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MARCH 2024 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 49 ada as well. I visited places and saw sites that I probably never would have experienced with- out the benefit of traveling as a CAD instruc- tor. One thing that I enjoyed a lot was asking the people I was working with what the best local spots were for dinner, and I was usually rewarded with a great and unique place to eat. I even sampled a "Garbage Plate" in upstate New York, which was a next-level adventure. A word of warning: Be careful of the practical jokers who send you to a place not necessar- ily considered "family dining." I can neither confirm nor deny that something like this ever happened to me. Just be on your guard. People I am very grateful for everyone I met while teaching CAD classes. ose in the PCB design business are some of the greatest folks you will ever know, and it was a privilege to spend time with them. It has been said that teachers learn just as much or more than they can impart. at was certainly the case for me. Not only did I learn about my students' businesses and the products they were designing with our soware, but getting to know them and finding out what makes them tick added another layer of richness to my own life. Technology My company created soware to design electronic circuitry and lay out printed circuit boards. However, in the field I discovered how diverse the applications were for those PCBs our clients were designing and how unique their CAD workflows could be. Addressing the specialized needs of our clients oen required new soware specifications and enhancements that we "in the factory" had not originally thought of. A few that come to mind are library tools, database translators, and plug-ins for different third-party tools. It was an absolute pleasure for me to take these needs back to the factory and be part of the change and enhance- ment process that ultimately led to increased functionality and better design solutions. When you conduct technical training, you can count on being faced with many demand- ing challenges. ere's a lot of work that goes into technical instruction, and most of it takes place long before you stand in front of a class. However, the great thing is when you come to understand just how much of an effect you are having on the lives of others and how you are contributing to the growth of our industry. So, how do you become a great technical instruc- tor? Here are some simple takeaway points that can help: • Know your topic inside and out. • Study how to be a speaker and teacher; don't simply assume it will happen organically. • Plan ahead for your trip and teaching engagement; don't wait until the last moment to prepare. • Be armed with materials, data, and whatever else you need to make a great presentation. • Be prepared for the unexpected because, like death and taxes, it will happen. • Develop a mindset that puts yourself in your students' shoes so you can better see what they need. Teach toward that. Perhaps the most important key to successful teaching is not something that easily fits into a bullet point. To be a great technical instructor you must have a passion for wanting to see oth- ers succeed. is perspective will allow you to truly connect with those you are instructing, and help them to get the most out of what you are presenting. All right PCB designers and instructors, until next time, keep on designing. DESIGN007 Tim Haag writes technical thought-leadership content for First Page Sage on his longtime career as a PCB designer and EDA technologist. To read past columns, click here.