New Ideas for Trainers: 70 Ways to Reinvent your Training
Contents
SECTION ONE: THE UNITS
1. Designing and looking at the course afresh
This unit helps you assess your current training methods and look at things afresh. It provides a checklist to help you evaluate your current training methods and identify how to revitalise them.
2. Preparing for the session
Some suggestions for creating maximum impact for your training – including the course invitation, the learning environment, the presentation of your material and the use of props.
3. Introductions and ice-breakers
In this unit you will find some ideas for creating a powerful impact from the start of your training programme. It will encourage you to reassess how you begin a training session.
4. Energising the group
This unit looks at how and when to use activities to energise the group. It will give you guidance on what types of activities to use to energise training participants, and suggest new ways to doing this.
5. Reviewing and reinforcing key learning points
Using creative and novel techniques, this unit will help you ensure that participants draw key learning points from the training and that these are memorable and actionable.
SECTION TWO: THE ACTIVITIES
INTRODUCTIONS AND ICE-BREAKERS
6. Spic and span
A game for forming pairs and making introductions.
7. Word definition
Another game for introductions, using definitions.
8. Coin exchange
More introductions, through shared experiences.
9. The nail ch
Introducing a training session by demonstrating that we are
10. 5, 10, 15, 20
An activity for creating a relaxed atmosphere using previous experience to demonstrate capacity for growth and development.
11. Four words
An introduction idea, using ‘first impressions’.
12. Personal collage
Another ‘getting-to-know-you’ idea.
13. Animal farm
Forming pairs and teams using animal noises.
14. Chinese charades
An activity illustrating the importance of two-way communication.
15. Song lines
Encourages participants to introduce themselves and work together in teams.
16. Colours of the rainbow
An activity for revealing participants’ qualities through the use of colour.
17. Tattoo
Encourages participants to say something unique and memorable about themselves.
18. Five degrees of separation
Identifying what we have in common with others.
19. Twelve items
Introduces the concept of negotiation.
20. Bean bounce
A fun way of introducing and mixing, using lateral thinking, and giving and receiving.
MENTAL ACTIVITIES TO ENERGISE THE GROUP
21. Music energiser
Music is a wonderful energiser!
22. Mr Smiley
Demonstrates the importance of giving and asking for feedback.
23. Creative quiz
A quiz to test participants’ creativity.
24. Internet research
Change the pace with some Internet research.
25. Three words
A brain-teaser.
26. Mind-reader
Another brain-teaser.
27. Magic trick
Participants solve a magic trick.
28. No ‘A’
What’s unusual about this text? Participants decide.
29. Observation
An energiser that encourages teamwork and co-operation.
30. Lemon story
Participants use their sense of taste.
31. Four equilateral triangles
Creativity produces energy.
32. Mummy
Another team exercise requiring co-operation.
33. Creative leap
Participants are encouraged to do some creative thinking.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES TO ENERGISE THE GROUP
34. Human table footb
Energises participants using a game of footb
35. One to ten in Japanese
A game to encourage a learning environment.
36. Witches, giants, goblins
‘Paper, scissors, stone’ with a difference!
37. Move your feet
A ch
38. Relaxation
Change the mood – relax.
39. Human knot
Another ch
40. Magic carpet
A ch
41. B
A competitive activity – devise a strategy and burst those b
42. Standing ovation
Participants recognise their own achievements and qualities.
43. Left or right thumb
Divides participants into groups.
44. Circulate
Ch
45. North, east, south and west
Participants say in which direction they are facing and going in.
46. People letters
Another kind of creativity – participants use themselves to make letters and spell words.
ACTIVITIES TO ILLUSTRATE AND REVIEW KEY LEARNING POINTS
47. Cartoon review
Participants supply captions to cartoons to illustrate their learning points.
48.
Reviewing learning by telling stories.
49. Marooned on a desert island
More learning point reviews using trading.
50. Passport to learning
Crossing the border between sessions.
51. Review skit
Participants use drama to review their learning.
52. Buddy letter
Participants write their buddies a reminder letter.
53. B
A b
54. Similes
Using ‘like’ and comparisons to review learning.
55. Being
Making and reviewing commitments about the training.
56. Three wishes
Identifying how to achieve desired changes.
57. Recipes
Participants devise a recipe for success in reviewing their learning.
58. Finish the sentence
Completing sentences to help participants to reflect on what they have learned.
59. Draw your learning
Encourages participants to review their learning by producing a drawing.
60. Personal prescription
Participants take personal responsibility for their own development at the end of the course.
61. Journey log
Gives a model of a journey log for recording progress.
62. Lifeline
Shows participants how to plot their learning on a line.
63. My vision
How will participants by applying their learning in six months’ time?
64. Exercise review
Participants identify what they have learned after an exercise.
65. Prioritise your goals
There is more chance of achieving your goals if you prioritise them.
66. String of events
Using a b
67. DIY quiz
Participants test each other’s retention of key learning points.
68. Speech bubbles
Another way of reviewing key learning points.
69. Teaching others
Teaching others is a good aid to memorising key learning points.
70. Incremental review
Reviewing key learning points using diminishing numbers, from groups, to pairs, to individuals.
71. Creative review
Using creativity to review and reinforce learning points.
72. Tree of learning
Participants ‘harvest’ their significant fruits of commitment from their tree of learning.
73. Memo to myself
Committing to making changes in a memo written to themselves.
74. Draw before and after
Attitudes ‘before and after’ recorded on paper.
75. Symbol of learning
Participants create a symbol of their learning.
376 pages, with 91 ‘OK to copy’ pages
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