Effective Training and Interactive Learning to Save Time and Money

When I was little, I sat in a classroom. We all sat, in front of the teacher. She gave us the information, undergo the likes of English reading practice.  We left the classroom with our brains full of new information! Wrong. That is not how effective learning goes down.

Each year (for about 20 years), I walked into my classroom full of new students. There were about 20-30 people. I had the same body of content each year. That didn’t vary much. What changed each year, each month, and occasionally each day, was HOW I taught.  

I would teach a strategy and see people really understanding, and others, not so much. It became my strength, to see these moments, by test data but moreso, by LISTENING to people, and pivoting at lightning speed, making sure they understood and could perform their new knowledge.

Gone are the days when a teacher teaches ONE way to the group. It doesn’t work like that.  Hearing information, without interaction, has been proven to be the least effective. As a trainer, or learning and development coordinator, how do you teach?  Do you teach the way you were taught? Do you know that everyone learns differently?  

Knowing the content isn’t enough. Utilizing activities for developing specific skills through a session like English reading practice is a huge help.

Picture this: Today is your day to train a group of employees. You are ready! The new staff is seated at tables or in rows, in their chairs and you present the information. You have amazing slides, lots of inspirational stories, and the correct information is given to each employee. You smile, and everyone claps, and you snap a quick pick for social media. Success. But how do you know?

Or, do you use a hands-on, interactive approach? Getting your people up and acting out scenarios or discussing real case studies? Followed up by genuine conversations with small groups or 1:1, or even gathering data by future observation or poll?

There isn’t a “one way fits all” strategy to teaching. But active, data-driven learning works best.  You want results, right?  Better client experiences, and 5-star ratings?

It’s going to take more than a workshop or online course. First, it’s going to take retention and low turnover.

Along with repetition and practice (and allowing for mistakes) some good quality development strategies are the answer!

Here are 2 strategies to teach your groups better. Small group teaching & mentorships are 2 effective strategies you can use NOW.  No joke!

Small Groups

Research shows hands-on training IS more effective. Research tells us that learning sticks like glue, when people get out of their chairs (and their comfort zone) and talk, explain, listen, and work out problems in actionable ways. Be it interactive online learning activities or traditional teachings, a group with motivated thoughts can lead them to take action.

Take this Harvard Learning Study for example. People in training expressed their satisfaction and the effectiveness of a great speaker. They felt like they learned so much! But after data was collected, it was obvious that students performed better, and actually learned better in the hands-on learning lab (not the presentation). Here is how to do it:

1. Begin by handing out a sheet with different case studies (that are real and have happened in your organization) to small groups or partnerships. Looking into these sheets are part of several necessary activities for developing reading skills.
2. Have them read through. English reading practice is crucial when it comes to working on a wide range of documents and written resources.
3. Have them discuss problem-solving strategies they’d implement.  
4. Have them report back to the whole group (better yet, act it out!)
5. Don’t intervene, trust them to learn without your guidance. If they don’t feel safe to learn, your intervention can stifle their learning. This is the topic of my next Red Carpet Communication Miniseries. Stay-tuned!

As an organization, employees (and you) want better communication.  What is a cost-saving effective solution?

Mentorships Work

One of my favorite practices, when teaching, is the buddy system, or partnerships, also known as mentoring. Harvard and Stanford (and more) research are on the same page. Supporting each other through mentorships can make longer, more meaningful learning happen!

After reading this survey-style research, and seeing supporting case studies in Business News Daily, UMASS Global, Washington Post, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review, it’s clear mentoring is an essential step in the training process. We know the benefits:

• Welcoming is a warm way for new employees to get to know your organization. 
• Increased productivity.
• Improved employee morale and retention.
• Your employees gain insights and innovation as leadership is put into their hands

Here are the questions I get; How do you do it?  How much time does it take? There is a process to make this a practical training tool. There are a few steps. Two steps in the process are knowing the purpose and setting the expectations.

1. Know Your Purpose

What is your big goal?  Are you training new staff?  Do you have new leadership coming in?  Start by writing down the purpose of mentoring and the plans for your organization and your team. Think about how much time the mentoring will last and the boundaries around the partnership.  

Last year, our new director was embarking on her first year leading over 100 staff. Yes, she had experience and certification. She was assistant director for many years. What I loved (and she did too) was she wasn’t promoted, and left to lead without systematic communication support.  

The organization paired her with a seasoned director who had scheduled meetings to support her that entire year. This didn’t just open doors for her, but it made an amazing impact on the staff who benefited from her transformative communication with a mentor.

2. Setting The Expectations

What are the expectations? What are specific tasks? Let’s say you are hiring staff. Make a checklist of every topic and task that you would like each mentor to go over with the newly hired team. Will they focus on paperwork? Introductions? Communication with clients? Will they support them through challenging times?  

Offer a bonus, extra paid time off, leadership certification, or a bonus to those who sign up. Get creative with the incentives that you choose, as everyone is motivated differently. By defining the goals & expectations as clearly as possible, you can select the right people for the program and streamline their learning process and your time.  

This is a great way to: 

• Increase productivity;
• Improve morale;
• Create an environment where your team and staff want to stay and grow;  
• Place leadership in the hands of your staff- giving both the mentor and the mentee more confidence; 
• Provide more time to dedicate to other business growth areas; 
• The learning and training are happening. Their growth means your growth.

Embrace Learning with Interactive Training

Everyone learns differently and at different speeds. By recognizing this and using dynamic teaching techniques, you’ll retain the BEST talent and experience better results. After watching and doing this for 20 years, and reading the research to back it up, I’m pretty confident that you’ll gain so much. 

That is why it is important that you learn from a hands-on real experience through a reading wellness course. Luckily, I offer interactive reading lessons for struggling readers. If you are interested in joining, feel free to contact me. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1.) How can I practice reading in English?

Undergoing an English reading practice revolves around taking one small step at a time. First-time readers can use basic books with basic English and grammar and practice through them before increasing the difficulty further. You may also use online reading programs with a custom difficulty focus.

2.) How can I improve my English reading?

To improve your reading skills, it is necessary to spend time and effort reading through books or any readable content regularly. It would help if you also exposed yourself to different book genres to understand different writing styles and focus. Continuously seek out any book that matches your current proficiency level.

3.) What are the five basic reading skills?

The five fundamental reading skills encompass vocabulary, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and comprehension.