The Poor Trainer

Just a quick post with some image resources.  Hi resolution images were difficult to find at one time.  Not any longer.  Check out the images at unsplash.com.  Free to use with no strings attached.

I have to admit that I often rush graduation from a course. I know reviewing material and wrapping up a course is important.  However, after five to ten days in a class I often just want to get home to Momma.

I recently attended a class in which the instructor completed the course with a “Gratitude” Graduation.  The process is simple:

1. Give everyone a certificate of graduation that belongs to someone else in the class
2. Give everyone 5 minutes to allow them to find the person whose certificate they are holding.  When they do, they must tell the person they are awarding the certificate to something they appreciated about them during their time in class.  It may be comments they made, their sense of humor, or their insight.

This exercise completes the course on a positive note.  Everyone is affirmed, valued and appreciated.  It is a win-win for everyone.

Many of us shy away from pictures and run screaming when someone tries to video us.  I recently learned the value of filming yourself in the classroom during certification for Verbal Defense and Influence, a class I will be teaching numerous times in the coming years.  As part of the certification you spend a LOT of time in front of the camera.  As part of the certification I had to complete a teach-back and during this time I was filmed for 3 hours.  What a lesson. Continue reading →

In this post I simply want to sing the praises of another site that has been very useful to me over the last few years.  As a manager of a distance learning team, I lead a team that provides both classroom and distance learning.  As you can tell from most of my posts, I have a personal love for classroom training.  However, I had to learn and must continue to learn about the benefits and challenges of distance learning.  One of the best resources I have found is the Articulate web site.  Articulate is a tool used to plan, design and publish web-based training.  As with all business, they have a product to sale.  However, they have also shown a committment to educating trainers through their Rapid E-Learning Blog hosted by Tom Kuhlmann and through their E-Learning Community who shares experiences and resources.  Enrolling in the community takes only a few moments, has no cost, and does not result in a gazillion e-mails jamming up your in-box.  In just the past week I have downloaded free vector graphics in a PowerPoint format, high definition free use graphics,  and a number of blurred backgrounds that are immediately ready for use.   Check them out today for a little self-training and don’t forget to look around for free resources.

Great trainers are great readers.  It is one of the first helpful pieces of advice that I was given as a new trainer years ago.  Want to train people on leadership, you will need to read books on leadership, remember emotional stories that relay the importance of leadership, and have a library of inspirational quotes concerning leadership.  The same thing applies about anything you want to teach effectively.  Technology, supervision, ethics, performance.  Whatever you teach, you will need to be well read on the subject to be effective. Continue reading →