Training from the BACK of the Room!

In this post, you’ll find the free Micro-Course I created awhile back that is a primer for any kind of virtual training and learning. You’ll also find a free infographic and Pocket Card Set to download and share. Enjoy and stay safe! 🙂

The world has been through a huge, forced transformation affecting most aspects of life and routines as we used to know them. In particular, how we collaborate, learn, and exchange information have all been severely impacted. We need to rethink how we teach/train others. 

(Note: This blog post was contributed by TBR Certified Trainer Angela Johnson.) Many of us are now teaching virtually instead of face-to-face. Below are my top tips for effectively keeping any virtual training session on track.

“Platform skills” is the term most often used for face-to-face presentations: the presenter’s voice tone, body movement, facial expressions, movement, and energy. Let’s translate all of that to the virtual world with “staging.”

(NOTE: This blog post was written by TBR Certified Trainers Jean-Paul Bayley and José Casal, Partner and Founding Partner of Actineo Consulting, LLC, based in the UK.) The last few weeks have been pretty tough on everyone. The new “normal” is quite different now in the training world, so we have a few ideas we want to share with you.

There is a lovely quote from the movie “Starman” (1984, starring Jeff Bridges). When asked what he learned from visiting Earth, the Starman said, “Shall I tell you what I find beautiful about you? You are at your very best when things are worst.”

This short video, with concepts from Benedict Carey’s book “How We Learn,” contains some surprising information about how to study more effectively. The book is an excellent resource for learning about how the human brain learns best. Enjoy! 🙂  

(NOTE: This blog post was written and contributed by TBR Certified Trainer Jean-Paul Bayley): Most trainers talk about the importance of “psychological safety,” both in the classroom and in the workplace. But how do you go about creating it from the moment learners step into the classroom or training space?  

(Note – This blog post contribution was written by TBR Certified Trainer Nick Zingo): Awhile back I wrote a blog post regarding a very different group engagement technique titled “Café Conversations.”  Here is recap with some new information for you to experiment with.

If one of your 2020 goals is attending a “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) Practitioner Class, or if just want to know more about what you will learn in the class, here is a summary of five great “take-aways” from attending.

Gearing up for a busy and productive 2020, I decided to repost these 10 simple health tips that will help us all stay a bit more balanced in mind and body as we teach, train, and help others to learn and grow. Enjoy the tips and pass them on!

(Note: This blog contribution is written by TBR Certified Trainer Nicole Fleming): The New Year is usually a time of reflection and change.  With the year 2020 upon us, I have been reflecting on 2019 and planning ahead for 2020, using “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) as one of the ways to reflect back and plan forward.

Dear Reader: Every year around the end-of-year holidays, I repost this popular set of little Pocket Cards. They have more to do with health and well-being than with effective teaching and training. But, just perhaps, the two go hand-in-hand.

In this post you’ll find the “Pop-Quiz Homework” for my “Brain-Based Presenting” Webinar that takes place on December 10th 2019. You’ll also find more webinar-related give-aways to help you enhance your own training, teaching, and instructional skills.

I’m always surfing the web for information about the human brain and how it learns. In this blog are two short videos: “The Learning Brain” and “How to Learn Faster.” Both videos are visually-interesting and great refreshers on how we, as humans, learn.

If you missed it last time around, InSync Training is again sponsoring my live, free webinar titled “Brain-Based Presenting: Getting the Brain to Pay Attention.” The webinar will be held on December 10th 2019 at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Read on for further information …

If you missed it last time around, InSync Training is again sponsoring my live, free webinar titled “Brain-Based Presenting: Getting the Brain to Pay Attention.” The webinar will be held on December 10th 2019 at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Read on for further information …

I’m reposting this blog entry because I’m still often asked, “What do you do about company-created slide decks that you have to use for a mandatory company training?”

As trainers and teachers, it’s always a good thing to remind ourselves now and then about the power of images to help the human brain learn and remember important information. Here are some excellent resources to explore that do just that.

You just finished a customer service training for a small group of your company’s employees. They listened attentively the whole time your were talking. Now you stop and ask, “Do you understand?” They nod their heads. You continue, “Do you have any questions?” They shake their heads. “Good,” you think. “They’ve got it.” Or do they?

I’ve been asked to repost this blog entry because a number of “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) Practitioner Classes are scheduled during September 2019. Even if you’ve never experienced a TBR Practitioner Class, you’ll find a lot of useful training give-aways in this post.  

I wrote this blog post in 2017 for the Scrum Alliance Gathering in San Diego that year. If you haven’t read the post yet, or if you just want a recent refresher of some brain science principles as they relate to human learning, this post will do the trick – enjoy the learning!

Khurram Bhatti is a Certified Trainer for “Training from the BACK of the Room.” Khurram attended the Trainer Certification Course (TCC) this past spring and then created this blog post for his own blog. I think you will enjoy his personal story about TBR and brain-based instruction.

In this post there are a number of links to free give-aways with content and strategies from the “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) book and classes by the same name. Regardless of whether you’ve attended a class or read the book, you can find lots of practical information here that you can put to immediate use.  

For a topic-related discussion activity that includes lots of movement and that can be used with any content and any group of learners, experiment with “Take-a-Stand” the next time you teach or train.  

Want a five-minute training game that takes no preparation beforehand? Want a high-energy game that engages all learners and that reviews training content in a fun and memorable way? Introducing: “Grab That Spoon!”

TBR Certified Trainer Nick Zingo says: “Yup, folks, it’s ‘Socrative’ not ‘Socrates!’” He explains: “If you’re looking for another great instructional tool for your teacher’s/trainer’s toolbox, you may want to consider Socrative – a great digital tool that ensures collaboration and that reinforces learning!”

Many of you will be familiar with these 7 tips for turning listeners into learners. But sometimes it’s good to get a quick “refresher” of brain-based strategies that make learners more successful. While these strategies help learners stay attentive and engaged throughout a class or training, they will also help you become a more effective trainer or teacher.

In exploring YouTube and the videos on human learning, I discovered this excellent one – done in the quick-draw, white-board animation style of RSAnimate.

You’ve just attended a train-the-trainer class with lots of great information to use and new instructional strategies to experiment with. So how do you keep from falling back into traditional, lecture-based methods of instruction?

In this post there are a number of links to free give-aways with content and strategies from the “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) book and classes by the same name. Regardless of whether you’ve attended a class or read the book, you can find lots of practical information here that you can put to immediate use.  

Most of the time, learners’ questions are easy enough to answer on-the-spot during a class or training. Once in awhile, though, the questions might post a bit of a challenge. So it’s often helpful to have a few other options “in your back pocket,” so to speak, to address difficult questions.

A number of webinar participants from the two free webinars I presented in March 2019 asked interesting questions that are relevant to our jobs as trainers, teachers, instructors, and learning facilitators. I’ve posted the questions (with some slight editing) in this blog, along with my responses.

Here is the “Pop Quiz Homework” for my March 20th 2019 webinar, “Brain-Based Presenting: Getting the Brain to Pay Attention,” sponsored by HRDQ, a globally-recognized developer of research-based instructional materials.  

My deepest thanks to those of you who attended my March 19th 2019 webinar “Six Brain-Science Principles that Trump Traditional Training, Teaching, and Presenting.” Here, I’m reposting the free infographics that I referred to during the webinar, as well as other free resources to explore, download, and share.

To My Dear Readers: Many of you have sent me emails inquiring about how to become a Certified Trainer for “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) because you want to be able to present the official 2-day TBR class. I’m excited to announce that a 1-day “Trainer Certification Course” (TCC) will take place in Europe in 2019!

Because this topic has been one of the most popular blog posts on my website, I’ve created a free infographic that you can download and print. The infographic describes five 60-second activities that help learners move information into long-term memory.

If you’re one of my regular blog readers, or if you’ve attended a “Training from the BACK of the Room” class, then you’re already familiar with the six brain-science principles that trump traditional training, teaching, and presenting. On March 19th 2019, sponsoring company InSyncTraining invites you to a free webinar where you’ll experience these principles in action.

Back by popular demand, my free “Brain-Based Presenting” webinar will be offered again by HRDQ on March 20th 2019. Consider joining me and an enthusiastic group of global trainers for an hour of exciting, brain-based learning.

As trainers and teachers, it’s always a good thing to remind ourselves now and then about the power of images to help the human brain learn and remember important information. Here are some excellent resources to explore that do just that.

Sometimes, as trainers and teachers, we get so caught up in covering our content that we forget that we need to have procedures in place for managing time, space, and the learners in our care. Group management, or the lack of it, can make or break a class or training. Fortunately, effective group management can be simple to do.

Here are six interesting and informative resources that I wrote a blog about last year. All contain concepts about the human brain and successful learning. You can read or just skim them and still find something to use in your own personal or professional life. Happy New Year!

As a New Year’s treat for my blog readers, I’ve compiled some great resources with helpful suggestions for learning anything better, faster, and with longer retention. Use these suggestions for your own learning, or pass them on to family members, friends, and the folks you teach, train, and instruct. Happy 2019!  

With holidays and the New Year just around the corner, I decided to repost this article which I paraphrased from “The Guardian“ with 10 tips that are delightfully easy to do. Add a bit of health to your daily holiday activities with these simple tips. 

Dear Reader: These little Pocket Cards have been so popular every year that I’m reposting them again to give you a gift of health and well-being for the upcoming holidays and New Year. Enjoy! 🙂

Before you begin reading this blog post, grab a piece of paper and a pen and jot down the names or descriptions of a few interactive e-learning strategies you have used or have seen used. I’ll pause here while you write ……  😉  When you’ve finished writing, download the 7 free tips in this blog post.  

I receive many emails each month inquiring about the globally-acclaimed, 2-day “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) Practitioner Class. If you’re thinking about attending a TBR Practitioner Class, or just want to know more about it, here is a summary of five great “take-aways” from the class.

If you’re one of my regular blog readers, you know that I’ve been creating a number of colorful “infographics” that you can download, use, and share with other interested colleagues. Here is my latest free infographic for you.

It doesn’t matter if you’re instructing small groups (under a dozen people), medium-size groups (1-3 dozen people), or large groups (three dozen or more). Nor does it matter if you’re presenting in a lecture hall or to an auditorium-size audience. And it really doesn’t matter what your topic is. You still need some quick, easy, and effective group management strategies.

Here is another free infographic with content from “The Ten-Minute Trainer” and from a previous blog post. Be sure to download the infographic and feel free to share it with interested colleagues. Enjoy the learning! 🙂