September 17, 2026
There is an awkward moment that happens sometimes during computer training. I demonstrate something I have done many times, and someone asks a question I was not expecting.
For a few seconds, I do not have the answer.
Earlier in my career, I did not like those moments very much. I felt that being the trainer meant I should already know everything about the program in front of me. With time, I realized how unrealistic that was.
Software does not stay still
I teach tools such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint and graphic design applications. They change. Features move, new functions appear, and sometimes there is simply a better way to do something I have been doing for years.
I remember preparing computer training in Brazzaville and testing exercises before participants arrived. I have opened a file expecting to demonstrate one method and ended up finding another method that was faster. Then I had to decide whether to change what I had prepared.
Usually, I test it first.
If it actually helps, I teach it.
Questions are useful
A good question from a learner can expose something I have been doing automatically without thinking about it. That is probably one reason I still enjoy training.
Teaching forces me to explain what I think I know.
Sometimes the explanation comes easily. Sometimes I go home with another thing to check.
I am fine with that now. Mostly.
