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People often wonder what is the best method of teaching, which is debatable and many prefer different strategies, one commonly accepted point is that you have to have the right teaching and learning environment to start with. Creating the right learning evironment is part of our Train the Trainer training course.
To create a good learning environment is all about attaining the correct balance between respect/obedience and a creative and thought provoking atmosphere. The students must be allowed to express their opinion and feel comfortable doing so whilst still abiding by the instructions you give and the rules you set out.
There should be a friendly atmosphere within the class and people shouldn’t have to worry about having there head bitten off if they answer a question wrongly or don’t understand. You want to be understanding and put the students at ease so they in turn can reach their full potential. There should never be a situation where someone doesn’t ask for help even though they dearly need it because they are too embarrassed or scared.
Without the correct environment to teach and to learn in you efforts at teaching or training will be pointless, it is sometimes hard to find the correct balance and it is true that every class is different but its benefits are well worth the effort.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer on May 6th, 2009 | No Comments »
Learn to understand the importance of Non-Verbal Communication on our Train the Trainer course.
When we talk we will almost undoubtedly be gesturing as we do so. This seems perfectly natural, and indeed it is, however the significance of these gestures is often vastly underestimated. Recent studies have shown that gestures can often reveal the subtle and unspoken emotions behind what a person is actually saying. From a training point of view proper untilisation of this fact can greatly help a trainer convey their message to their pupils, and help the students gain an easier understanding of that method or subject etc.
However there is also a downside, as improper or “mismatched” gestures will make the learning process difficult for the students, and they will be confused by any obscure or misleading gestures given to them by the teacher. This is perhaps more common than you would have thought as studies have shown that most teachers will use misleading or confusing hand gestures about 20% of the time when they are teaching.
Teachers on average will make some sort of non verbal communication, every ten to twelve seconds, and 50% of these will be gestures that illustrate a concept. So it is easy to see just how vital making proper use of these gestures can be to a teacher, and, on the reverse side, just how confusing and misleading it can be if used incorrectly. It is the recognition and utilisation of this fact that will really allow you to get through to your students.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer on March 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »
GIVE YOUR DELEGATES TIPS ON HOW TO PREVENT FORGETTING
- Expect/intend/try to remember. It sounds obvious but the more you imagine or want to remember the less you will forget.
- Don’t overload the memory, this is important for trainers. Seven items is the most our memories can comfortably handle in one go. Your memory prefers to have only three, four, or five things to remember at one time. Therefore, if you need to remember more than four or five items, you need to break up the group into smaller bites.
- Understand before you try to remember. So make sure your delegates understand before you move on, ask questions. If you don’t understand something, your memory will have great difficulty storing it.
- You can’t expect to remember everything you read or hear. Select the most interesting points for yourself by looking for answers to your own questions. You can’t remember everything. If you try, you will probably end up not remembering much at all.
- Organise the material to be learned in your head. Trainers should follow a logical order. Memory works best when the information is organised.
- Relate the ideas to what you already know. Trainers should ask delegates questions about the material that will relate to the delegates experience. Your memory will find it easier to store new information if you relate it to old information. Make an association or create a picture in your head to relate unknown ideas to ideas you already have.
- Use mnemonic devices. Very useful for trainers to offer thier students. These memory devices aid memory, but should be simple, clear, vivid. It is easier to remember the unusual, the funny, or both.
Rhymes:
“I before E, except after C, or when sounded like A, as in neighbor and weigh.”
Acronyms:
IRsoul
I —— Intend to remember
R —– Relate the information
S —– Select important ideas
O —– Organize the details
U —– Understand the ideas
L —– Limit the amount
Sentences:
“I Remember So Little Unless Organized.”-
from the first letter of each of the 6 strategies of memory (listed
previously).
- Apply what you have learned immediately. Use it or loose it!
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer on March 27th, 2009 | No Comments »
As a trainer in an organisation you have an important part to play in the overall human resource strategy. You have a privileged position in terms of individuals and their learning and development and your role as an agent of empowerment. How can you ensure that your organisation makes the best use of you?
What is a ‘Learning Organisation’?
Many organisations like to think of themselves as learning organisations but what does this actually mean?
A learning organisation is an organisation committed to learning in its widest sense. It does not just mean providing training courses for people in skills development but takes the idea of goal-and-objective setting, the analysis, and the definition of problems and their causes, into an all-out organisational effort, involving people at all levels. This requires careful planning, and consideration of past experiences and the personality of the organisation as a whole.
Our Train the Trainer training course gives you a more in-depth understanding in how to create and maintain a learning organisation.
Ten points to help construct a learning organisation
- Generic models and systems written by others should be used only as guidelines.
- Each organisation has its own culture and unique needs.
- Managers should view themselves as mentors and coaches, and act accordingly.
- The concept of “work” must be considered as an opportunity offering a “professional challenge” and a “learning experience”.
- Managers and employees should be encouraged to instigate and take responsibility for their own learning (professional training and self-development).
- Company training and development activities should not be limited to the actual performance of a task or duty, but leading towards the business, professional and self-development of all employees.
- Management Trainees and other high flyers must be fully integrated into the organisation – not only do they offer a fresh point of view, but serve as an excellent example to employees and help create the concept of work as a learning experience.
- Managers and employees should receive ongoing informal feedback, in addition to formal feedback as laid down by company policy.
- Acknowledgements and rewards should preferably be directed towards groups and teams rather than individuals – individual contributions and accomplishments can be rewarded in a more personal manner, such as a thank-you note, increased responsibility, a promotion or financial reward.
- The basis for such an organisation is commitment at the highest senior level.
Take a look at these points and decide for yourself if yours is a learning organisation. If it isn’t yet, then ask yourself:
- What works well in the organisation?
- What needs to change?
- How can I assist this change?
The more developed an organisation is in regards to its learning strategy, the more satisfied you will be as a trainer!
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer on April 6th, 2007 | No Comments »
Socrates
“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think”
Galileo Galilei
“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself.”
D. Blocher
“Learning is not a spectator sport.”
Mark van Doren
“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.”
Develop your training skills further on our Train the Trainer course.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer on May 11th, 2009 | No Comments »
Learning to behave assertively will greatly improve your life.
- You will gain self-respect and be respected by others.
- You will gain confidence and feel less anxious when facing conflict.
- You will be able to say no when you want to.
- You will be able to ask for what you want.
- You will be able to accept and give compliments and praise.
- You will have the courage to say difficult things
Imagine life without the resentment of not saying what you mean or getting consideration for your needs, having your opinions listened to. Remind yourself of the benefits of practising assertiveness skills.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Assertiveness on March 6th, 2007 | No Comments »
The best way to learn Presentation Skills is to attend a tutor led presentation skills training course where you can practice your skills and receive feedback.
This free guide provides useful tips for planning, writing and preparing your presentation.
This free presentation resource can be used in its entirety as each section follows the last – however each section contains useful tips in its own right.
The fundamentals of presentation skills
The key to a effective presentation skills is confidence, a solid foundation of knowledge and clear aims. It can often be overwhelming to speak in front audiences, but thorough preparation can aleviate those fears. Everyone get’s nervous, and a low level of nerves can also focus your mind and help you perform. Bad presentations are usually the result of a lack of confidence, bad organisation and under preparation. These issues can be easily overcome with training and experience.
Presentations are an effective way to communicate to large numbers of people at the same time. However, it’s not only about the information - you should be able to engange your audience, create interest and excitement in your subject and foster trust in you, the presenter.
For many people presenting can be a daunting and unpleasant experience. It needn’t be so, and here we’ll give you some simple tips to help you deliver more effective presentation skills.
What our clients think:
I have just attended your presentation skills training course and I just finished the best presentation I have ever given. It went very well. I have been told it is was the best of all the general presentations at our conference. Thank you for all your help!!” Clive Brentwood – – GlaxoSmithKline
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on September 2nd, 2009 | No Comments »
Before you start on the content of your presentation it is important to have a clear cut structure planned. This can help you to really pinpoint what you want to get across to your audience. There are five simple questions that you should ask yourself when deciding on the structure of you presentation:
- What’s the aim of my presentation? This may seem obvious however it is surprisingly easy to loose track and deviate. The audience wants a precise and easy to follow presentation – don’t go off on tangents.
- What’s the title? This will be the first thing you audience sees and will set the tone for the rest of the presentation. Pick something striking that reflects the overall message you are trying to convey.
- What type of audience am I speaking to? Know your audience! Think about what aspects they’ll be interested in, what questions they may ask, what they know already, and what style they will be comfortable with. Change your approach accordingly. If your audience would have seen a lot of presentations before yours, think about how to make yours stand out. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to perform some grand gesture as it is often the little things that make a real difference such as proper organisation and a decisive line of thought.
- What are the main points that I need to make? Be direct and to the point with clear cut sections, this will help the audience to follow what you are saying and help you to keep track of where you are. Normally you will want to limit the number of main points in your presentation to two or three – keep things simple.
- What do I want the audience to take away from my presentation? Whatever the purpose of your presentation make sure that it comes across clearly at the end. It is often the conclusion of a presentation that most of your audience will remember and it is your chance to really make an impression. By the end of your presentation you should make sure that you and your audience have a clear understanding of your message.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on September 2nd, 2009 | No Comments »
