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Just like with students, we want to engage adult learners in meaningful ways that spark curiosity, connection, and energy. I recently discovered Training Design, Delivery, and Diplomacy by A. Keith Young and Tamarra Osborne, and it’s quickly becoming a go-to resource for designing effective professional learning. The authors emphasize the importance of starting sessions with an activator—a short, intentional activity aligned with the learning objectives—rather than lengthy introductions or community builders.
The idea of an activator stuck with me, as it encapsulates how facilitators can ignite learning right from the start. It got me thinking about how to embed activator moves throughout our sessions to keep adult learners engaged and motivated. After observing a recent professional learning session, I saw several activator strategies in action and was reminded how effective they can be when used purposefully.
Here are three ways you can use to create those activator moments, starting with how to set the right conditions for learning.
Activate by Setting the Stage
Setting the tone for your session—before it even begins—can significantly impact how participants engage. Priming your learners with a pre-session email that outlines goals and expectations is an excellent way to ensure they arrive ready to learn. By addressing essential logistics in advance, you free up valuable session time for connecting participants and delivering content. Bonus: record an audio clip or video as your pre-email so participants can “meet” you before the session begins.
At a recent Learning Forward Texas Tips and Tools training, the presenters had the room fully prepared before participants arrived—music playing, handouts on tables, and warm greetings at the door. These small touches created a welcoming environment that helped prime participants, activating their engagement and setting them up for success.
In Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights From Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick, Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath emphasizes, “The first strategy we activate can influence how others interpret and tackle future tasks.” In my own sessions, I get participants collaborating, chatting, or writing within the first five minutes. Whether it’s a quick “hello” in the Zoom chat or immediate engagement in a collaborative Google Doc, these actions set the expectation for active learning right from the start.
Reflection: How can you create conditions for success and set the stage for engagement before your session even begins?
Once you’ve set the right conditions for success, the next step is keeping that energy and engagement going. One of the most effective ways to do this is through purposeful movement.
Activate Through Movement
Movement helps participants stay energized and engaged, and it can be integrated in small but impactful ways. For instance, during the Tips and Tools training, we began with a quick-paced stand-up, sit-down introduction. The presenter made it more inclusive by inviting those unable to stand to raise their hands instead. This low-risk activity immediately lifted the energy in the room and set a positive tone for the day.
Small kinesthetic moves, such as a quick “fist-to-five” check-in or asking participants to high-five their partners, can also engage learners—especially in tighter spaces. Simply standing up for a few minutes can boost energy and activate learning. At the Tips and Tools training, the presenter used an impromptu “Stand-Up Whip Around” before lunch. Originally a table-based share-out, the presenter had participants stand to share, then kept them standing for a quick debrief, which helped maintain the energy.
For rooms with more space, a powerful strategy is to huddle-up. This involves inviting participants to gather around the facilitator in different areas of the room to discuss or deconstruct an activity. By physically shifting the group, you create a more dynamic environment that encourages collaboration and breaks the passive atmosphere often found in traditional seating arrangements.
For longer sessions, I often use a technique called the “shark walk,” where participants take a 10-minute walk with a partner to process ideas. I provide a prompt or two, and attendees are free to move around the building while discussing key takeaways from the session. Movement doesn’t need to be extensive to be effective, but it should always be intentional.
Reflection: How can you intentionally incorporate movement into your next session?
With participants energized and engaged through movement, the next step is to help them see their progress throughout the session, keeping their motivation high as they move toward their learning goals.
Activate by Tracking Progress
Adult learners stay motivated when they can clearly see their progress. During the Tips and Tools training, the presenters used a visual cue—a set of 👀 (cut-out eyes)—to track the day’s agenda on chart paper. This gave participants a sense of movement through the session, showing them how far they’d come and what was next.
In my own sessions, I embed visual timelines into my slides, highlighting the current section and emphasizing transitions as we move through the content. This small visual marker, inspired by Dan Roam’s concept of signposting from Show and Tell, helps participants feel a sense of accomplishment and keeps them oriented as the session progresses. By seeing their progress visually, participants are more likely to stay engaged and motivated, activating their focus and participation throughout the session.
Another great technique involves managing discussions by clearly calling on participants in a sequence so everyone knows who will share and when. For example, in Tips and Tools, the presenters often asked for three volunteers and then identified who would share first, second, and third. This structured progression allowed participants to prepare their responses, reducing the pressure of cold calling and creating a smoother, more engaged flow of discussion.
Timers are another simple but impactful tool. I often display a countdown on my slides so participants can manage their time during tasks, and I can stay on track. The Slides Timer Chrome Extension or Stickity for Slides both offer seamless timers for Google Slides, and the Canva timer feature is also useful for quickly adding timers to your presentations. Music cues, such as “You have two songs to complete this task,” can also serve as auditory progress markers, keeping the session moving and participants engaged.
Reflection: How can you make progress visible and motivating in your sessions?
Tracking progress in these ways doesn’t just keep participants informed—it actively engages them. When adult learners can see and feel their progress, they stay motivated and energized, reinforcing a sense of purpose and accomplishment; by using clear markers—whether visual, auditory, or structured sharing—you can activate learning at every stage of your session.
Incorporating strategies like setting the stage, purposeful movement, and tracking progress doesn’t just keep participants engaged—it activates learning in ways that make your professional learning sessions more dynamic and impactful. These simple yet effective techniques help adult learners feel energized, connected, and motivated as they move through the learning experience.
Reflection: What are your favorite strategies to activate your learners? How might you incorporate these ideas into your next professional learning session?
If you’d like to see these strategies in action and explore even more ways to activate learning, consider signing up for the next Tips and Tools training with Learning Forward Texas. (Find more information here!)
Activate Your Own Professional Learning
Books
Horvath, J.C. (2019). Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights From Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick. Exisle Publishing.
Parker, P. (2018). The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters. Penguin.
Roam, D. (2016). Show and Tell: How Everybody Can Make Extraordinary Presentations. Portfolio.
Young, A.K., & Osborne, T. (2023). Training Design, Delivery, and Diplomacy: An Educator’s Guide. ASCD.
Blog Posts
Hirsch, G. (2015, July 16). Have a Better Meeting: Take A Shark Walk. LinkedIn blog. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/have-better-meeting-take-shark-walk-gary-hirsch
Laster, K. (2023, September 18). Three Ways to Prime Adults for Professional Learning. TCEA Technotes blog. https://blog.tcea.org/prime-adults-professional-learning/
Tech Tools
Slides Timer Chrome Extension + video tutorial from Dr. Desiree Alexander
Kathryn Laster brings over 30 years of education expertise as a math teacher, instructional coach, and digital learning consultant. Now, as an independent consultant, Kathryn creates and facilitates transformative learning experiences through intentional, human-centered, tech-infused design. Connect with Kathryn at Refined Learning Design or on Twitter @kklaster.
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