Michael James is a gifted facilitator of the learning process who knows how to create engaging experiences that go above and beyond the expectations of his students. One of the keys to his approach is to offload teaching the introductory theory of Scrum into series of interactive e-learning modules as well as a handy, Scrum reference card. These prerequisite training materials are both really well-produced and freely available to anyone. They also freed up the class from being a boring, broadcast-only overview of Scrum theory and instead it helped to create one of the most experiential and interactive training sessions that I've ever been a part of. He used a time-boxed structure of only lecturing for 10-minutes at any given time, which led to many opportunities to learn through doing exercises and small group discussions. There was a strong emphasis of letting the students teach and learn from each other based upon their own experiences, and then he would follow up on the more confusing or controversial points. Michael is completely committed to preparing his student for success before, during and after his class. I'd highly recommend Michael's CSM course to any serious student looking to learn more about Scrum and agile methodologies.
-- Kent Bye, Videographer / Editor at Puppet Labs, Inc.
I had the pleasure of having Michael as the instructor in my Scrum Master course, and I can say without a doubt that this was the best training I have taken, and an excellent use of my time. Michael's high-energy, dynamic personality kept us engaged for two solid, long days, where he combined interactive team activities, hand outs and relevant feedback to ALL participants. Not only did we laugh, we learned, and after taking a nice month-long holiday, I passed my Scrum Master certification on the first attempt. His use of stories, combined with his extensive knowledge of Agile theory AND real life examples served to drive home and make relevant his material; I would gladly take another course from Michael and highly recommend him to anyone considering Agile coursework.
-- Angela Mahoney, MBA, CSM, IT Cloud Consultant and Cat-Herder | Salesforce Platform