The Challenge: You have to define more than ten concepts right after lunch and you do not want to lecture.
Possible Approaches:
There are three concerns to be addressed.
Determine What the Participants Already Know
First, we need to consider what the participants might already know. We might want to begin with a questionnaire that allows the participants to work in small groups and educate each other. Then, after hearing their report outs, you can determine what you may need to actually teach them.
Teach a Few Concepts at a Time
Second, ten concepts are too many, regardless of the time of day. Let’s assume that you have considered what the participants might already know and you realize that you will need to teach most of the concepts. If so, teach a few at a time- 2-3 if the concepts are unfamiliar to the participants, or 4-5 if the concepts are familiar or can be made familiar through the use of metaphor.
Incorporate Physical Activity
Third, particularly after lunch we need to incorporate physical activity to engage the group and keep them awake!
You could alternate presenting a few concepts at a time and then checking for comprehension. Have the participants work with the concepts in case studies or problem solving exercises.
Or have them create teams to play a game:
- board game
- Jeopardy
- crossword puzzle
and reward the “winning groups” to add an element of competition to keep their adrenaline up!
or
You could assign small groups to research and define one of each of the concepts. Then have them present a 2 minute skit to emphasize the key aspects of the concept.
Just make sure that you:
- don’t waste time teaching them what they already know,
- teach only a few things at a time, and
- use active, fun, and possibly competitive methods to check for participant comprehension.
If your trainers are struggling to solve classroom challenges that impact learner focus and motivation, please book a call to discuss a tailored train-the-trainer program. https://laurelandassociates.com/contact
