Personal teaching situations and contexts

Education

My Role as a Teacher recent personal experience I had as a facilitator of adult learners had me in the situation of teaching new computer software to users from remote locations in a classroom setting. Five adult learners took part in a two-day intensive instruction on how to use and enter data into the software. I created the training, printed a small training manual, and used white boards, Power Point, and the manual to enhance the training, and there were also laptops in the room that the students could use to access the software and get used to it.

The first thing I noticed about the training was the management of the training room. We utilized a meeting room, and it was good for the purpose, not too large, but not too crowded, either. I made sure each student had a clear view of the board and Power Point presentation, and I noticed that they did follow along in the manual and seem to grasp the importance of the software and their data entry. They were actually eager to learn the new product, since it would enhance their own work environment and reduce some of their workload, so the training was essentially well received and positive. I did not have to "sell" or convince them about the usefulness of the software, which made my teaching job easier.

A experienced mentoring in this experience in that I had used the software so was familiar with it, and could offer some insight into some of the nuances of entering data that would only come from everyday use. In addition, one of the people in the class was less familiar than others with computers and software, and was a little nervous about the process. I helped her get over her fears, and she actually became quite comfortable with the entire software process by the end of the training. I felt as if I had been patient and understanding with her, and it made me understand the mentoring process a little more.

The class began promptly at 8am, and I found it a bit disconcerting that some of the students were late, causing the class to have to wait. It threw off the momentum of the class, and I felt I had not stressed timing enough. Several also straggled in after the lunch break, and the people that were on time seemed to resent it. I think if I did the training again, I would simply begin the training on time, and not worry about those who were late, if they missed anything, they would have to cover it on their own.

A also felt that the manual might not have been necessary, that students followed along on their computers and with the Power Point, and the manual may have been overkill. However, at least one student said they were glad they had the instructions in writing so they could refer back to it after they got back to their locations, so perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea, after all. This was the first training I developed, and I wanted to make sure I covered all the bases. With what I learned, I feel that I would change some things, and that I would make some recommendations to managers, but that overall, the training went well and was successful.