Training or teaching someone is the ability to coherently and concisely define and explain a technique, theory or concept in such a way that whomever you are talking to fully understands. However, the trainer or teacher must be in a situation and at a level of efficiency high enough which allows them to be able to do this. The teacher or trainer must learn to recognise and utilise the tools available to them. Here is just a quick summary of some of the tools and attributes available to you as a trainer:
Your Voice/Tone.
This is one of the most powerful tools that a trainer or teacher posses, this dictates not only what is being said but also how you communicate with your class. With your voice you should be able to control and teach a class. If done correctly there should never be any reason for you to use any other form of action in order to be able to maintain order in a classroom. The tone of your voice is almost as important as what you are saying and will be a massive factor in how you are interpreted.
Humour.
It is important to realize that a in order to teach or train effectively there must be a good working environment, this means that everyone must feel at ease and not in anyway embarrassed or frightened to offer an opinion. A few jokes here and there are not only great ice breakers but also help to make people feel comfortable. What you must not do however is to make fun of someone and making them the butt of the joke. This will only make them feel bad and affect your ability to teach them.
Communication.
This is a vital part of any teaching or training program. You should make it clear that if anyone does not understand what you are saying or what is happening that they are welcome to ask for your assistance. Some find it harder than others and you should never take it for granted that everyone understands. What it is often a good idea to do is to ask the class whether or not they understand directly, so as to hopefully prompt a response if anyone does not.
Learn in greater detail the right attributes for training on our Train the Trainer course.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer Training on April 17th, 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 Training on March 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »
There are many ways to teach or train someone or a group of people and many of them can be learnt on our Train the Trainer training course. One of the methods most commonly used is that of the group or class discussion. This could mean that you set an open forum at the centre of the classroom so that everyone can offer questions and opinions or you could have divided the class into smaller groups so that they can discuss it amongst themselves.
Either way this technique can be very effective at helping to involve people and give others a chance to get involved who otherwise would not have. One of the main theories behind having a class discuss an issue or project is that people will learn more if they are more involved and feel that they have come to the correct conclusion on their own. This not only helps people to understand what you are talking about but also it helps to generate enthusiasm.
However there are some drawbacks. For one it can take a long time to describe what you want to happen and to then set it up, especially if you have chosen to split the class up into smaller groups. The process itself is also time consuming, as it might take a while for people to come to the right conclusions and although this can be sped up by giving them assistance it can still sometimes take a while.
With discussions it can also be difficult to monitor and maintain order, as it is easy for people to get distracted when left to their own devices. So when you do set up a discussion group keep an eye out that they are keeping their eyes on the ball. It is also worth noting that a few people can often dominate the discussion alienating others who might wish to be more involved and causing the debate or discussion to become very one sided. It is your job as the trainer or teacher to try and maintain the balance in a discussion and try to involve as many people as you can.
Discussions can be a powerful tool to train with, however in order for them to be so you must make sure that they are done correctly.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer Training on May 1st, 2009 | No Comments »
