Articles and Podcasts
 The mission of PrepMasters and these podcasts is to create effective instructors. Are you an effective instructor? Does your expertise translate into student learning?
The art of effective instruction produces great instructors. A great instructor is someone who can turn their expertise into learning that makes a difference in their students’ lives. Below is an article with more information on Teaching to Individual Learning Styles.
Teaching to Individual Learning Styles (a 5-part series)
Part 3: Kinesthetic Learners
Welcome to Part 3 of a five-part series of podcasts on Teaching to Individual Learning Styles. In Part 3, I’ll teach you how to cater to the kinesthetic learners in your class. This article discusses what kinesthetic learners are and gives you some tips on adapting your teaching style to make it easy for them to learn.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Trainer Training on Thursday, May 3rd, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
It is important to realize that any trainer needs two separate sets of skills and knowledge. First, they need to know the topic they are teaching (subject matter expertise). And second, they need to know how to transfer that information to the student (instructional expertise). When instructors are hired to train adult students, they need both of these sets of skills. The problem is, corporations need people that know the topic material very well; and in order to know a topic well enough to teach it at a high level, you often have to have expert experience or a graduate degree in it, yourself.
 So most corporations and colleges hire instructors that have graduate degrees or subject matter expertise in the areas they will be training. But this is a sacrifice, because most of the instructors have little or no training in instructional expertise, or trainer training. The administrators assume that having been exposed to so many learning experiences, the instructors will have learned how to teach simply by watching other instructors teach.
Most commonly the skills that are learned are traditional lecture style, which are non-interactive and not well suited for non-auditory learning styles. High schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, however, know better. They know that the best teachers have usually been taught how to teach. So they require their teachers to have both classes in and practice at teaching — in addition to other education in the topic or topics that they will be teaching.
It is ironic that the elementary schools and middle schools, which are designed for much less intense instruction than colleges, better understand the importance of hiring teachers who have been taught how to teach. The same can be said for any instructor — whether you are teaching preschoolers, teenagers, or adults, you can’t just explain a topic to your students, and then expect them to “get it.”
 You must also be able to design ways to authentically assess whether or not your students have learned what you’re trying to teach them. And you should be able to address different types of difficulties that students with special needs may have so that you can best assist them in learning the topics you are presenting.
Train the trainer training can help you do all of those things, and more. PrepMasters Be A Great Trainer Workshop gives you excellent training skills and career certification based on the latest research.
Posted in: Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
 When raising a child, pediatricians will suggest to the parents that they ask themselves “Who is in control here?” As a trainer, we have to ask the same question: Are our visual aids, or ourselves (the trainer) the ones in control (if the answer is our audience- that is a completely separate topic which will be discussed in the future).
We must always be in control of our presentation and our class structure. Once we lose that control, our student loses the purpose of their training: to convey the material in a way that the participants will be able to absorb and use.
How do we lose control?
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Boring the participants by going into too much detail
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Expecting audio visual material to do all the training
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Allowing the participant to take control
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Not having a full understanding of the materials
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Using methods of teaching students cannot relate to
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Unengaging presentations
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Non-Verbal messages contrasting with words
We have all had training sessions that could have been much more effective. PrepMasters’ purpose is to help you maximize the effectiveness of your presentations. We plan to discuss the above issues in further posts. Please let us know your suggestions or questions. We can all learn from each other!
Posted in: Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
Boring - that’s the last word we want to hear in our training evaluations! There can be many reasons why our students feel that way. A common reason for boredom and confusion is providing too much information.
Most trainers enjoy sharing knowledge with their students, and some trainers fall into the trap of getting so excited that they really want to share, share, and share. Let’s face it - our students may not be as excited about the material as we are. Too much detail may drive them to a point of pure frustration!
Avoid These Fatal Training Errors:
- Going into too much detail with unnecessary information
- Sharing information that is off-topic or too difficult to understand
 As you prepare for your next training program, verify that you have a clear understanding of the material, your students’ needs and the methods you will be using. Look at the material from their perspective - what they already know, what they need to know, and what would just be a waste of their time to know. The next step is selecting the most effective way to share the information with the group, which we will discuss in future posts regarding trainer training.
Do not let distractions or questions take you off-course and avoid burying your students in detail. Focusing on the necessary information is what will make you an effective trainer!
Posted in: Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
Just about every class has one: the student who thinks that he or she is smarter than the trainer and knows more about the topic than the trainer does. Some of these know-it-all’s deliberately try to disrupt the class; others don’t consciously try to do so, but may nevertheless cause problems.
The know-it-all student may do any or all of the following:
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put up their hands to answer every question
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find folly in the course content
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openly ridicule your training methods
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openly ridicule other students’ questions and answers
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repeatedly interrupt you or other students who are trying to talk
 Most of the time, the know-it-all will talk just for the sake of talking-and they will ignore you and other students, even if you point out where they have made an error. They may have credentials, experience, or technical know-how that you don’t. They may have been trained in areas that you haven’t. To them, this means that they are smarter than you-and therefore more qualified to teach.
These know-it-all’s cause trouble but it’s not the first time. They have been exhibiting this poor behavior long before they got to your classroom, possibly since high school. Don’t take it personally. Using the tools you learn in the PrepMasters’ comprehensive train the trainer workshop and in this article you will learn how to turn this behavior around.
Know-it-all’s may disrupt the classroom and distract other students from learning. They often interrupt the flow of thought. They waste time. And they may anger you and other students, frustrate you, make you feel anxious, or possibly even embarrass you. So you need to know how to handle them. Here’s what you shouldn’t do:
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ignore them
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challenge them
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ridicule them
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grin and bear it
Here’s what you should do:
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identify the problem
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acknowledge that they are smart
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show them that they still have something to learn from you
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get them to work cooperatively with the rest of the class and with you
Confidence
The know-it-all appears to have great confidence. But this can be a cover-up. The truth is, some know-it-alls feel very insecure and unconfident. In order to keep people from finding out how insecure they feel, they project a strong confident attitude to erase all doubt that they have ability in the particular area that they happen to be weak in.
Then there are those know-it-all’s who actually ARE confident. These are the most difficult to deal with, because no matter what you tell them, they are unlikely to believe you if they already have another idea in their mind. The more confident they are, the more difficult it is for you to convince them that you can teach them anything.
Some Know-It-All’s Don’t Know Much
Some people are very nervous in class. They may feel so nervous, in fact, that they might think that they’ll do worse than most of the other students will. This can be frightening. They don’t want everyone else to know how little they know, and they don’t want anyone to know that they’ll do badly. So to compensate, they loudly proclaim that they know a lot, and they take every chance they can to prove it.
Fortunately, you can easily calm their fears. And if their fears go away, their know-it-all attitude will probably go away, too. Guide them, reassure them, and get them all of the extra help they need to do well; and then let them know how well they are doing. Once they feel confident, they may easily become enthusiastic students.
Some Know-It-All’s Really DO Know A Lot
 Sometimes, however, the person that claims to know it all really does know quite a bit. They may be experts in their field. They may already have certification and credentials that you do not. And they want you to acknowledge this. Understandably, they are just looking for a little acknowledgment and respect.
But just because they know a lot about the topic doesn’t mean that they are good at teaching it. In order to get them to cooperate, you’re going to have to get them to understand that people with great knowledge on a topic are not necessarily qualified to be teachers of that topic. Teaching takes instructional expertise plus subject matter expertise.
Four Steps to Managing a Know-It-All
So if you can’t ignore them and you can’t openly challenge them, what can you do with them? Like it or not, you are still their instructor, and you have to deal with them-both to help the class learn, and to help the know-it-all learn. You can turn this behavior around so that they do not continue to repeat it in every classroom situation. Here is a four-step strategy to help:
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Assess the situation First of all, find out how much they really know. If they already know everything that you are teaching, then there’s no reason for them to sit there in class-that would only waste their time, and yours. So if they really can’t learn anything from your class, then lead them to another one that they can learn something from.
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Acknowledge them They are either looking for acknowledgment, reassurance, or both. So the first thing you need to do is make them more comfortable by assuring them that they are intelligent and that they do know things-even if they don’t know everything they’re talking about. And then use them. Give them extra things to do, extra ways to help, make them the TA (teachers assistant). Talk to them on a personal level in a friendly manner.
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Disarm them Whatever you do, don’t let them make you angry. The last thing you want is to openly challenge them. Instead, appear to be friendly to them. Acknowledge their expertise. Invite them to show what they know. And then ask them a lot of really tough questions, so that they can see what there is left for them to learn from you. You can do this as an open forum question and answer session for the whole class to participate in.
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Get them to participate Once you’ve gotten them to show you their expertise, you need to get them to admit that there is still something that they can learn from class. Otherwise, you can’t justify them being there. If they agree that they still have things to learn, then you can probably get them to participate in the class. Show them that these skills are very important for their job, and that by staying around in the class to help, everyone will know just how good they are.Admittedly, managing the know-it-all is a challenge. If you handle things carefully, though, you may be able to positively impact their lives by converting a really annoying, disruptive student into one who is enthusiastic and a genuinely helpful leader in the classroom.
Posted in: Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
Communication- it is an essential business skill that is required in almost every type of industry. For those in the training community, superior communication skills are not only essential, but they are a pre-requisite to successfully explaining a subject. 
The ability to convey knowledge to others is a powerful skill and must be developed in order to be an effective communicator. Without this training, we often use bad habits we’ve picked up along the way.
Slipping into these “bad habits” or deadly training sins can sabotage your training effort and minimize the effectiveness of your overall training objective. While there are many “deadly presentation sins” to avoid, some of the most common include the following:
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Burying students in detail- inhibits learning. Giving students more information than they are ready to absorb creates confusion and fear, and is scientifically proven to deter learning. Build a foundation of understanding and make sure they are comfortable with the information before you add details.
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Disorganization- developing a training plan, organizing your materials and your training facility can be as important as your knowledge of the training topic.
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Excessive use of words like “umm” or “and”- When we are nervous, we often unconsciously tack on these words at the end of a statement. They serve as a constant “interruption” between relevant training information and have an adverse impact on the students’ ability to fully understand the information.
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Fidgeting or foot shifting - is a nervous reaction to public speaking and is extremely distracting to students
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Lack of control over the pace of a presentation- In an effort to convey information, presenters often forget the importance of pacing. Many presenters speak too quickly for students to grasp the concepts; others speak too slowly to retain the attention of students.
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Diminishing students’ self esteem- Just as presenting in front of a group takes courage so does asking a question. Presenters must make efforts to maintain the self esteem of students who ask or answer questions or risk alienating not only the student asking the question but all who witnessed the interaction.
So now that we know what some of the deadly sins are, how can we avoid them? As trainers we must be aware of how we are presenting at all times. Learning the training techniques and skills developed by PrepMasters expert trainers can help you build your presentation skills and avoid these common pitfalls. Once you learn these skills practice, practice and practice.
Posted in: Uncategorized, Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
To follow up on our recent newsletters, our third method of losing control in a training session happens when we expect our instructional media to do the training. There is a tendency to allow the movie/slideshow/PowerPoint to do the teaching for us.
 A common student complaint is that they do not feel like they get anything out of the material. Reasons for this could be because there was no explanation of what they should be looking for, no understanding of the subject matter, or that the material was simply boring. It is important for you to assess the students learning, and for the students to understand how they can apply the material to their learning. A good rule of thumb is to use instructional media to compliment your presentation, not to replace it. You and your students are the strongest tools you have! Here are a few general guidelines you may want to follow when adding media to your presentation:
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PowerPoint presentations should be used as a backdrop or a cue card. The slides should be short and concise, listing bullet points. Remember that a visual learner will be reading everything on the slide and if you have too much information, they will not be listening to you.
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Always prepare a backup plan. If a bulb dies or the movie won’t work, how fast can you repair it and what alternatives do you have for teaching the material? It is not the preparation that the students will remember; it is your reaction to the problem. Technical difficulties happen: use teacher finesse to find a creative solution to the problem.
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Do not expect the instructional media to do the teaching. When using movies, discuss with the students what you expect them to observe and learn, and how it will help them to understand the material. Don’t be afraid to pause the movie to discuss parts of it, answer questions or to make a further illustration.
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Ensure that students can see the materials clearly and that you can see their reaction to the materials. It is a natural tendency to keep a room dark when using instructional media. With the lights out it is hard to see their reaction and to watch their body language so that you can properly react to their needs.
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When using audio equipment, ensure all participants can hear the material. Turning the volume up for one participant may make another participant uncomfortable. Instead, see about sitting the participant who cannot hear closer to the source.
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Use of instructional media can be a great supplement to almost all training sessions, provided it is used in a manner which enhances understanding of the material.
Posted in: Uncategorized, Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
The need for skilled trainers continues to grow as America’s workforce meets the challenges of changing technology and information. Acquiring new knowledge and skills is critical to your job success and ongoing professional development.
Some workers may be able to walk onto a job and get their hands around it immediately, but for most new employees, training is necessary. That is why trainers are important! It is the trainer’s job to ensure that employees have the knowledge, ability and confidence to tackle their new job.
It is important to realize that any trainer needs two separate sets of skills and knowledge. First, they need to know the topic they are teaching (subject matter expertise). Second, they need to know how to transfer that information to the student (instructional expertise).
Great Training leads to the following positive results:
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employees perform their jobs with more confidence
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they learn more quickly
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they work more accurately
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they get along better with other employees
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they’re more capable of training other employees
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they work better in teams
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since things are easier for them at work, they have more job satisfaction; and they are more likely to stick with the job longer
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they are much more likely than other employees in the same position to master their job well enough to be promoted later
When a trainer stands in front of a crowd or is working one-on-one, it is their responsibility to make sure that the right information is shared with the proper methods. Attending a Train the Trainer certification workshop such as PrepMasters’ Be A Great Trainer workshop can help with this. By using different techniques to meet the group and individual needs, trainers with the Train the Trainer certification ensure that the proper message is conveyed to their listeners so that they are well trained for their position. It may take a lot of creativity, patience and fortitude, but that is what makes the Train the Trainer participants so qualified to train.
In a Train the Trainer course, you:
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work on overcoming the 10 most common student complaints
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understand how body language affects a presentation
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practice presentations with people that are there to help you improve
and much more!
The Train the Trainer certification is not a goal, it’s a result. The goal is to become the best trainer you can be! Next time you have an individual or group to train, think about what your objectives really are. If they are to train these individuals so they can be the best, then you have to use your skills to meet their needs, not just stand up and start talking!
Posted in: Uncategorized, Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
 We have all sat in classrooms with a lousy instructor. Student attention wanes and the result is low retention of information and skills. The students are bored and the most exciting part of the day is when it is time to go home. There are trainers out there who lack instructional skills — we have all had them.
By attending PrepMasters’ Train The Trainer program trainers acquire high-end training skills and Instructional Expertise. These certified trainers have been through a similar high level of trainer training. They know how to teach. And most organizations realize this. They know that trainers that have had Train The Trainer training are usually better at teaching. They’re more effective in getting students to learn, on the average. So they’re more valuable to the organizations that are trying to train their employees.
When organizations hire certified trainers to do their training, they can be fairly confident that their employees will receive excellent training. But if they hire uncertified trainers, then who knows? The employees might get good training; or they might just be wasting their time, and the organization’s money. This means that most organizations are willing to pay it a little extra for trainers who have had Train Them Trainer training because they are more confident that those trainers will do an effective job.
Well-trained trainers are worth extra money. What this means to you is that you are more likely to get a high-paying trainer job if you are Train The Trainer certified.
PrepMasters Be A Great Trainer Workshop gives you excellent training skills and career certification based on the latest research.
Posted in: Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
Just about anyone can explain what they know, or demonstrate how to do a skill that they’ve learned. And both of these can be, at times, effective ways of teaching. But these are not the only ways to teach. And for many students, these are not the most effective ways to learn.
 Certified trainers know how to teach the same topic several different ways so that their point gets across to all of the students, not just a few. They know how to recognize when students are having trouble with the topic, and they know how to help the students that need extra help. They are also very good at designing group work and hands-on projects, as well as practical problem-solving situations. These are all very effective methods of teaching that are often ignored by trainers who have not attended a Train the Trainer training workshop.
Other skills that certified trainers have which uncertified trainers usually don’t:
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scheduling breaks after appropriate learning “chunks”
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getting diverse groups of students to work together cooperatively and productively
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scheduling in time for getting off the topic a little, as often happens in a class
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keeping the students on track, when necessary
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ensuring that students treat each other with respect
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ensuring that often ignored and overlooked students get equal learning opportunities
Train the Trainer programs like PrepMasters Be A Great Trainer Workshop give you excellent training skills and career certification based on the latest research.
Posted in: Train-the-Trainer, Trainer Training on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Christina | No Comments
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