Train the Trainer Course Modules

Time:
This exercise will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To enable participants to be able to define coaching and its purpose.
• To explain the key differences between coaching and mentoring.
• To enable participants to describe a basic coaching model.
• To identify the core skills required by effective coaches.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 24 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Plenty of space for participants to work in pairs for this module.

Notes:
Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To identify different methods that can be used to gather data for a training needs analysis.
• To consider the merits and downsides of the various methods identified.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Trainers and staff responsible for identifying training needs.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
There are two different versions of the handout that accompanies this module. Handout 1 simply lists the different methods that participants might want to consider using and leaves space for them to enter the pros and cons of each as these are discussed in the group, whereas Handout 2 includes the key pros and cons of each listed method.

Handout 1 is useful if you want to give teams a clue about the types of method they might want to consider using, without giving them too much information. It’s also the best one to use if you want participants to identify their own pros and cons for each method listed and enter these themselves.

If time is tight, you might prefer to run a shorter discussion that simply highlights the importance of considering different methods for gathering information when analysing training needs – in which case, give participants Handout 2 with the key pros and cons of each method already listed.

In either case, you’ll want to have a copy of Handout 2 to hand for your own reference.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To explore some of the challenges participants will face as a trainer and encourage trainers to reflect on how they’d approach them.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of between 4 to 18 participants.

Useful For:
New trainers or those looking to build their skills and review challenges they might face or have faced.

You'll Need:
• Playing pieces, one per team.
• Small prize for the winning team.
• 60 second timer or stopwatch.
• Facilitator Traffic Lights.
• At a Crossroads Conundrum Cards.
• At a Crossroads Diversion Cards (3 per team).
• At a Crossroads Game Board.
• At a Crossroads Suggested Answers (for the facilitator).

Notes:
This exercise is suitable for use with groups of up to 18 participants. It is run as a competitive game, which is a race to the finish and played in teams of two or three players. We do not recommend having teams with more than three participants.

All the scenarios contained in the cards are based on actual experiences faced by trainers.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 50 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 80 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To introduce participants to the importance of having a clear understanding of the behaviours they need to influence/change when designing and delivering learning.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Trainers who are learning about design and delivery.

You'll Need:
Each team of 3 participants will need:
• A Jigsaw Template printed on card and cut into 24 pieces to create a jigsaw.
• An envelope to place the jigsaw in.
• A selection of coloured felt and sequins.
• A pair of scissors and fabric glue.
• A Scent with Love Flower Template printed on card.
• A Scent with Love Flower Guide instruction sheet.
We also recommend that you create a couple of felt flowers to show to your participants in the second mock training session.

Notes:
This module looks at the importance of ensuring that training exercises are not just fun, but focused on the relevant behaviours.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To give participants an opportunity to design an innovative icebreaker or energiser exercise.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Anyone involved in designing or delivering training, or who soon will be.

You'll Need:
• A kitbag of materials that your participants can use for their exercise. It is recommended that you have one kitbag for every 3 participants.

Notes:
This module involves participants, working in small teams, designing and then facilitating a short training exercise. In addition to the time shown above, you’ll need to allow about 10 minutes for each team to deliver their new activity, but these do not need to be run consecutively. Indeed, you might prefer to intersperse the delivery element with your own training sessions throughout the day, so that they act as energisers.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library called Creative Training Design - Remote Delivery.

Time:
The exercises in this module take about 50 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 80 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To communicate the skills needed to design and write effective training aims, objectives and outcomes.
• To encourage participants to apply the principles to all the sessions which they design and deliver.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Trainers who are responsible for designing training material or anyone looking to learn more about creating effective presentations.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module is most effective if you ask participants to bring with them details of a real-life example of a training course that they need to design or one that they have delivered previously.

If this is not possible, or if anyone forgets to bring one, we have supplied a simple example for participants to work on.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 30 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• Introduces participants to David Kolb’s Learning Cycle.
• Demonstrates the importance of engaging and involving participants in training.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Anyone who designs or delivers training, or who soon will.

You'll Need:
• A set of sticky dots (or similar).

Notes:
A great introduction to Kolb and the importance of experiential learning.

For added impact, try running this session either side of a coffee break.

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To demonstrate how memory can be improved just by using it differently.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This fun activity can be used either as an icebreaker or as a module on a longer ‘Concentration and Memory’ course. It can also be used in Train the Trainer training or any training where you want people to think about how they can make their message more memorable.

The exercise is intended to encourage participants to experiment with the method using their own examples and with time to practice, should also reassure participants that no one needs to struggle with a poor memory – improvements can be fast and tangible.

It’s a great tool too for encouraging participants to think about how they retain and recall new information and how they’ll store information you’re going to give them in the rest of the training.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 90* minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 120* minutes to complete the module.

Aims:
• To consider the advantages and risks of using facilitated discussion within training interventions.
• To explore how to manage the risks and tips for successful discussions.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to practise leading and participating in discussions.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use in workshops with relatively few participants. In larger groups (more than 6), you'll need to allow more time if you want every participant to have the opportunity to practise leading a discussion.

Useful For:
New trainers or trainers who are moving from presentation style delivery to facilitated learning.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
*This module is ideally suited to small groups and our timings are based on 6 participants. We suggest allowing up to 10 minutes for each additional participant if you wish all participants to practise leading a discussion.

Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To explore the benefits of different approaches to developing others.
• To help participants choose the most appropriate approach for developing others in a given situation.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Team Leaders, supervisors and managers.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module is suitable for anyone who has responsibility for developing others in the workplace: Team leaders, supervisors or managers.

It is a useful addition to coaching skills courses and can help participants understand when a coaching approach might be appropriate and when it might not be.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about training methods.
• To help participants understand how adults learn and how to ensure training is learner led.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff interested in developing training and coaching skills.

You'll Need:
• Lots of sheets of plain A4 paper.

Notes:
Before running this exercise practise making a paper boat (using the handout to help you) until you can do it confidently from memory.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To introduce trainers to the theory of representational systems contained within much NLP training.
• To explain the theory and build awareness of it.
• To encourage reasoned debate about its validity in training.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Trainers.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module for trainers is designed to explain the theory of Representational Systems, often referred to in NLP training.

The module provides an objective overview of the idea of representational systems and the belief held by many NLP practitioners that we tend to have a preferred representational system.

The module also introduces, again objectively, the concept of eye accessing cues.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To assess participants' current understanding of the training process.
• To outline a typical training cycle.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff preparing for a training role.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 115 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 140 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To give participants an opportunity to practice training delivery; including debriefing exercises.
• To explore the importance of using relevant icebreakers and energisers to change energy levels in the training room.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 20 participants, but a maximum of 10 participants is recommended.

Useful For:
Participants in a Train the Trainer programme.

You'll Need:
• 1 set of the Training Practice Cards.
• 1 A4 envelope for each participant (with their name on it).
• Enough Feedback Sheets for participants to give feedback to each of their fellow participants.
• The equipment required for participants to run the individual icebreakers (see the trainer's notes).

Notes:
Unlike most of our course modules, this one is designed to be run as several ‘mini sessions’ at different points in your training.

The timings in our summary sheet are based on 10 participants, each delivering their session individually. To work out an accurate time for your group:
• Allow 20 minutes to introduce the session and give participants time to prepare.
• Allow 10 minutes for each participant’s practice session.
• Allow 20 minutes at the end for discussion, review of feedback and action planning.

It is preferable for your participants to deliver their sessions solo, but for larger groups, or if time is an issue, you can put them in pairs.

This activity can be used in groups of up to 10 participants or 20 if you are allowing them to co-deliver (not recommended).

Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To consider the importance of credibility when seeking to influence others.
• To understand the link between perceived expertise, relationships and credibility.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to consider how much credibility they have with those they are seeking to influence.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
If you want to go on and cover building relationships in more detail we recommend that you look at in some of the modules under ‘Negotiation’, for example Building Rapport and Different Perspectives.

Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 50 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 75 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about different types of visual aids that can be used.
• To identify the pros and cons of using the various types and when they are most effective.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• A sheet of small sticky dots, with at least one dot missing from it.
• Flipchart paper, colourful pens and plenty of post-it notes.
• A piece of string or rope that is approximately 4 metres long.

Notes:
You will need a clear space in which to lay out your ‘Visual Aid Attitudes Spectrum’ and for participants to move along it.

We also recommend laying out fiddle toys for participants to use before they arrive, especially if it is part of Train the Trainer training.

It would also be beneficial to have relevant training posters around the room. Full and Pro members will be able to download a selection of posters from Trainers’ Library.

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To explain the purpose of a training needs analysis (TNA).
• To devise a strategy for uncovering the training needs of an individual or team.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff entering a training role or looking to build their understanding of the training function.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This exercise can be used as an icebreaker to train the trainer courses, or introduction to the topic of training needs analysis.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To define learning objectives and provide an opportunity for participants to practice writing learning objectives.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 20 participants.

Useful For:
Managers and those who have a responsibility for the development of staff. Also, those who wish to plan for and manage their own learning.

You'll Need:
• Flipchart paper and a selection of coloured pens.

Notes:
This is module 3 in the series ‘Whose Development is it Anyway?’ available from Trainers’ Library. Each module stands alone but may also be combined with others in the series to form a longer session.

Time:
This exercise will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 50 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To enable participants to understand what workplace coaching is.
• To agree a shared definition of workplace coaching.
• To explain the key differences between coaching and mentoring.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Supervisors and managers.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
Coaching has a long history going right back to Socrates, who believed that individuals learn best when they have ownership of a situation and take some form of personal responsibility for the outcome that is produced.

In more recent times, coaching has played a crucial and effective role in sports, including tennis and football.

However, the potential for coaching as a professional and organisational development approach has only really been recognised in the last decade. Tim Gallwey was perhaps the first to document this movement of coaching from the sporting arena to business, presenting a method of coaching which could be readily applied to almost any situation. His innovative work has been very influential and underpins current approaches to coaching.

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Time:
This exercise will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To identify the core skills required by effective coaches.
• To enable participants to describe the GROW coaching model.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Supervisors and managers

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is one of a series of modules that provide an in-depth introduction to workplace coaching. We recommend using these modules together.

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Time:
This exercise will take about 45 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 75 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To provide an opportunity for participants to practise their coaching skills.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to practise using the GROW model.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to practise questioning, listening and summarising.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Supervisors and managers.

You'll Need:
• A room with sufficient space for participants to work in pairs and hold a coaching conversation.
• Copies of the coach and coachee briefings - one of each for each participant.

Notes:
This is one of a series of modules that provide an in-depth introduction to Workplace Coaching. We recommend these modules together.

If you have not already run the module called Workplace Coaching - The How, you will need to give participants the handout before running the exercise and explain the GROW model/process to them. If you need more information on this, please refer to "Workplace Coaching - The How".

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To provide an opportunity for participants to think about how they'll use the GROW model back in the workplace.
• To encourage participants to think about the questions they'll use to facilitate use of the GROW model.
• To review the GROW model.
• To review key learning points about workplace coaching.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Supervisors and managers.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
Participants will need to be very familiar with the GROW coaching model before participating in this exercise. They should also have a sound understanding of when coaching is appropriate and when it is not. (Workplace Coaching 3 or Learning - Push or Pull? are both great options to do this).

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 35 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To explain the importance of keeping a record of coaching sessions that is both helpful to the coach and the person being coached.
• To introduce a simple plan that participants might like to use in their coaching sessions.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Supervisors and managers.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module provides a simple plan for recording the key elements of a coaching session, which can be easily replaced by an organisation’s existing format, if required.

A slightly tweaked version of Patsy’s Pie Making Challenge would be a great precursor to this module, because it’s a really fun way to emphasise the importance of note taking to aid our recollection of conversations. To find out how to do this get in touch via email or send us a Design Coach request and we can explain what you’ll need to do.

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To remind participants of some of the key learning points about workplace coaching.
• To provide a fun but thorough review of learning.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Supervisors and managers.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
A useful and fun conclusion to any training around workplace coaching.

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.