Group Workshop:
Break the Lecture Habit
Group Workshop:
Break the Lecture Habit
If you’ve fallen into the lecture habit, you’ll probably recognise a few of these classroom realities:
- Learners are bored, passive, or hard to motivate — and you can feel the energy drop.
- Participation comes from the same few people while others switch off, distract themselves (or others), or disappear into multitasking.
- You’re tired of doing the same activities, but you’re also short on time to redesign everything.
- You know engagement matters — and with the updated AQF Standards now requiring you to provide evidence, it’s increasingly important to be able to show how you’re engaging learners, not just hope it’s happening.
A different kind of classroom is possible — one where learners are up, moving, collaborating, communicating, and actually using what they’re learning. And it doesn’t require a total overhaul of your curriculum.
The Workshop: Break the Lecture Habit
Communicative activities to make learning active, collaborative and energised.
It’s easy to fall into lecture mode — not because you’re doing it “wrong”, but because it feels efficient when time is tight and groups are diverse.
The problem is, lecture-heavy sessions often create learners who look quiet and compliant, but aren’t genuinely engaged.
Break the Lecture Habit is a practical, high-energy workshop (with a supporting 35-page guide) built for education assistants, teachers, trainers and university lecturers who want immediately usable strategies to boost participation, attention, and learning momentum — across any learning environment in the primary, secondary, vocational or tertiary sectors.
Come for a fun half day of hands on learning:
- demonstrating the activities from the Engagement Toolkit, whilst
- learning fun facts about other countries and cultures, while
- discussing how the activities can be adapted for different subject areas, class sizes, modes (online and offline) and age groups
Do you need this workshop?
If you’ve ever finished a session feeling like you did all the work while your learners did very little, this workshop will be a relief. Break the Lecture Habit is for teachers and trainers who want a fresh “kick” — practical ideas that boost participation without requiring a full rewrite of your curriculum.
It’s also a timely support if you’re feeling the pressure of the new AQF Standards and wondering how to confidently show learner engagement in real, observable ways. Maria helps you move from “hoping they’re engaged” to using strategies that make engagement obvious.
"Develop a passion for learning...you will never cease to grow."
Anthony J. D'Angelo
What can you expect from this workshop?
You’ll learn a toolkit of communicative, collaborative activities you can use with almost any topic and any age group. Maria focuses on practical strategies that shift learners from listening passively to doing the learning—so engagement is built into the lesson, not added on at the end.
Lessons become more active and learner-centred. Instead of relying on long explanations and hoping learners stay with you, you’ll have structured ways to get learners moving, talking, practising, checking understanding with each other, and staying accountable. Many teachers find it reduces the pressure to “perform” at the front of the room because the learning is shared across the group.
Yes she can! Please contact Maria directly at maria@mariadoyle.com, or fill in the application form at the bottom of the page by clicking here.
Yes. The workshop can be adjusted to suit your context—your learners, your timetable, your learning priorities, and what your staff are currently working on. Maria can also vary the level of challenge depending on whether your team wants quick wins or a deeper dive.
Absolutely. Maria can tailor examples and activities to align with your curriculum area, learner cohort, and staff goals. If you have a particular focus (e.g., participation, collaboration, behaviour/attention, building routines, or evidence of engagement), the session can be designed around that.
Yes—ongoing support is available if your school wants help embedding the strategies after the workshop. This can include follow-up sessions, mentoring/coaching, or small-group workshops focused on a specific subject area or teaching challenge, so the ideas translate into consistent classroom practice.
Workshop Details
Participants
Up to 100 participants per workshop.
Costs
Dependent on delivery mode – join the waitlist for upcoming workshops!
Length
90 minute, half day or full day session.
Delivery
This workshop is delivered face-to-face.
BONUS: The Engagement Toolkit
A practical facilitator’s guide packed with strategies to make your sessions more interactive, engaging, and effective.
The Workshop In Practice
This workshop is the basis of all my Giving Back Projects over the years, and has been delivered to a range of clients including but not limited to:
- Thornlie Primary School
- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School (Thursday Island)
- Sumba Primary and Secondary Teachers (Project Hope, Indonesia)
- Education Assistant Day (AISWA)
- Prima Santhi School (Bali, Indonesia)
- Vaiala Beach School (Samoa)
- National University of Samoa (Samoa)
This workshop is often integrated into the half and full day versions of the ‘Everyone’s a Teacher’ Workshop.
Impact at a Glance
Key Insights from the Event
The activities are:
- Practical, and easy to adapt
- Suitable for most age groups and subjects
- Collaborative, communicative and energising
- Zero to very little preparation required
Educators value:
- Immediately applicable, classroom-ready activities
- Modelling interactive techniques which strengthens confidence and uptake
Participant Feedback
I’ve already started implementing some of your games into my lessons with really positive results.
We have an awesome vibe in the group so these activities go down really well, and I honestly think games like this can work from day one.
Who is Maria?
Maria believes ‘Death by Powerpoint’, and ‘tick and flick’ style learning belongs firmly in the past. Her formal qualifications include a Master of International Relations (Norway), Master of Education (Australia), Cert IV TAA, Cert IV TESOL, CELTA, BA (Modern Languages) although where she really learnt about what makes a good learning experience, are her 18 overseas postings.
Maria weaves stories from these teaching and learning adventures into the training she provides which will help you create transformative learning experiences that engage, inspire and motivate learners to apply their new knowledge and skills immediately. Her areas of expertise include instructional design, curriculum & learning resource development, teacher training, project management, assessment & evaluation, and professional development.
Maria has more than 25 years international experience teaching, teacher training, developing curriculum and managing projects in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu and Kiribati.
Apply Today
To join the waitlist, please complete the below Application Form. To join the next public workshop, click on the button “Join the next public workshop”:
Break the Lecture Habit Workshop: Application Form
In short, learning and education lights me up - and I would love to help you create that for your learners too.
In short, learning and education lights me up - and I would love to help you create that for your learners too.
