This blog relates to the unit TAEDEL411 Facilitate vocational training unit from the course TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Can we really teach just anybody to be a trainer? Can we teach just anybody to be a concert pianist? We can all agree that it takes a special talent and passion to be a concert pianist. The same applies to being a trainer.
What makes for a superlative trainer? Of course they must know their subject – that goes without saying. But knowing your subject and being able to impart the knowledge and skills to others are two different things.
A trainer needs instinct, talent and passion. They need confidence in their own ability while empathising with the learner’s lack of confidence. It’s important for us to remember where we came from and how hard it was for us in the beginning. We need to “leave ourselves outside the door” and focus on our learners. When you focus on your learner and what they are thinking, you don’t have time to be self-conscious.
We may start with a session plan, but we also need to think on our feet and know when to throw the session plan out the door and, instead, give the learners what they need when they need it.
We have a number of DEL units in the TAE and no doubt they will provide additional knowledge and skills but if the trainer is not born to train, all the teaching in the world will not make them into a trainer.
Written by Sandy Welton
Post your thoughts on what makes a great trainer.
Wow I think back on those handful of teachers as I progressed through my school years and university, I see them so clearly and have the same emotional response to the memory I did then. These handful of people probably had no idea at the time that they were so important and really were watershed moments along my path. So, what set this group apart from other teachers? As a student they fed my curiosity, they were passionate about their subject and invested in imparting their expertise to me. I always felt a deep caring commitment from them, these were empathic people, they were thinkers, carers, no question was off the table, no question too mundane or stupid, all answered with tolerance, and you were not afraid to speak up.
Looking back these teachers set a different tone in their classroom, they led by example, it was a safe space where you were not belittled but could explore the subject and life in general in an open, secure environment. That 40-minute class period was one you looked forward to and it made your day when you had it scheduled on your timetable.
Is that innate? My guess is yes, that group possibly took that humanity with them through life. I know I would not be undertaking this course and other life choices but for the way they touched my life all those years ago. I hope I have absorbed what made this group so special and that I may one day be that teacher/trainer for another insecure, directionless, struggling student.
These are great memories Fiona, Teachers who made a difference!
A great trainer is flexible in that they would realise that not learners learn in the same way. By being flexible a great trainer is able to adapt their plans to help accommodate the needs of the learner.
A great trainer is one that is adaptable to meet the needs of their students. A class will have people from various backgrounds, skill levels and with different life experiences. A trainer must be able to work effectively keeping this in mind to create a supportive learning environment. Even following a session plan or to meet key learning outcomes a great trainer will be able to make the content engaging and relevant by how they deliver the class. They should also be approachable, so students are willing to ask questions and be more involved in their own learning experience