Teleclass Etiquette

We want your session to be both a great experience for you and for all the others on the call. You will have the opportunity to learn not only from the instructor but also from the accumulated wisdom and experiences of everyone else on the call.

To facilitate this, we have some recommended guidelines to make the experience a positive one for you.

How to Connect to a Teleclass

• You will be emailed a telephone number and passcode to connect to the teleclass.
  
  
• Try to dial in 5 minutes before the starting time so that if you have any difficulties they can be resolved before the call starts. (Remember to be aware of time zone differences between your location and that of the teacher!)
  
  
• After dialing the telephone number you will be asked to for your passcode that was provided in the email. After entering the passcode you should be connected to the teleclass.
  
  
• If you have any difficulties, check to see if you dialed the correct telephone number and used the right passcode. If you still can't get in, call us at 505-516-1777 and someone will assist you.
  
  
• After calling in, the instructor may ask "who is joining the call?" Simply give your name and where you're calling from. An example would be "This is Steve calling from New Mexico."
  
  
• If you weren't able to join the call right away, you can still call in after the teleclass started. You'll need to just listen quietly until you're caught up with the conversation.
  
  
• Remember, if you miss the call you can still download the recording of the call later that same day. Many students download the call anyway to be able to go back and listen again. 

How to Participate in a Teleclass

The teleclass, just like a typical classroom class, needs to have a certain order and rules to stay organized and give everyone a chance to participate and learn. Here are some of the rules we abide by:

• Your interaction is important and encouraged! We all learn from each other. However, in a teleclass the teacher must control the participation. There are a number of people on the call that may want to talk at the same time. 
  
  Since we don't have visual clues (like raising your hand) you need to call out your name so the instructor knows you have something to say or a question to ask. Wait to be called on.
  
  
• When asking a question or making a comment, always identify yourself. We can't see you so we need you to identify yourself. Say something like "This is Steve and I have a question." Once the instructor says "Go ahead Steve" you can ask the question. 
  
  
• Often the instructor wants to hold comments and questions while they are speaking. Wait for the instructor to ask for comments and questions before speaking.
  
  
• Everyone needs to have a chance to participate. We'd love to hear from everyone on every call. To be fair to the others, try to hold your questions or comments to 30 seconds or so and let others ask questions too.
  
  Try to state your question or comment in a way that is both simple and clear. This way everyone will understand the point and learn from it.
  
  
• We all have different thoughts and opinions. Be gracious in your conversation. If you disagree with someone's point, it's fine to say so, but don't get into an argument about it. We are all here to learn, not to listen to a debate.
  
  
• Please ask questions. The whole point of a teleclass is to learn. We learn from the instructor and from one another. Take advantage of the opportunity to get your questions answered, and to share your wisdom!

How to Use Your Telephone During the Call

It is always best to use a land line rather than a cell phone or internet phone. Land lines work best with conference style calls. Cordless phones often have a level of static in the background that makes it hard for others to hear. If you must use a cordless phone, try to stay near its base to improve reception, or mute the phone.

Here are 5 keys that you must abide by during the call:

• Speakerphones. Never use a speakerphone during the call. They pick up far too much background noise and tend to create a lot of feedback or echo that disrupts the call. 
  
  
• Call Waiting. Disable call waiting. It will create noise with an incoming call and disrupt the class. Be sure to do this BEFORE the teleclass begins.
  
  
• Mute. Understand how to mute your telephone. There can be up to 200 people on a call at one time. The cumulative background noise can be a significant problem as the number of people increase. You MUST use the mute feature for your telephone to block those background noise around you. Always be listening and alert to the noise. If you have a more advanced telephone, it may have its own mute button.
  
  If not, you can mute your telephone by pressing *6 on the keypad. To unmute so that you can ask a question or make a comment, just press *6 again. Be considerate of others and use the mute feature when in doubt.
  
  
• Home and Office Environments. Whether it's noise in the background or you stepping away from your telephone to do something, the telephone's microphone does a great job of picking up the sounds. A good example is when at home and you are on a teleclass call and someone is washing dishes in the other room, guess what?  We can all hear it! Be sure to mute the telephone when there is any other noise.
  
  
• Putting the Call on Hold. If something comes up or another call comes in for you at work, DO NOT put the teleclass call on hold. Either mute the call or hang up. Many telephone systems have hold music and if you put our call on hold, you'll effectively end our class when your hold music overrides our class. Again, your attention to detail is appreciated by everyone!

These teleclasses are for you and the other learners. When we all work together to make it a good experience, everyone wins.

Confidentiality and Recordings

Please remember that every teleclass, whether a free one or a paid one, is copyrighted intellectual property of Steven Schlagel. As such, don't share the telephone number or passcode with anyone who isn't registered to attend.

Likewise, you don't have permission to record the call either. Instead, we make a recording of every teleclass and make it available for you to download for your personal use. Thank you for respecting our rights.

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