If you were to ask most trainers, I bet the vast majority would tell you they were very happy with their chosen line of work. Why? The opportunity to teach adults. As any grade school or high school teacher will tell you, teaching children provides it's own set of challenges. You are also working in a professional environment, where you are a respected part of the team with a unique set of skills that can benefit the organization. The classes taught are usually filled with participants who are looking forward to attending your class so they can further their careers.
Still, there are challenges. As any professional trainer will tell you, there is rarely a training class that goes by without some form of problem. That is what these next few blogs are about. Problems come, but how do you face them? In this entry we will discuss the idea of respect in the classroom. Respect for you as a trainer, but also respect for the people attending your class.
Some Kronos trainers feel they aren't getting the respect they deserve in a classroom. Learners aren't showing up on time from breaks, speaking out of turn and interrupting others. Some participants are constantly talking to other learners, usually distracting them. There are so many other ways that learners are disrespectful, so let's start by looking at yourself, as a trainer, and asking a pretty tough question...
Are you showing respect to the learners in your class?
Really, think about it. Are you? Ask yourself some honest questions.
Do you start your class on time? I used to have a "50/5" policy at the start of a class. If 50% of the participants weren't in the room at the start, I would give them five minutes before I started the class. I would probably wait 15 minutes before starting the class. I thought it would help with the interruptions caused by participants showing up late.
I have since changed my view. It was terribly unfair of me to hold this policy. I believe I show MORE respect for the participants who show up on time by starting the class on time. It is not fair to make them wait because of the behavior of the participants who didn't show up on time.
As an extention of this, are you clear about when you expect your learners to return from lunch and breaks? I have gone to the extent of writing the time down on the whiteboard so it is clear when they are expected back. Are you on time as well? There is no faster way to lose the respect of a class then to be back late from your own meal or break.
Do you have a clearly communicated classroom policy statement? I hate to call these "classroom rules" because it sounds like something you would get in third grade. I would suggest this policy stating what you would request from your learners, and agree to as an instructor. Be clear, and include why the policies are what they are. Your learners will understand and appreciate the goal, to create a professional and respectful environment in which learning can take place. That is key to our training classes.
Good luck with your Kronos training implementation.