Instructors and trainers, what are your successful tips and strategies for conducting training?

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 02:14:32 -0400

This is for all instructors out there, both active and prior, as well as civilian counterparts. Though not all-inclusive, I compiled a tentative list of questions I'd like to hear your answers on. Please include additional input as you see fit.

How do you prepare to instruct your people?
How do you make your presentation on point when delivering it?
How do you deal with stress and uncertainty should one occur?
How do you recover/rebounce from not being able to answer questions?

I'd like to hear your ideas and all major lessons that you've learned over time to better yourself as instructor. Thank you for sharing and God bless your expertise!

Response by SSG Mike Angelo made Jun 5 at 2015 5:06 AM

SSG Mike Angelo — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 05:06:18 -0400

There are some dependencies, perceptions, knowns and unknowns before engaging into being a US military instructor on site. You have to Be...Know...Do...

know yourself...set limits and boundaries
be technically and tactically proficient
know your stuff and direct it to your target population
do your job and acknowledge the performance standard
remember...you are up front and center but part of a team...
dont be a hero and get back to those who have questions for later
you can always say...let me get back with you on that...drive on...

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 6:07 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 06:07:06 -0400

I have performed this duty many times and have been a O/C training mobilizing units.

First before you even step into the arena you have to have cred. In my previous role you had to have a deployment. No one wants to learn from a guy that never deployed. If you want to have a class taught on infantry tactics you should have an infantryman do it. It is not saying that others can't do it but if you are going to a mechanic shop would you feel comfortable giving your car to a guy that really isn't a mechanic? It adds a sense of legitimacy and reassurance to have a soldier that is skilled in that field. When I was an STB I was one of only 6 infantryman there. I thought convoy operations and just about everything with weapons. It made sense. Now we have other soldiers teach classes like the Medic teach Tactical cas care.

Then you really have to access the level of their understanding or even if they realize the relevance of what you are teaching. This is the most often over looked step. That is why you should always use a motivator, a short story about the importance of the subject, to start the class. A lot of people have to go to the training but aren't invested in it. You have to get them to be invested in it. If you are teaching a Finance company about convoy operations you should cater it to them. You have to know your client. I you just go online and pull off a power point slide deck and just show them that you are not a good instructor. You didn't do anything that they couldn't do.

Once I am assigned a class I look for the Terminal Learning Objectives, performance measures, and applicable practical exercises. Then I adjust the training plan to incorporate the level of competence of the unit being trained. I may have to build up to where they can understand the material. Not everyone knows the basic functions each duty position of a convoy. So just saying how the gunner reacts to something may be beyond them. They don't even know how a gunner is supposed to scan, pass off target, or have an establish signaling method with the TC of the vehicle.

The presentation is a major factor of the class. They should be focusing on you and not the products. The products are there to assist you and not the other way around. You should never have a paragraph on a slide unless you are quoting someone. The instructor should either have a note card or use bullets from the presentation to launch off from. The ones being trained will feed of your confidence.

I am not really sure how you can prepare for uncertainty. If you are uncertain about the topic you are the instructor for then you shouldn't be up there. If it is something you don't know about for sure you should always provide the referenced material in which further questions should be able be answered too.

Once again. If you are not able to answer a question or have no clue how to reply you shouldn't be up there. Nothing is worse is then being given a class from someone that doesn't know what he or she is talking about. I have been in several classes where the instructor was flat out wrong. When I was in my OCS we had a young MP teach us some MOUT techniques that were counter to anything I have ever seen or read from in the military. I didn't want to bust him out but after the class I told them that what he was teaching wasn't reflective of the current logic in how the Army trains on this. I was able to share my knowledge on this. I went to him later and found out he was a civilian cop and was going off that training.

I take training very seriously. We have too. In my profession my the Army people can die if they aren't trained well enough. That is how we should treat all of our training.

Response by SSG Sean Thoman made Jun 5 at 2015 6:25 AM

SSG Sean Thoman — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 06:25:18 -0400

Be prompt, be clear in communication, be patient because they maybe learning something new, compliment and build them up-it is about them, not you; because you already know how to do it, be confident and competent, task, condition, and standard. Start off with a relative story to the task you are training on or a self-deprecating joke. And read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Response by TSgt David L. made Jun 5 at 2015 10:31 AM

TSgt David L. — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 10:31:36 -0400

Some of these answer themselves but may not be as obvious as they seem. Some are subjective. Hmmmmm......

How do you prepare to instruct your people? Review and know the material. This will also help with the last question. Be well rested. If you aren't ready mentally you might as well go in with a target on your chest.

How do you make your presentation on point when delivering it? Anticipate the barriers to getting the message across. Know your target audience. Establish credibility with the audience.

How do you deal with stress and uncertainty should one occur? Kinda goes back to the first one. Knowing the material thoroughly and anticipating barriers should help keep stress low.

How do you recover/rebounce from not being able to answer questions? Following the previous tips, being prepared, should prevent lack of being able to answer questions. If you can't, inform the questioner that you are unable to answer the question adequately but you will get back to him/her that you will get back with a suitable answer. Follow up with the answer or you will loose credibility.

Response by SGT Kevin Brown made Jun 5 at 2015 12:14 PM

SGT Kevin Brown — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:14:00 -0400

How do you prepare to instruct your people?

Since I am in charge of setting the training schedule for my company (non-military) I am afforded the luxury of time when it comes to preparing for a class. I begin my planning at least 21 days out for any particular class, identifying location, speakers, accommodations, review material and I begin compiling the attendance list. Days prior I visit the site, even if I have been there numerous time, to troubleshoot any issues I may have in delivering my set of instructions. The day prior I visit the site again, set up what I can and rehearse portions of the instructions. The day of I finish setting up, well in advance of the first attendee showing up and I test all video and audio components.

How do you make your presentation on point when delivering it?

Like I mentioned above, since I pick the class that is being taught at any particular class I am provided with the advantage of time to ensure all material is up to date. When delivering the presentation I use our powerpoints, interactive software and other electronic guides and paper handouts to present based on a timeline identified in the beginning of the class to the students. I rarely do a class alone and usually have at least one, if not more, instructors helping out. If we run into an issue where a student or instructor keeps getting off track, it is the second instructors job to point it out and help keep the ball rolling. We do use example stories and scenarios, but we keep secondary chatter to a very strict minimum, except for during breaks.

How do you deal with stress and uncertainty should one occur?

Stress and uncertainty are part of the job. When we host a class, 9 times out of 10 some people who registered are not going to show up and some who didn't are. We have experienced issues with video and audio on numerous occasions (even though we troubleshoot issues prior to class starting shit still goes wrong) and like all humans we make mistakes (i.e. forget material, don't bring enough handouts, etc.). The best thing to help with uncertainty is preparation, having a backup means and maybe even a second backup means of providing the information, an alternative timeline and a well defined emergency response plan. As far as stress goes, like I mentioned above, we use multiple instructors, so when things get stressful we work with each other to reduce the stress, eliminate the stress or take turns having to put up with the stress.

How do you recover/rebounce from not being able to answer questions?

When it comes to the subjects I teach if I am unable to answer a question, I am almost always able to identify a source that could answer it. With that said, instructors get caught off guard all the time. I keep a pen and paper with me when I teach to take notes throughout the instruction and I write down any questions that through me off. I try and get the answer for the individual who asked it before the end of the day either by doing research myself or having another instructor do so when I am giving a block of instruction. I keep track of those questions and review them after the class in order to help prevent a repeat fumble on the same or similar question in the future.

I hope some of this information is useful to you. Good luck.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 1:22 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 13:22:11 -0400

How do you prepare to instruct your people?
I try to use the relevant pubs whenever possible, I try to steer away from personal experiences because when I was a junior Marine, my seniors were all "This is how we did it in Fallujah and if you don't do it this way you are wrong." You can't go wrong by citing the pubs.

How do you make your presentation on point when delivering it?
I'm not sure what you are referring to, the actual teaching? Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse and try always implement hands on learning as much as possible.

How do you deal with stress and uncertainty should one occur?
Be flexible, something is always going to go wrong so have a backup plan.

How do you recover/rebounce from not being able to answer questions?
I try not to sweat this one too much, no one knows everything, we should all strive to be "the eternal student." I just say I don't know at this time but I'll followup with you once I have an answer

Response by CW5 Sam R. Baker made Jun 5 at 2015 1:26 PM

CW5 Sam R. Baker — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 13:26:43 -0400

I will frame my answer as an instructor and standardization pilot.

How do you prepare to instruct your people? By having a detailed plan with a desired endstate/objective. Much like having a pilot pickup a general officer or platoon and have a hard time at a location. I know what I wish them to gain from the scenario and then work the rest of the training/evaluation around that.

How do you make your presentation on point when delivering it? I notify them via a air mission request and utilize real weather and situations around them. On point they must know or capture the mission and execute it. Change is the only constant in any training/mission as an aviator and capturing that is key.

How do you deal with stress and uncertainty should one occur? I tend to know what stresses most pilots BEFORE the flight, hence I usually do NOT conduct the 3-4 hour oral evaluation/training prior to the actual flight/task. Usually if someone misses a question or is having blocks from oral or knowledge exams, it tends to affect the hands on flying portion. Rolling the eval/training into the actual execution of the mission, gives many questions on depth of knowledge and procedures by the actual nature of the flight. Thenthe debrief of the decisions and procedures performed, creates the training event on real world scales.

How do you recover/rebounce from not being able to answer questions? There is no recovery, the rebound is knowing where to look and seek the answer once one replies with a candor of "I don't know". It is not the death of one to not know, but it is detrimental to not know where to look to find the answer.

Just my .02

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 3:07 PM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 15:07:15 -0400

Be more the guide on the side, then the sage on the stage.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Jun 5 at 2015 7:30 PM

SFC Stephen King — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 19:30:59 -0400

Know the materials your teaching and have your instructors practice. Enjoy the class, use proper delivery don't read from the PowerPoint be the example and again have fun. Set the tone with your tone, eye contact and demeanor.

Response by SSG Tina Herndon made Jun 11 at 2015 9:19 AM

SSG Tina Herndon — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 09:19:58 -0400

These are all very good questions. First and foremost know your subject and who your audience will be. I often will create an outline of everything I want to go over for the class, just key bullet points if it’s the first time I have instructed a course I actually type up a script, I may not use it entirely but I always run through it once.

As far as presentations go DO NOT make them overly wordy you are going to elaborate on each slide in your presentation, I can also suggest that if you know who your audience is customize the presentation to speak to the audience you are presenting to. I teach in many different countries and what might be pertinent for one group may be totally irrelevant to another.

Stress is something even seasoned trainers/instructors have, for me it happens mainly when teaching a class for the first time, practice, practice, practice you could have a co-worker listen to you and in lieu of a co-worker at a minimum practice in front of a full length mirror it sounds a little crazy but it does help. The other thing to mention is to put some thought into possible questions your participants may have so that you are prepared for questions.

Again you are not going to know the answer to every single question BE HONEST if you don’t know the answer create a ‘parking lot’ for those questions and tell the class you will look into the question and email them once you know the answer, and sometimes you may be lucky enough to have an SME in class who knows or even another student.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 12 at 2015 10:22 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 10:22:18 -0400

When instructing I think the biggest key to a successful class is to not be the monotone up tight instructor. Be the one that makes the class enjoyable.

1. I prepare by reading the material over and over and then I teach the invisible class in my living room.......

2. As far as an onpoint presentation, I always ask my self if I missed anything. Most of the time tho the class will let you know if they are struggling and ask for guidance(part of being that instructor they look forward to)

3. You can deal with stress in many different ways just don't deal with it In front of your class.

4. Most of the time if you can't answer a question right off the bat I'm sure you have a general idea where to look it's never wrong to tell a student actually I don't know hold on ill go look that up or have them come with you to look it up either way both you and the student gain knowledge

Response by MSgt Mike Brown; MBTI-CP; MA, Ph.D. made Jun 12 at 2015 4:55 PM

MSgt Mike Brown; MBTI-CP; MA, Ph.D. — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 16:55:49 -0400

1. Focus on their strengths and utilize them for maximum mission accomplishment -- or, in my case Thesis completion.
2. Concise, to the point, what is expected, what the outcome will be -- and reemphasizing that they have the ability to accomplish what is set forth.
3. Forget about "the self," stress will be abundant, but it detracts from what needs to be accomplished. Uncertainty: Knowledge training, confidence and knowing (as a former SgtMajor of IMEF told me), "knowing 51% of the facts permits one to act.
4. Nobody know everything! Continue reading, training, and have some humility -- but more importantly, seek those who do possess the knowledge, and get off the damn pedestal, or ivory tower -- you'd be surprised how much people know, and are willing to contribute, if acknowledged and given the opportunity!
Shalom! Mike

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2015 1:30 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 01:30:26 -0400

Some very basic "rules" I follow and are reiterated by the instruction I received at the Army Basic Instructor Course.

1. Site check/ Equipment check: This is the instructor's "PCC". Do you have access to the network?Do you have access to your digital files? Does your presentation work on provided computer? Computer charged, plugged in?

In the field: Access an hazard areas defined? Where is the sun (and will it be a distraction)?

2. Back up plan: Can you switch to whiteboard/ blackboard if computer does not work or loses power?

In the field: Plan for weather, especially abrupt changes?

3. Training Aids/ AI: If you use training aids, how effective are they? Scale models, Sand-lot style? Sometimes it is better to not use an ineffective training aid or out of date ones. Also, try not to introduce your training aids until you need them, then put them away afterwards. This helps retain focus on the instruction.

Assistant Instructor: One of you should be the SME (Subject Matter Expert). It does not necessarily have to be the main instructor, but both should have more then a passing knowledge of the subject, if possible.

4. Determine Instruction style. Instructor led? discussion led? Interactive? Regardless, maintain control of your classroom.

There are a lot more things, but I wanted to just get these out.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 21 at 2015 10:18 PM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 22:18:25 -0500

Patience was the most difficult thing for me to overcome. I expected all of the students to learn at the same pace when I first started and that didn't happen. I had to adapt to each of their learning styles which took awhile to do. These things took patience. Don't give up on your students either because the moment you do they'll give up on you.