This "train-the-trainer" workshop has prepared literally thousands of participants over the past 40 years to be effective, learner-centered instructors.  Our success stories range from those who have never taught a single class, to experienced instructors many of whom claim that they learned more useful skills in this 4 day program than in a multi-year college level curriculum.

Who Should Attend

Purpose

Course Objectives

Course Description

This program is designed for:

• New Instructors

• Seasoned instructors wishing to hone their skills

• Subject-matter experts who have been asked to teach

• Managers, supervisors, team leaders, and coaches with teaching responsibilities

Have you ever wondered:

• If students were really "getting it?"

• How to handle a class with varying levels of knowledge and experience?

• How to maintain attention and interest through "dry" material?

• How to ensure students would remember something several months after the training?

Effective Classroom Instruction provides proven, practical, non-theoretical answers to these and many other instructional questions.  The purpose of this program is to make you the best classroom instructor you can possibly be.

By the end of this program, you will be able to:

• Distinguish between "learner-centered" and "teacher-centered" instruction
• Apply 7 widely accepted principles of adult learning
• Use a variety of techniques to capture the interest and focus the attention of any audience
• Take students from the "known" to the "unknown", for every new topic
• Determine how much information can be presented before affirming understanding
• Employ multiple techniques to solicit feedback
• Use a variety of techniques to achieve varied and spaced repetition of key points
• Select appropriate "learning-by-doing" activities
• Enhance retention by using "vividness"
• Contrast "lecture method" teaching with "discussional method" teaching and identify the circumstances which make either appropriate for use
• Explain what makes discussional method teaching different than brainstorming
• Avoid common pitfalls which can render discussional method teaching ineffective
• Use "list building" or "information assembling" techniques to maximize learning
• Describe the instructional advantages of discussional method teaching
• Use questioning techniques to handle differing opinions and attitudes, disagreements between group members and hostility towards your message
• Create and use open-ended and closed-ended questions
• Identify the most appropriate target for a  specific question
• Use a 3 step process to handle the occasional "wrong" or "off-the-wall" answer
• Effectively manage silence in the classroom
• Effectively manage the information flow in the classroom
• Physically configure a classroom to cause maximum participation and learning
• Bring a "non-participator" into a discussion in a non-threatening manner
• Explain the importance of subtlety in resolving disruptive behaviors by adults
• Use a variety of techniques to handle disruptive behaviors like side conversations, over-participation, chronic arguments, overt negativity, and others
• Design and develop interactive student materials and handouts
• Describe 7 misconceptions about the lecture method of teaching
• Use a variety of techniques to turn a "traditional" lecture into a "participative" lecture
• Identify the attention span of an adult learner in a classroom environment
• Use the "2/3" rule as a benchmark for interactivity
• Use audiovisual aids in accordance with accepted principles of adult learning
• Describe the types and uses of role play, and orchestrate this activity effectively
• Design and use small group activities and case studies
• Use appropriate "icebreakers" to start the class in a positive and motivational way
• Employ techniques to use "testing" as a way to enhance learning and not merely a measurement device
• Write performance-based objectives which will serve as a blueprint for your training
• Create a "lesson-plan" or "instructor guide" which will address not only what is to be taught, but the instructional techniques which will cause the required learning
• Employ lesson planning strategies to assure quality control and consistent delivery from instructor to instructor
• Use a variety of techniques to cope with different levels of knowledge, skill, and applications in the same audience

Day One

• Introduction and focus on the week's objectives; a discussion of "learner-centered" versus "teacher-centered" instruction

• How adults learn; a comprehensive look at the critical events and stages of adult learning; 7 widely accepted principles

• The discussional method of teaching; using the knowledge and experience of your audience to achieve preplanned learning objectives

• The use of questions in discussional teaching; the types, targets, and uses of questions when leading a discussion; how to manage the flow of information in the classroom

• Practice with discussional method and questioning; students, in small groups, will create and deliver discussional method presentations based upon content provided by the instructor

• Handling "problem" students; the classic types of disruptive behavior and subtle ways of handling each; how to configure a classroom to avoid problems before they start

Day Two

• Practice presentations; each student will present a 15 minute discussional method presentation based upon his or her own content; each presentation will be critiqued in a subsequent "post-discussion"

• How to create interactive handouts and other written materials for students.

• The types, purposes, and basic structure of role play; how to orchestrate this activity effectively and overcome common problems

• Participative lecture; how to turn a lecture into an interactive learning experience; a detailed look at how to create, focus, and maintain attention and interest during a lecture as well as getting valid feedback from the audience; how to use the "2/3 rule" for interaction

Day Three

• Practice presentation; each student will present a 15 minute participative lecture on the topic of their choice; each presentation will be critiqued in a subsequent "post-discussion"

• How to use audiovisual aids in accordance with accepted principles of adult learning

• How to design and use small group activities and case studies

• Lesson planning; how to write learning objectives which will serve as a "blueprint" for your instruction; how to build a lesson plan or instructor guide which includes content as well as instructional techniques

Day Four

• Practice presentation; each student will present a 20-30 minute presentation on the topic of their choice, using a combination of instructional methods learned in class; each presentation will be critiqued in a subsequent "post-discussion"

• The use of testing as an instructional tool

• Icebreaking techniques; how to initially establish a participative, learner-centered environment;  how to overcome distractions and negative attitudes and start class in a positive, motivational way

• Summary and adjourn

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