So you want to be a SANS facilitator.
So you have been chosen to be a SANS Facilitator for your first SANS class. Wondering what to expect, I will give you the inside scoop, to this unique way to experience the SANS experience.
Being A Facilitator:
You will arrive a couple of days before the event, this largely depends on the location and the size of the event. You will be split into teams, and assigned rooms. You will be responsible for offloading the books and equipment when it comes. You will help with setting up your room and others. Depending on the course you are attending you will be responsible for setting up a router or networking for your class. As long as you know how to configure a router, what a LAN cable is and what a switch looks like you will be fine.
Day 1 of the event is always the early start morning, where you will help the Event Management team, to register students and get them settled in. A smile even when it is early makes the students feel more at ease. Make sure to ask you, Instructor, when they would like something to drink. They are focussed on teaching and well can forget to look after themselves. Get to know your instructor you have a unique opportunity that the other students will not have. At the end of each day, you will be giving out the evaluation forms. These are vitally important for the Instructor and SANS to be able to determine how students are receiving the training and establish how the day went. Be sure to ask your instructor when you can give out these forms generally this is after the afternoon tea/coffee break.
The days get easier and depending on the event may even start later. But what is important is that as the week progress you will notice students becoming tired as SANS training is intense for the first five days. You will notice that you and your instructor are now understanding each other better and the interaction easier. As the class get to know each other the jokes come out. Have conversations and get to know the people around you. I personally like to make people smile and would bring something unique from home for my Instructor, this is something I do because of who I am.
As the week goes on, there is a routine. You are like any other student but a little more amped up and a little more tired. You will see as the week progress your Instructors voice may be failing them, this is where there is a secret that I learnt from Jason Jordaan a SANS instructor. Hot water, lemon and honey. Ask Event Management. Be intuitive think ahead and try and make your Instructors day a little better and lighter. Teaching for five days straight is hard word mentally and physically.
Once day six arrives the excitement is there because it is the class challenge day. This is also a day where people leave earlier. Try and get those evaluation forms out earlier. Most importantly on this day have fun. Choose your team well and win those coins. I must say the start and the end of any SANS training event is my favourite. This day is also harder as you will be expected to help with tear down and packaging of equipment. This actually does not take as long as you might expect.
I have facilitated all the courses I have taken, I have loved being able to explore a new country, deal with each challenge. If you want to find out more you can find more information at the following link.
https://www.sans.org/work-study/
