trainthetrainer - Katrina Kennedy Training

24Aug 2021 by Katrina Kennedy No Comments

Five Things You Need To STOP Doing In Virtual Training

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You've probably facilitated more virtual classes in the last year than you can count. You've unmuted, muted, and shared your screen numerous times. And, like me, you've made some mistakes. Whatever your experience level there are five things you need to stop doing in virtual training. These five things distract learners from your content and make you look unprofessional. Stop leaving computer notification on. Stop saying this isn't like "real" classroom training. Stop using the wrong method to get learner responses. Stop using multiple bullet pointed lists. Stop missing opportunities for learners to do the work. Are you doing any of the five? Now's a great time to stop. Let me explain each. STOP Leaving Computer Notifications On I don't want to hear your computer ping with notifications. Hearing someone…

17Aug 2021 by Katrina Kennedy 4 Comments

How To Use Four Creative Methods To Prompt Learner Responses

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We need connection. We need feedback. We need interaction in class. Asking questions of learners is one way we obtain connection, feedback, and interaction. BUT... You ask a question. And nothing happens. Nothing. What can you do to change this situation? How can you get responses from learners? Zoom fatigue is real. Screen time and Covid and social distancing and working from home have exhausted all of us. Everything feels like it takes a little more effort. Answering your question is hard. Learners will play the wait for someone else game until you change your approach. Here are four creative methods to prompt learner responses Give Me 4 "I'm looking for four responses. Who's got number one." This phrase prompts everyone to attention. We've got a goal. I hold my…

04Mar 2020 by Katrina Kennedy No Comments

Seven Ways To Create An Indistractable Classroom

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Their phones are perched on their tables, ready to connect them to their office, their homes, their game scores, and the latest tweets. The phones taunt them to pick them up and interact. My phone is similarly perched in the front of the room. "Just in case." My teenage son is home today (like he is every Friday). He might need something. The amount of tools and technology poised to distract us increases daily. More apps, more productivity hacks, more notifications. More. More. More. In a world of more it can be increasingly difficult to compete for attention when you have a group in a traditional classroom space. So how can you help make your classroom indistractable? I'm generously borrowing the term from Ner Eyal's book Indistractable: How To Control…

16Jan 2020 by Katrina Kennedy No Comments

Take A Break To Learn | Brief Diversions Improve Focus

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Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash Have you ever facilitated a class when people didn't want to take a break? I know, ridiculous question. We love our breaks. And, why shouldn't we? We step away from focused work. We get to choose our actions, take care of our biological needs, and sometimes there are snacks! Frequent breaks during training serve a greater purpose than coffee and restrooms though. Breaks help learners improve their focus. Yes, you read that right. We need breaks in order to stay focused on learning. The brain is built to detect and respond to change.Dr. Alejandro Lleras University of Illinois psychology professor Dr. Alejandro Lleras discovered "even brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one’s ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods." In fact, doing the…

09Dec 2019 by Katrina Kennedy No Comments

The Magic Of Ten Minutes When Training, Presenting, or Just Talking

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Photo by Malvestida Magazine on Unsplash You are standing in front of the room ready to deliver what you know is the most boring class you could ever imagine. You know that within the first hour everyone is going to be asleep or checking their phones. There has to be a better way? Right. You know the class could use a redesign, but you've been directed to present this information in this way. What a nightmare. Don't despair. There is one simple thing you can do that might just keep your class awake and make the boring slightly less so. And the bonus -- it's free too! In the absence of creating a different class with less lecture and fewer bullet points, there is one simple thing you can do. Think in ten…

11Nov 2019 by Katrina Kennedy No Comments

How Long Should Training Take? | Two Trainers, Two Styles

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Photo by petradr on Unsplash I picked up my phone and was greeted by a monumentally long text. I thought a lengthy text was going to need a lengthy response. But, maybe not. We rotate who teaches each training class to eliminate core dependencies, but not everyone has the same training style. For example, Chris can be very engaging and likes to have personal, life examples for every scenario to show why records management is important. I prefer to give them examples they will see in the course of business and make sure they understand their tasks. The outcome is two different time frames for the same class, and it's a bit drastic in difference. Chris runs out of time in his block. I finish feeling satisfied in two hours. At first glance…

04Nov 2019 by Katrina Kennedy 1 Comment

Should I Just Ignore Some Irritating Classroom Behaviors?

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Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash Twenty minutes into class he was already complaining. "This is too touchy feely," he said directly to me. At this point I had shared restroom and break logistics and asked everyone to introduce themselves at their tables. Thankfully I know his type. When I had people stand and meet someone new, accompanied by questions they'd already answered to make the exchange easier, he grumbled. Fifty minutes into class, he spoke directly to me about the class being different than he thought it was going to be. I confirmed that the class he wanted was probably not the one he was in. The title and objectives clearly showed what he wanted was not what he'd been signed up for. He grumbled...again. If you take some advice on dealing…

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