Life Skills & English Language Coach @ BICS | Public Speaking-CRM-Placement Expert | Pep Talker | Corporate Trainer. E-mail: [email protected]
The 2 days session on “Communication” for the 40+ CA aspirants @ ICAI Bhavan, Alappuzha ended with a pertinent question in my mind! Who is a trainer? A speaker, teacher, coach, facilitator, mentor, moderator, all these included in one or any other attribute fit enough for an individual, can be called as a trainer? Yes, it depends on the audience, topic, context, etc. However, still, I’m searching for the answer. Friends you can also help me to find a real answer!
After the particular module on Book Review and Reading Skills, I gave my aspirants a reading assignment on E-Commerce which was prepared by the PWC. (The subject Commerce itself is Latin to me!) The 20-page pdf material was divided into four parts among the four teams. I gave the guideline as they can use 3 primary questions such as What, Why & How to explore the contents in the assigned text along with the secondary questions to search as when, where and who (if the text demands such intentions).
That’s all my intervention. There ended my role then.
I gave them 15 minutes time to read the assigned portion within the group and allowed them to use their mobiles for advanced search on the important terms and new concepts which they need to have more clarity. Yes, we can allow our learners to Bring Your Own Device -BYOD (into the Class Rooms too as it is practicing in the western universities). Don’t restrict them to use the mobile during the session, in fact, we can use it as a tool to expand the spheres of learning. Then they had to present the content group by group but to keep the text sequence. 3 persons from each group were taken up that challenge stunningly.
The outcome was invariably surprising. With crystal clarity, vigor, involvement and the great sense of pride, they had completed the exercise. The total task took only 1 hour to serve the purpose. I was a witness to the vibrant and diligent learning process. I didn’t do much or I should not do much! The whole time I was there with a relaxed mind, greatly relieved as well! So what’s the role of Trainer?
At the beginning of my training career, I thought I would deliver the whole content which I prepared for that session. That is too without out give much consideration towards my learners. In fact, I want to prove myself a trainer with content. Sure my learners showed a lot of mercy towards me. They rarely pointed out my big flaws but always politely. Training only makes a trainer as a true trainer which provides me a lot of redesigns and shapes to my understanding of who is a trainer or a trainer’s role. So I have got enough opportunities. The whole credits go to my beloved friends and the network online and offline. A big thanks to all!
I know, I have to go a long way in my training career but still, my perception of training has changed a lot in these days. Instead of delivering me in full now I could concentrate more on the on floor training needs of my learners during the session. A trainer, who is going to enjoy the moments on the floor before the trainees would be the great thing happened in the training. Focus on the delivery should give the way to the active participation of the whole group and that is too being done any compromise on content delivery. To achieve this goal a trainer can apply different training strategies like as it is mentioned above.
If there is a group learning opportunity by themselves would also be very effective. All the trainees divided into four teams and had given four different but recent hot topics on finance and business in the form of newspaper articles. Each group had to conduct learning session within their respective group for 15 minutes to understand the assigned article completely. Then I select 3 participants from each group as the guest for the other three groups. They would be given another 12-15 minutes altogether to present the content of their respective article to each host group. So within 30 minutes of time, they are able to enhance their knowledge in four different and relevant topics in an interesting way which ensures their sense of involvement in a great way as well.
Here also the trainer would be there as only witness to the entire active learning process. So the role of the trainer is undergoing new definitions and derivations.
