Hey there, fellow trainers and educators! Grab a cup of coffee and settle in, because I’ve got a story to tell you about how I accidentally became a teacher and learned the hard way that I was doing training all wrong. It’s a tale of jet-setting, software demos, and face-palm moments that’ll make you laugh, cringe, and hopefully learn a thing or two.
The Accidental Teacher
Picture this: It’s the early 2010s, and I’m jet-setting across North America, teaching a prepress workflow system to eager prepress professionals. I was living the dream, right? Well, not exactly. You see, I was a subject matter expert (SME) thrust into the world of training without any real educational background. Don’t get me wrong, I loved seeing those “aha!” moments when learners realized how the software could make their lives easier. The excitement in their eyes when they “just got it” was priceless. And watching them pivot to thinking beyond what I was teaching, imagining how the software would transform their company? Pure gold.
But here’s the kicker: I had no idea what I was doing. The company had this brilliant (or so they thought) idea of hiring SMEs to go into the field and train. We were all experts in our fields, sure, but educators? Not so much. It was like sending a fish to teach birds how to fly. We knew our stuff, but teaching it? That was a whole different ballgame.
The Challenges of Being an SME Trainer
Looking back, I can see the challenges we faced as SME trainers:
1. Lack of pedagogical knowledge: We knew the software inside out, but we didn’t know how to effectively transfer that knowledge to others.
2. Overemphasis on features: We tended to focus on showing off every bell and whistle, rather than teaching practical applications.
3. Inability to adapt: Without formal training in education, we struggled to adjust our teaching methods for different learning styles and skill levels.
4. Limited assessment skills: We didn’t know how to properly evaluate whether our trainees were actually learning or just nodding politely.
Despite these challenges, we muddled through, relying on our enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the subject matter. But deep down, I knew there had to be a better way.
The Wake-Up Call
Fast forward a few years, and I decided to dive deeper into the art of learning. I went back to college, bouncing between a Software Engineering degree and Instructional Design degree. Spoiler alert: I chose Instructional Design and never looked back. (Sorry Calculus, it’s not you, it’s me.)
As I delved into the world of instructional design, I had a series of face-palm moments. It was like watching a replay of all my training sessions, but with a big red “YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG” stamp on each one. Here’s where I went wrong:
1. Instructor-focused, not learner-focused: I was the star of my own show, talking more than my learners. Big mistake! I was like a one-man band, playing all the instruments and leaving no room for audience participation.
2. Lack of hands-on time: My sessions were more like software demos than actual training. Oops! It was like teaching someone to swim by showing them a PowerPoint presentation about water.
3. No follow-up: Once the training was over, so was my involvement. Not cool, trust me. It was like dropping someone off in a foreign country and saying, “Good luck! Hope you remember everything I told you about the language and culture!”
4. Integration sessions, not training: I was so focused on configuring their system and showcasing the cool features that I forgot to actually teach people how to use the software themselves. It was like building someone a custom Swiss Army knife, showing off all its gadgets, but never letting them hold it or figure out how to use it on their own.
5. Menu item reviews: Oh boy, did some trainers love their menu tours! They’d click through every dropdown and option like they were giving a guided tour of the software’s family tree. It was like teaching someone to cook by reading them the entire grocery store inventory. “And here’s the ‘View’ menu. Marvel at its submenus!” Meanwhile, learners daydreamed about the ‘Exit’ option.
The Importance of Instructional Design
As I learned more about instructional design, I realized just how crucial it is for effective training. Here are some key principles I wish I had known from the start:
– ADDIE Model: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. This systematic approach to creating training programs would have saved me so much time and improved my results dramatically.
– Bloom’s Taxonomy: Understanding the different levels of learning objectives would have helped me create more comprehensive and effective training sessions.
– Adult Learning Theory: Knowing how adults learn differently from children would have completely changed my approach to training.
The Road to Redemption
Now that I’m armed with the wisdom of instructional design pros, here’s what I’d do differently:
Let the Learners Take Center Stage
Remember this golden rule: The person doing the most talking is doing the most learning. So, step back and let your learners shine! Create opportunities for them to explain concepts to each other, solve problems, and showcase their newfound skills. Here are some strategies to make this happen:
-Think-Pair-Share: Have learners think about a problem individually, discuss it with a partner, and then share with the larger group.
– Jigsaw Method: Divide learners into groups, each responsible for learning and teaching a different aspect of the software.
– Problem-Based Learning: Present real-world challenges and have learners work together to solve them using the software.
Ditch the Menu Tour
Never, ever just review menu items with learners. Instead, show them how to actually do something useful. Focus on real-world tasks and workflows that they’ll encounter in their daily work. For example:
– Create scenario-based learning experiences that mimic real work situations.
– Use the “I Do, We Do, You Do” method to gradually transfer responsibility to the learners.
– Well-built exercises are the secret sauce of effective software training. Make them relevant, challenging, and fun!
– Error-Finding Exercises: Provide learners with a flawed project and have them identify and fix the issues.
Evaluate and Iterate
Don’t just train and forget. Evaluate your material and delivery methods constantly. There’s always room for improvement! Collect feedback from learners, analyze their performance on exercises, and be willing to adapt your approach based on what you learn
– Pre and Post-Tests: Measure knowledge gain and retention.
– Long-Term Follow-Up: Check in with learners weeks or months after the training to see how they’re applying what they learned.
The Best of Both Worlds
So, here I am, an accidental teacher turned instructional design student. If I ever go back to training or creating content, I’ll have the best of both worlds: real-world experience and solid educational theory. I’ll be like a superhero with the power of subject matter expertise and the skills to actually teach it effectively.
To all you trainers out there, especially those who, like me, stumbled into this field, remember: it’s not about how much you know, it’s about how well you can help others learn. We’re not just teaching software; we’re empowering people to do their jobs better, to innovate, and to grow in their careers.
Parting Thoughts
Looking back, I’m grateful for my journey from accidental teacher to instructional design enthusiast. Those early mistakes taught me valuable lessons and fueled my passion for effective learning. So, if you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t beat yourself up. Use those experiences as stepping stones to become a better educator.
In the end, the goal of any training program should be to create confident, competent users who can apply what they’ve learned to solve real-world problems. By combining subject matter expertise with solid instructional design principles, we can create training experiences that are not just informative, but transformative. And isn’t that what teaching is all about?