This advice, from Dominic Dineen, aims to help those trainers at the start of their career.

I was once advised to never admit that it is your first time training. The advice went on to say, concentrate on the experience you have to impart/bring to the situation, i.e. I have been a programmer for 10 years. Qualify this by stating you don't have all the answers, but can access them.

Use a 'parking sheet' for all the questions you can not answer. At work we use sheets with a large 'white on blue P' in the middle to identify the parking sheet (Like a parking sign) download a sing from clipart and pre-print/laminate it. This works on the premise that you are not necessarily a total expert, and will get back to people with the answers. Introduce this at the start of the session (domestics), sets you at ease and delegates know it is there. Give the delegates post-it notes to write their questions on, this means that you don't have to go and write on the parking sheet and therefore reduces the feeling of not being able to answer their questions.

I was equally guided in the INTRO way of developing sections of the programme:

Introduction - tell the delegates what you are going to address/cover.
Need - tell the delegates why this is relevant.
Timing - let the group know how long they have.
Remainder - content/activity.
Outcome - tell the delegates what they have covered/learned.

Another way of looking at it is;
Tell them what you are going to tell them.
Tell them (delivery/content).
Tell them what you have told them.

Try not to pack too much in, give them things to do - as many activities as you can. If you finish ahead of time and they leave early, they will probably be fine with that.

Introduce a topic with a question and an activity which gives the group the opportunity to demonstrate what they already know, then fill in the gaps in their knowledge.

If you are using PowerPoint print out all the slides as handouts, (your notes) so you can refer to what is coming next.

Check out Mindtools - communication skills - Better public speaking and presenting.

Also have a look at businessballs lots of materials and background stuff on learnnig styles, stages of group development and activities for team building etc...

To do an instant evaluation of the programme you could finish with:
One thing I didn't know.
One thing I found useful.
One thing I want to find out more about.

Hope it goes well - ask them for feedback.

View the original posting:
First time training - anxiety issues
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