Ideas for Trainer Training

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Permalink Reply by Bob MacKenzie on October 24, 2010 at 11:46

Hi, David

Sounds like an interesting week ahead of you. I'm not sure if you're looking for technology-based or generic liveliness, but as you know, there atre many useful websites that offfer suggestions. Have you come across the one linked here? They're more along the lines of 'icebreakers', but some might lend themselves to being adapted to provide variety and energising at appropriate moments.

I hope this helps, but I'm sure that your innate creativity will come up with something anyway.

Best wishes. Bob

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Permalink Reply by David F McAra on October 24, 2010 at 16:09

Thanks, Bob. Lots of useful resources.

David

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Permalink Reply by Penny Walker on October 25, 2010 at 2:53

Can you bring in some 'real' learners (e.g. of the kind they'll end up training) for some 'real' practice training?

And get the end users to tell the trainee trainers what helps them to learn?

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Permalink Reply by David F McAra on October 25, 2010 at 16:02

Thank you, Penny. Sound suggestion. More reality in the room is always good.

David

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Permalink Reply by Deborah Ann Booth on October 26, 2010 at 4:51

David

I like Bob and Penny's suggestions and am struggling to think of anything fresh to add.

Your issue is a common one faced by trainers who understand it as a technical issue when it may in fact indicate the necessity of succumbing to organisational pressure to get people trained up quickly, rather than identify and meet learners business-related knowledge /development needs. Regrettably we are all too often told Go threre, Teach them that as if learners were empty vessels to fill and I know to my cost that to overtly challenge such assumptions may be a waste of time.

If one had time one might look underneath your assumption " I need to introduce a bit of variety to keep the process fresh" to ask "Why?"
What assumptions underly this conclusion? have these been checked out with learners to ensure they are empirically supported?

eg.s
Is there an assumption that you are in the business of entertainment?

Have it been assumed that these particular learners are unable to concentrate on even something they see as highly critical to their future success?

Are they required to learn in a few days what reasonably should be absorbed over alonger period of time?

What assumptions could be brought into consciousness about learners' learning needs- your learners(would-be trainers) and their own prospective learners?

Probably you have and haven't time to consider challenging people to examine their unspoken assumptions and test them against the evidence of their immediate social context. A pity that normal organisational short-termism denies you an opportunity for organisational learning which will always feel fresh for your learners because it invites them to think differently about the familiar

Good Luck. I know that you are a developer through top your fingertips and that giving yourself permission to follow your own gut instinct will lead to a successful outcome. I llok forward to hearing about it.

Deb

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Permalink Reply by David F McAra on October 26, 2010 at 8:02

Thanks, Deb. Good to be reminded to check assumptions before scurrying into action. I tend to be provoked by a horror of boring people which might push me towards needing to entertain. A vote of confidence always helps too!

David

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