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Calling All Teachers and Trainers!
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| Theresa |
Hey!
So I was just promoted to trainer of my department (which is awesomely awesomeness... :)).
Anyway, I have taught elementary aged children and I have taught a few segments of the material I will be training, but I would love to hear from those of you who are experienced what your techniques/tips are.
How do you handle bad students?
How do you do prepare your lessons?
What do you do to make it fun (I am working with adults)?
My teaching material is far from thrilling/exciting. In fact, it is really hard stuff to learn. I am currently creating a common commands and codes acronym glossary for them so that they have something to refer to (I am teaching a DOS based program).
Any suggestions are appreciated...
P.S. No, I will not teach naked :p |
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| whereinutep |
| Wear Booty Shorts to your first day of class. |
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| Boomer187 |
training and teaching are two separate animals. Luckily I've done both. The key to training, keep it short, keep it interesting, and keep it short. :wtf:
but if you really want to train them on a system, break it down into small steps...small steps. Ask engaging questions that they have to think about the process, not just yes of no or shake your head. All this takes up 80% of your time. When facilitating do a few steps for them first, then have them complete it. and of course ask your questions throughout.
for disruptive people, at a break talk to them. let them know whats up and what they need to do (e.g. shut the Eff up).
Always start off by meeting everyone and learning names. as they walk in shake hands and exchange names and ask a good question. Have name tents, and walk around the room.
and to make it fun, always, always, always have an ice breaker. Something to get their blood flowing and to engage them with the other students. however this is hard when training a DOS based system cause usually the ice break has to semi-somewhatily relate to the topic.
one cool ice breaker was never have I ever. stand in a circle, hold all all your fingers, and one person starts by saying something they have never done. Then if someone has done that they put down a finger. do this til there is one left and give them a prize...(a piece of gum or a pencil).
lol, i write too much. |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by Theresa
How do you handle bad students? |
What kind of bad students?
| quote: | Originally posted by Theresa
How do you do prepare your lessons? |
Roughly speaking, I divide them into three parts:
- Introduction: I tell the students what it's going to be all about and start talking about the basics.
- Exercise: I don't know if this is relevant to you but I try to have the students practise as much as possible in order to learn the concepts I introduced.
- Conclusion: Once I'm sure that the students learnt whatever it is that I taught them, I review the most important concepts and tell them to go home :D
Edit: As for the fun part... hmm... I actually talk as if I were doing stand up comedy, hehehe |
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| Vivid Boy |
| soooo your officially training at Taco Bell? |
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
| rape is a good discipline tool. |
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| Abercrombie |
People still teach DOS? That's so 80s.
Ask me anything about DOS... edlin, chkdsk, copy, etc.... |
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| Theresa |
| quote: | Originally posted by Abercrombie
People still teach DOS? That's so 80s.
Ask me anything about DOS... edlin, chkdsk, copy, etc.... |
It's a DOS *BASED* program; the GDS (Global Distribution System) referred to as Sabre which is used to manage flights.
Thanks a lot for the tips so far :)
Bad students = disruptive, don't pay attention, etc. and yes, there will be time that they will get to use the program and practice on it.
Unfortunately, I have a very small amount of time to teach a lot of material, so I wont be able to do a whole lot of "let's meet each other" stuff. Luckily, most of them have already met each other as they have completed basic training. I am doing advanced training.
I am pretty excited about the whole thing though... I am being flown to Montreal and Ottawa to teach classes and will be given a rental so I can commute to another city and teach there as well.
YAY :D |
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| nchs09 |
| They actually let you teach people something? That is a scary thing. |
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| Theresa |
| quote: | Originally posted by nchs09
They actually let you teach people something? That is a scary thing. |
LOL!
:stongue:
Silly Mexican :p |
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| Abercrombie |
OK, Sabre... now I know what material and age group you're going to have. So you're not dealing with children here. You'll have an easier time teaching today than if you would 10 years ago when it comes to computer technology.
So you're dealing with new travel agents or wannabes. All adult classes (or any) you still have to get the ice broken. Make 'loot bags' for them, which could include a notepad, copies of your key course material (or ppt slides), swag/logo'd pen, and one of those folding paper name plates for each of them to write their names on (oh yeah, like what Boomer said). Speaking to them by name keeps their attention.
Start your course with introducing yourself and your qualifications (as well as a something personal and interesting about yourself, you are human) and the summary and outline to let them know the course of your material, as well as expectations of when the coffee/smoke breaks as well as the lunch break. Guage your audience from time to time for signs of fatigue, and mind your intonations. Changing the tone of your voice keeps them interested.
Make activities, put them in groups to solve a problem, role play, or task once in the morning and another in the afternoon.
Changes like this keeps them from getting bored. You can even start off with an activity to get them excited! It doesn't have to be course-related. For example, break them out into teams and have them list all the parts of the body which only have 3 letters (I think there are 11 of them, there will always be a few the whole class misses like lip). You can make it course related like "Name all popular airlines with 3 consonants". I'm sure if you google for all the answers, you'll have some they didn't mention, and you'll get lots of OOOs and AHHHs.
I don't think you'll deal much with unruly students. Unlike high school, they're not there because they have to, they're there because they want to. For chatterboxes, you can always ask them by name a question on their opinion on what you just talked about to get their attention back.
You got butterflies, but remember you're a social butterfly Theresa, just go out there confident and outgoing like you are here, and in real life. |
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| Allied Nations |
montreal...
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