Planning and conducting efective training

sessions
Abstract
Conducting an efective training session begins with appropriate preparation. Use
the provided recommendations to plan an agenda that meets your training
objectives, but allows for the fexibility to respond to audience needs during the
session. Excerpted from section three of the Corporation for ational and
Community !ervice"s Making an Impact on Out-Of-School Time by the ational
#nstitute on $ut%of%!chool &ime.
Issue
'eveloping a training session that is informative and instructive, while engaging
the interest of the audience.
Action
&raining sessions should be interactive, and should model the methods that
participants will use in their real life service experiences.
Planning Training Sessions
(ather information about those you will be training)
o *hat do they already +now,
o *hat are some areas where they might need extra instruction,
o #f they have participated in previous training, what wor+ed and what
didn"t,
Establish and -rioriti.e (oals)
o *hat do the participants need to +now,
o *hat would they li+e to learn,
o *hat do you hope to convey to participants during this training
session,
o *hat topics are most important,
o *hat goals are reasonable given the time constraints of the training,
/rainstorm and !elect 0ethods)
o *hich methods best meet the goals,
o &hin+ about the inclusion of large and small group discussion, panels,
role plays or scenarios, lectures, stories and personal experiences,
hands%on activities, games, and time for 1uestions and answers.
o /e sensitive to diferent learning styles and develop a variety of
methods that you will use in presenting each topic.
'esign the 2genda)
o #n what order will you present topics,
o 3ow can you brea+ up a lecture with small group wor+ or hands%on
activities,
o 2rrange your agenda in such a way that participants will be presented
with a balanced variety of training activities.
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o 4ou may want to select lively, interactive, and5or hands%on activities
for the bloc+ of time immediately following lunch, since that tends to
be when participants are sleepy.
o 4ou may want to ofer more lecture%oriented topics early in the day
when participants are fresh.
o -lan ade1uate brea+s.
-repare 0aterials)
o 'o you need handouts,
o 0any participants 6nd it easier to follow a trainer if they have
handouts to loo+ at.
o *hat materials do you need to present your hands%on activities,
o &hin+ about the use of slides, overheads, chal+boards, and5or fip
charts.
o !ome trainers +eep participants focused by using overheads or
fipcharts during the session, and wait until the end to distribute
handouts.
Conducting Training Sessions
!tart with #ntroductions and5or an #cebrea+er 2ctivity)
o 3ow can you create an atmosphere that welcomes discussion and
input from participants,
o #ntroduce yourself and tal+ a little about your experience in the 6eld.
o &o get people tal+ing to each other, have everyone introduce
themselves7 interview and introduce another person7 do a scavenger
hunt loo+ing for people who have a speci6c interest or talent7 or
participate in some other sort of icebrea+er activity.
(o $ver the 2genda)
o 3ow can you prepare participants for the content and pacing of your
session,
o 0a+e sure that everyone +nows what will be covered and how long
they should expect to be in each session.
o 3ighlight some aspects that participants can loo+ forward to.
o /e prepared to adjust your agenda to 6t the needs of the group.
(auge -articipants" 8nowledge and #nterest)
o 3ow can you gear your session toward the speci6c interests and
needs of your audience,
o 2s you start presenting each topic, ta+e a few minutes to 6nd out how
much participants +now about the topic and what areas they would
li+e to focus on.
-ay 2ttention to -articipants)
o 'o the participants loo+ li+e they"re following well, 2re they nodding,
volunteering comments, as+ing 1uestions,
o !top from time to time to as+ for 1uestions and as+ how everyone is
doing.
o #f participants are tired and5or unengaged, you may need to slow
down, turn the material into 1uestions and generate discussion, move
more 1uic+ly, switch to a diferent type of activity, or ofer a short
brea+.
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/e 9lexible)
o *hat will you do if some things do not go as you planned,
o Expect that some of your activities may ta+e longer or shorter than
planned.
o Explain to participants what is going on if you need to deviate from
the schedule you"ve laid out.
o #f participants don"t seem to be engaged in a given activity, be
prepared to adjust, stretch, shrin+, or eliminate activities as
necessary.
&hin+ 2bout -acing)
o 3ow can you +eep the interest of participants,
o !tart with simple concepts, build them into more complex ideas.
o #ntegrate physical movement, humor and games.
o &ailor the presentation to this speci6c group of participants.
o #nterject personal stories and humor.
0a+e the Conclusion !trong)
o 3ow can you help participants tie everything together at the end of
the session and encourage participants to incorporate what they have
learned in your session into their wor+,
o End each session with a summary and a chance for participants to
share last thoughts.
o #t can be very efective to end with a challenge : something you
urge participants to do in relation to what you"ve presented.
o 3ave participants set goals related to the topic and5or wor+ in teams
to brainstorm new ideas related to something that is needed in your
program.
o 2s+ everyone to share one thing that really stood out.
3ave -articipants Evaluate Each !ession)
o 3ow can you 6nd out what wor+ed in your session,
o 3ave participants 6ll out evaluation forms that as+ what they learned
in your session, what they enjoyed most, and what they would
change.
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