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Category: FACILITATION TIPS
As facilitators of learning, teachers and trainers are constantly honing their own facilitation skills. They’re known to share their best and favorite learning tips with colleagues. Trainers Warehouse collates best practices from a broad range of resources, focusing on active learning, neuroscience, participation and engagement, gameplay, live and remote learning, and tons more.
Remote Icebreakers & Team Building Activities
Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, trainers looking to make their webinars as interactive as their live training sessions asked about virtual icebreakers. I initially put this blog post together several years ago, but am updating it now to reflect new ideas and new resources that have become availab... Read More
9 Ways to increase student engagement
As I culled through this week’s Marshall Memo I was pleased to find a bunch of suggestions to increase student participation. I was even more pleased that “Dry-erase boards” made the list. I believe it was about 10 years ago that we were sitting in a Trainers Warehouse product meet... Read More
Teach back challenge
Not too long ago, I learned about the term “teach back.” It’s when students teach what they’ve learned back to other students. This is a great way to ensure that folks really learned their stuff–learned it so well, in fact, that they can share it with others. Whe... Read More
Training Circus
Lessons from a Professional Clown-Turned-Trainer A few years ago, more than 200 clowns attended the 40th reunion of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College recently. Although today I am president of Trainers Warehouse, I’m proud to say I was one of them. While in the reunion spiri... Read More
Flip Chart Tips & Tricks
Flip charts might feel a bit retro these days, but a recent survey revealed that 76% of the teachers and trainers surveyed still use them. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of flip charts. When I record students comments, input or goals on a flip chart, they feel involved and heard. Alterna... Read More
Give ’em a break
I know you’re reluctant to take a break because you have too little time to get through all the material you need to cover. I’ve been there too. However, all of the research (referenced below) points to the same conclusion — your group will actually retain more if you do take a b... Read More
Making dry topics engaging
These tips were drawn from a number of LinkedIN discussions, focusing on how to make dry topics (accounting, insurance, technical training, etc.) more interesting. Perhaps the ideas listed here will get your creative juices flowing. 1. Your enthusiasm is contagious If you’re not excited about ... Read More
Maslow’s Hierarchy and Meeting Learners’ Basic Needs
In his 1943 paper, A Theory of Human Motivation, psychologist Abraham Maslow , [2] proposed the idea that a person’s most basic needs must be satisfied before higher order needs can be addressed. The needs he identified are: Physiological – includes air, food, water, sex, sleep, other factors to... Read More
Starting Off Right
Because first impressions matter, a good start to your training session can make a world of difference in the overall effectiveness of the learning event. Several trainers have commented on the ways they prime participants for learning before they even begin. Before the Meeting Starts… Be in... Read More
Wait! Slow down.
Don’t be too quick to call on the first hand that goes up. By doing so, you signal to other students that they should stop thinking of an answer. Experts suggest that you extend your wait time to 5 to 10 seconds! This assertion is supported in several research reports, including: Journal of Re... Read More
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LEARNING FACILITATION TIPS
Browse through tons of tips and tools that cover all aspects for training. Sharpen facilitation skills by understanding, for instance, how to:
- Use card decks for metaphorical debriefs
- Deliver interactive training on a tight budget
- Integrate games into content delivery
- Draw on brain science to develop effective training techniques
- Put Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset approach into action
- Draw out quiet learners and manage difficult participants
INSIGHTS, TEACHING TOOLS, & MORE
Beyond learning facilitation tips to help teachers and trainers hone their facilitation skills, Trainers Warehouse shares insights and product selection tools drawn from serving the training industry for over 30 years. While Trainers Warehouse sells 100s of training tools and toys on their e-commerce website, they share 1000s of free tips within this blog. Special interest categories include exercises and activities or popular training topics, as well as communication and relationship-building tools to help learners engage in meaningful conversations.
"EDUTAINMENT" GURU
Susan Landay, the President of Trainers Warehouse, graduated from Yale College, Kellogg Business School and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. She’s the perfect resource to help trainers and teachers balance fun and professionalism, education and entertainment. Her insightful thinking and careful research make the WorkSMART blog interesting and informative.