Training the Trainer is Important

Train the Trainer

Why Is training the trainer important?

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.

People Need Knowledge

The problem is, that 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 with 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.

Instructors Should Already Know How to Teach

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 styles, which are non-interactive and not well suited for non-auditory learning styles.

High schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, however, know better.

Teachers Are Taught How to Teach

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.

It's the Same For Trainers

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."

Training is more than just the simple transference of knowledge.

You don't just open your mouth and deposit knowledge into the students' brains.

You have to know how to organize that knowledge, properly present it in a variety of formats for students who have different learning styles and preferences, and talk about the topic in a way that the students can understand and learn from.

Assess the Learning

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.

This article was contributed by Suki Reed

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