Do you want new or great? I'm noticing a trend with requests for classes and presentations. Organizers always ask first what I have that's new. Some now even pay a premium for classes which have never been taught before. However, when students email me, they ask for my existing classes and want the details of where and when I'll next be teaching them. Often it's because someone told them it's a great class and they learned a lot by taking it.
I think the more often I teach a class the better it gets. I get to practice the material, I figure out what isn't working for students and why. I get their questions and add the answers into the class and the notes for future sessions. I also have the opportunity to recognize the difference between an problem for a specific student and a more general problem with the material as I repeat the class. As I move forward I can often share more information more quickly because I'm communicating it better.
It takes a great deal of time for me to develop the best possible material for both classes and presentations. To recoup the costs of the time invested, I need to use it multiple times if I'm going to sustain my work as a business. I do accept that ultimately this is a passion project for me but on the other hand I only get hired if I'm seen as a credible expert.
So what do you want, my new material or my best material?
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