Training from the BACK of the Room! (TBR)

After watching this informative RSA Animate video, “The Divided Brain,” I invite you to think about how to best approach instruction so that both hemispheres of the learner’s brain are involved in the learning every step of the way (a challenge for all of us, to be sure!).  

NOTE: The blog below was created and contributed by TBR Certified Trainer Jean-Paul Bayley and posted one year ago. It is still quite relevant since many companies and institutions are continuing their virtual class offerings even as they return to in-person instruction.

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

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?

For participants who have attended an in-person, 2-day “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) Practitioner Class, the “real work” begins after the class is over – with “Follow-Ups,” of course!

It used to be thought that, once the human brain reached adulthood, learning slowed down. It was further thought that, as the brain aged, it became almost impervious to growing new neural pathways. Cognitive neuroscientists now know that both assumptions aren’t true. We can thank the brain’s “neuroplasticity” for this.

(NOTE: This post was written and contributed by TBR Certified Trainer Jean-Paul Bayley): In this post, we’ll have a look at why and how to use Blackout Bingo to prime learners (that is, to get them ready) for new information to come.     Why Use Blackout Bingo? How do you prepare workshop participants for important information to come? A

This blog post contains a free infographic with 7 instructional strategies that engage learners in any virtual (or, for that matter, in-person) class or training. Feel free to download and share this free infographic with interested colleagues and friends.

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.

Here is the second set of free “Pocket Cards” that you are welcome to download and share with colleagues, friends, students, and training participants – 10 easy ways to enhance any learning experience!

If you’re one of my regular blog readers, you know that there are a number of free, colorful “infographics” posted here that you can download, use, and share with other interested colleagues. I hope you can make use of this reposted one in your 2023 classes and training programs.

  Every year about this time, I post these colorful little cards for you to download, print, cut up, and carry with you or share with colleagues, family members, and friends. Happy Holidays to you and yours from Sharon and Bowperson Publishing & Training, Inc! 🙂

(NOTE: This blog post was written by TBR Certified Trainer Teri Frith and reposted by popular demand): When it comes to learning, we know that “movement trumps sitting.” Finding ways to build movement into activities in the virtual classroom is far more challenging than in the in-person classroom.

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.  

This is the “science-made-simple” slide presentation about why the human brain is hard-wired the way it is and why both physical and psychological safety are so important to learning, whether in virtual or in-person learning environments.  

“Body-Breaks” are short quick physical movements that learners do to stretch their bodies and get more oxygen to their brains. Body-Breaks have become hugely important in virtual/remote learning environments, so I’m reposting this blog from last year – be sure to download the free Body-Breaks infographic.

Those of us who have been teaching virtual classes know about important staging elements: quality lighting and sound, external camera, backgrounds that don’t distract, etc. However, we might think that these elements don’t matter when we’re the participants in a class – or do they?

My job – as an author and small business owner –  requires that I sit for long hours in front of a computer doing the behind-the-scenes stuff that forms the foundation of my work. I hurt – I mean REALLY hurt – at the end of a computer workday.