User:WeeJeeVee/TraintheTrainer
Train the Trainer course in July 2016, London
The start of the course
To get in the Wikimedia building (on Saturday) then you have to phone Daria. But how to get the lands code when you are on the street. No panic, there will be other attendants I hope. And that was right, after 5 minutes there came some other 4 students. In the basement of the building there is a kind of classroom and there is coffee, oh not ready yet, internet, tables and a teacher. No, two trainers; Aidan and Candy Piercy from Midas solutions.
Goal
The Goal is: Write your own training model.
In this course everone is participant and observer.
The start
- Introduction
- housekeeping things........ so the participants feel fine. Be aware of fire exits etc
- Training team----make a leadtrainer, so there will never be a discussion point. The head/lead trainer makes the decision.
- Bring diversity in the training and be aware that keeping attention will weaken after 10 minutes. So then you have to do something to get them to the lesson. For example by planning active things, or using the flipchart etc.
- Take care of a specific learning point.
How people learn
There are four different types of individuals, no I mean people with different kind of learning schemes: Activist, Reflectors, Theorist, Pragmatists. They all need their own kind of lessons. Try to make a training where for all different sorts of them is something interesting, so no one gets bored.
After lunch dip
After lunch something actives, with a bit of laughter. Its good to get in a good mood again. Laughter is always good for starting a more serious subject.
Attitude
Dressing (of the trainer) is important. Don't let it disturb the atttention. Be aware of voice, speak clear not too fast, mind your attitude (straight up/neutral) and your breathing. It gives you air and rest if you breathe in the right way.
Feedback
Always start with something that was good and try to make the feedback positive. In difficult situations: I have a different view on this............ or when people know it (always) better: this is not the right workshop for you, you are more experienced you had better go to an expert workshop, that will fit more. But don't let them disturbe the whole course.
Make a training with a team
In a team of three persons we prepare a training of 30 minutes. Everyone has to do a part (or more), so we can all be seen acting. Make a time scheme and use a mind map.
Second day
Prepare the training and practice! Be clear about the learning subject. Make handouts and make hidden handouts (print four or six on A4) for the trainers. Take care of making a divers training, with some moments of activity in it.
Bad training, Feedback
We got an example of a bad training. After that, we have to give feedback. It was easy to find the bad points in the training. For feedback we have to start with good points. And end with is as well. The bad points, learning points, has to be in between, but don't hide them too much. Remember the differences of how people learn.
Our Training
By giving feedback, you have to be aware of several points. Those points you need for your own presentation as well. The save environment that the we are in, you can think nobody should be nervous. But everyone is! And that is normal and even good. It gives adrenaline and makes you alert. Thinking, oh I know that, it is easy to do etc, can be a big pitfall.
Listening and giving Feedback
The rest of the day we did our trainings. We got a lot of feedback and we could give feedback at each other. Positive and things to learn from. Listening, observing, searching for good things and try to turn negative points in a positive learning point.
It took the rest of the day. At the end of day two, the whole room was filled with Flip Chart with coloured text and post its.
Finished?
We went home, but we are nog finished. Within a fortnight we will have contact with one of the trainers to have a personal feedback. After that Wikimedia will have a message about our weldoings(?)!
Learning points
- engage people in different ways in the training
- it is not teaching
- consider learning styles and prepare a training around that
- listen for the volume drop
- movement, colour and images can help
- don't rush through slides
- mind your attitude, stand straight, hands etc
- constructive feedback
- always evaluate
- ... (fill up as you wish)
- ...
The third day
A two days course is ending with a Feedback conversation for the assessment for WMUK. It was held a few days after the course. I did have time to think about the course and the learnings. You are always thinking different about a course or a training after a few days. I had a talk with Aidan via Skype, what was the perfect tool to have a personal feedback. I think it was better than by telephone, because we could see each other and the most important see our reactions. I write here some points for me to remember (not all said as feedback, but what I thought about when writing this part of the survey.
- Aidan praised me for my body language, I don't have to say much, they can see what I think or that I am interested. Pitfall is that they can clearly see when I am not!
- A tip at the start of a training, breath in the right way, take care for the oxygen in your blood, that will give rest and confidence.
- The feedback i'd given was constructive and the topic was wel found. Don't hide the meat, let it be there crystal clear.
- The usage of visual aids could be a little more, that makes a training more divers.
- To be confident in the subject for the training can be very easy for the training. Makes you credible. Remember the handouts and the planning are a big part of it. Planning and rehearsal.
- The way of standing in front of the room, can give you authority
- Show enthusiasm