Training the Trainer

1. Training the Trainer Prepared for North Central Texas Council of Governments by Environmental Trainers, Inc. 817-339-2554

2. Training the Trainer • Success takes planning. • For effective instruction, you have to plan, plan, and them plan more. • The instructor must know what s/he wants his/her students to learn. • You must also understand how adult students learn.

3. OUTLINE • Instructor Objectives • Attendee Objectives • Adult Learning Techniques • Tips and Tricks • Examples

4. Instructor Objectives • Set learning objectives for the course. This gives you the outline of your course. • Plan the instruction of the learning objectives. ID details of how to teach the material. Use of lecture, video, graphics, practical application, etc. • Evaluate whether the students are achieving the learning objectives. This could be testing, discussion, games, hands-on activities or other means. Plan Do Check All of this equals……. Lesson Plans!

5. Instructor Objectives Your goal as an instructor is to have as much ACTIVE learning as possible during your course. • Active: participating, taking part in an activity; “an active member of the club” • Passive: lacking in energy or will; “the passive class was dull, slow, and sluggish”

6. Learning Objectives This becomes your course outline.

7. Learning Objectives The learning objectives should be attendee focused. Example: “At the end of the training, the attendee should be able to…..” • Apply knowledge • Describe a problem • Recognize the symptoms of …

8. Learning Objectives When developing ACTIVE learning goals, use these verbs: • Create • Evaluate • Analyze • Apply Using verbs like the following equals PASSIVE learning: • Understand • Remember • Learn • Describe • Identify • Locate • Operate • Detect • Organize • Prepare • Revise • Appreciate • Believe • Know

9. Learning Objectives Mine for you today are: • Use at least 3 tips from today’s class in preparing to teach the IDDE material. • Repeat key info 3 times in your course. • Develop at least 1 demonstration or game for your course.

10. Active Learning is BEST! • Note: • This image, "The Learning Pyramid," is NOT based on any verifiable research, yet it is widely cited. • Nonetheless, those who must teach the material know it better than those that don’t. • The National Training Laboratories in Bethel Maine, does exist, but this diagram is not found on their website. It could, however, be in their training materials. Passive Active

11. Lesson Plans This identifies the methods you will use to teach the material. (lecture, video, graphics, practical application, etc..)

12. Lesson Plans • Ensure continuity. • Show your organization on the subject. • Give students a “framework” for the new information. • Create interest and motivation. • Assure balance of emphasis for major points. • Serve as an outline for back-up instructor.

13. Lesson Plans…. VS

14. Lesson Plans…. Heading 3 Heading 2 Heading 1 Heading 4 Topic = Details

15. Lesson Plans…. • Topic • 5 main branches • 13 forks • Equals TOO MUCH info for • one session!

16. Lesson Plans Do’s • Limit the number of concepts you present. • Students will retain and use what they learn if not overloaded. • KISS principle • Break topics into multiple training sessions if necessary • Remember that your objective is for your students to USE what they learn.

17. Lesson Plans…. • A tree is allowed to grow over time • So are your trainees!

18. Instructor Do’s • Give the students an outline. • Keep them informed of the progress with respect to the outline. • Issue a challenge...it keeps people interested: • Keep track of my mistakes during the presentation • Guess the music • Guess the quote

19. Evaluate how much learning takes place Testing, discussion, games, hands-on activities or other means.

20. Evaluate the Learning • Evaluate the amount of “active learning” taking place DURING the course – don’t wait until the end! • Make the learners talk to you. If they don’t talk, call on them. • When one talks, they all begin to talk. • When they talk, you can easily evaluate how much they have learned.

21. Evaluate the Learning • Use photographs and ask “what is wrong with this picture?” • Play games and create competition. • Demonstrations are great! • make the learners participate! • Don’t do it all yourself. • Create competition here if you can. • Provide scenarios that they must investigate/solve/etc. • Can be individual or team-based. • Can be handouts or verbal

22. Evaluate the Learning • Sometimes, written exams are required. • If they are, make sure that your test questions align with your learning objectives. • If they aren’t, tell them that they can get out of the written exam if they participate the entire time! It’s your judgment call, so they have to be good!

23. OUTLINE • Instructor Objectives • Attendee Objectives • Adult Learning Techniques • Tips and Tricks • Examples

24. Attendee Objectives • The learner’s goal is MOST important for any learning. • Most students have an idea of what they want learn from a class. • Note: some want to learn NOTHING! They are in attendance because they had no choice! • If they don’t get what they needed, your class is a “waste of time” for them. ASK them what they need!

25. Attendee Objectives • Some instructors will have ZERO credibility with their audience. • May need to include a supervisor & the supervisor’s boss to get cooperation (don’t go too high up the chain). • Have attendees show what they do • it’s interactive, • It recognizes their talents & role in the organization • It builds credibility of the instructor when you are interested in their job

26. Attendee Objectives • Most learners EXPECT to be bored during training. • Show them up front that you will not be boring! • Use a short brain teaser, like the following….

27. CRITICAL THINKING The Professional Questionnaire

28. The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and will tell you whetheryou are qualified to be a "professional." The questions are NOT that difficult.

29. 1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

30. Correct answer: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door.  This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

31. 2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

32. Did you say, "Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator"? Wrong!

33. Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

34. 3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend except one. Which animal does not attend?

35. Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory. OK, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

36.  4. There is a river you must cross but it is inhabited by crocodiles.  How do you manage it?

37. Correct Answer: You swim across. All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

38. According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide: • 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, • Many preschoolers got several correct answers. Therefore, this disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four year old.

39. Attendee Objectives • They want “PRACTICAL” not principles! You can discuss the size of a spill all day, and no one will really know how big a spill is. Fix this with a demo: take them outside and “spill” 5 gallons of water, then 10, 15, 20 and 25 so that they see on the ground how big a spill is. Ask them to predict how far it will go before you start –then see who was right.

40. Attendee Objectives • Most learners do not sit at a desk all day. Sitting in a classroom can be tedious for them. • Another way to make something interactive…try walking with questions.

41. Rules • If you answer a question with “yes”, then walk across the room. • If you answer a question with “no”, stay where you are. • Note the number of people who are standing with you at each answer and how that changes with each question.

42. OUTLINE • Instructor Objectives • Attendee Objectives • Adult Learning Techniques • Tips and Tricks • Examples

43. Adult Learning You can’t teach adults the same way you teach children….in other words…. Don’t teach like you were taught. • Adults need to know why they should learn something. • Your job as a trainer is to create that "need to know“ • Demonstrate the value of what is being offered.

44. Adult Learning • Adults need to be active in the learning process. • Adults easily revert back to their conditioning as children. • They fold their arms, sit back and say, "Teach me." • Your role is to help them quickly transition from that old behavior to actively learning.

45. Adult Learning • Adults learn when they experience a need to know .....for work or personal reasons. Make a work-related topic apply to their personal life and you have them hooked! • Applying what they learn increases retention. Get them to apply what they’ve learned to a “real life” situation.

46. Adult Learning • Learners want to tailor knowledge to their specific situation.Use “war stories – if you don’t have any, ask the audience for theirs! • Learners also want to interact with others during training. Let them learn from each other. • Learners will excel if you show the benefits of learning. Certificates of training equal faster promotions.

47. Adult Learning • Things learned last are the best remembered. • Neutral is boring! • Create stress or fun to induce learning. • A little fear can be good! • First and last impressions are retained.Open and end with laughter, war stories, funny photos, etc. • Students remember the unusual rather than the normal.

48. Adult Learning • Show what “not” to do…it works. • Learners believe “experts”.Don’t make yourself the expert if you are not! • Tell them they are doing well.Encourage them! • Show your students the “tie-in” to their job.You MUST do this. And finally…………

49. Adult Learning • Don’t try to use all of these concepts at once…you’ll drive yourself and your class crazy!

50. OUTLINE • Instructor Objectives • Attendee Objectives • Adult Learning Techniques • Tips and Tricks • Examples