It was a square, well lit room suited to comfortably sit about thirty people, with four rows of chairs in front of a large while screen and an advertisement board in a corner with large white letters ITEA on scarlet background.

The room was full and, having looked around, I noted with surprise that there were at least two other people in the room who more or less belonged to my age category. The audience was mainly silent — just sitting and waiting for the training to begin; only a few of them communicated in short, quiet phrases. I couldn’t help thinking that majority of them were young — a lot younger than me, not kids anymore, but– well, a lot younger than me, damn it!

The meeting started right on time. The organizers — there were three of them fussing around here and there — had done their best to arrange everything at the upper level of their ability. As I sat watching how a young, beautiful office manager, wearing golden four-inch pin-heeled summer shoes tortured herself by running around the room with advertisement leaflets in her hands, I remembered myself a few years before, as I’d done the same job when I set up an occupational school for hospitality and tourism industry for my city. Yeah, the same stuff, only almost a dozen of years ago.

Then I thought that, in fact, this was the first time in decades that I was sitting in the classroom audience… I mean, not teaching, but listening and watching. For sure, I thought, I’d feel more comfortable on that side of the classroom, against that wall with the screen, as a teacher or a coach, with a pointer in my hand.

Then, the meeting started, and from the very first minute of it to the end, I could not help thinking that I have no right to be sitting in the classroom when I have to be there, on that end of the room — as a coach, or a tutor, or a manager to these wonderful, smart, talented people, who still have so much life ahead of them, and who still have a lot to learn.

I really liked the fact that these modern schools of professional education are run by very young people. I could sense their energy in the room. Even when their speech was a bit undeveloped or funny; or when they couldn’t overcome nervousness, or when they did not know what to do with their body while speaking in front of the audience… Yes, this was the most precious thing: at all times I could sense their energy in the room. Inspiration: this is the word. Yes, inspiration: it is the answer to doing successful trainings and presentations for young IT professionals. I found it in ITEA, and I am thankful to them for this. I am going to display more of it in my own coaching work now.