decide how you would like to set up the study group. For instance, you may wish to get together at certain times and places to watch videos or listen to lectures.
This will allow for a discussion of the material during and after the video or lecture, which may enable you to see key points from various angles and get a better grasp on the skills and information. You may want to get together to study for exams or work on homework together as well.
Hands-On Continuing Education
If the home-based CE program you have chosen to take is centered on a hands-on continuing education topic, then having one or more peers in a study group with you can bring yet another benefit—the opportunity to practice on each other.
Whether it is an introductory course on a modality that is totally new to both of you or a more advanced class on skills specific to a method of massage you both have a foundation in already, the chance to practice on a fellow massage therapist can be a wonderful boon to your learning experience.
Unlike practicing new techniques on a friend or family member, working on another massage therapist and allowing him or her to work on you can open the door to valuable feedback during these practice sessions.
Besides hearing opinions on the pressure and quality of your touch, you may also be able to get incredible insight on these hands-on techniques simply by being on the receiving end of a session.
Bring a Group Together
Therefore, as you prepare to enroll in your next home-based CE course, tap into your local massage network and see if you can bring together a home-study group that could benefit everyone involved.