1. Managing the Learning Environment
Chapter 5

2. Managing the Learning Environment
Set the tone of the session
Communicate expectations
Adapt delivery as needed
Manage time
Help learners be successful
Manage problem behaviors
You have to remember that you set the tone for the whole training session. If you look and act bored, your audience will act bored. If you are enthused, your audience will be enthused about the training.
You also must communicate your expectations for the session’s outcome to your audience at the start. They will also need to share their expectations of what they need from the session so you can adapt and try to meet their needs.
As a result, you may need to change or adapt your plans to meet those needs. If you find out you have more or fewer people than you expected, you may have to qickly choose different activities or examples you planned to use. Thiink on your feet and tap dance.
Learn to manage your time. Pace the session so that your audience can keep with you or so they don’t get bored. Not too fast or too slow for them to learn.
Plan on success. Do one wants to fail, but some need more help than others. Adapt and adjust for different styles of learning. Support visual, audio, and tactile-kinesthetic learning styles wherever necessary.
On occasion, there will be someone who simply does not respond and who does not want to be there. Or perhaps someone keeps whispering or heckling you. You must address these behaviors for the benefit of the rest of the audience.

3. Selecting the Strategy (p 146)
Get the learner’s attention
Provide examples
Stimulate curiosity
Facts and statistics
Pose questions
Convey benefits
Use aids (props)
In order for everyone to learn, you must get their attention first. You can do this by using the strategies listed here.

4. Selecting the Strategy
Selecting ice breakers
Purpose
Size
Space
Leader
Time
If your training session has a number of people who do not know one another, an ice breaker is a good place to begin. This is an activity that allows participants to get acquainted with each other. This is especially helpful if some team project or effort is the purpose of the training.
You need to consider several things when selecting an effective ice breaker activity.

5. Selecting the Strategy (p 147)
Communicate Expectations and Administrative details
Establish appropriate learner comfort level
Adapt delivery to match learner characteristics
Content
Examples
In the session itself, you need to keep these things in mind.

6. Managing Time (p 148) Starting time Late arrivals
Breaks / Returning from Breaks
Cultural perception of time
SocialValue
You should always start on time, since your time is valuable. What will you do with late-comers? How will you handle breaks? How will you round folks up and get them back on task?
There are cultural differences in the way time is perceived, so be very clear when talking about time and hours and expectations.
However task oriented you are, make sure you allow for some social time and networking opportunities in your session.

7. Managing Time Pacing the delivery Adjusting the pace Keeping on time
Agendas
Contingencies
Time Buffers
Be prepared to make some during-training adjustments. You may have to speed up or slow down,depending on the body language you get from your audience. You may have to skip some stuff to keep on time, so have some idea ahead what you can leave out and not miss. Similarly, you may have to keep some extra activities in your bag of tricks in case things go much quicker than you expected and you find you have extra time.

8. Opportunities for Learner Success (p148)
Encourage Growth
Evaluating Learner Success
Quizzes
Tests
Self-assessments
Discussion questions
Always encourage your participants to stretch themselves a little. An if you give tests or assessments of some sort, don’t try to trip up your participants, try to help them succeed by only testing for what you have covered.

9. Group/Team Development
Stages
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
These are one way of looking at the way teams develop. They form and get to know each other, They storm and learn how to get along and put the task or project first. Then they settle down to work. A successful team then begins to be productive--they perform. When the task is accomplished or the project finished and closeed, the team adjourns. A facilitator must be ready to help the team move forward as quickly as possible through the first three stages to performing.

10. Group Dynamics (p 148-9) Trust Functional Behaviors
Dysfunctional Behaviors
Groupthink
Conflict
Social loafing
In any group of people, trust is an important component to success. While most of the participants will contribute to the successful outcome, there may be behaviors that hinder progress.

11. Effective Group Work (p 134)
Introduce the group activity
Set ground rules (p 134)
Have / be facilitator
In order to be effective, you must clearly explain the desired outcome of the group’s work. Clear ground rules such as “no negative comments or criticisms” or “only 5 minutes per person” can reduce confusion and conflict. Your role is a facilitator. You don’t “run” the group session, you guide it.

12. Resolving Learner Behavior Problems (p 149)
Identifying prisoners, clowns, hermits,etc.
Prevention
Intervention
Handling hecklers, derailers, whiners, eager beavers, and latecomers
There is always one. Seldom are all the participants eager and ready to work. You must identify disruptive behaviors and learn to deal with them. Have some plans in your head to pull out when you need them.

13. Summary Set the tone of the session Communicate expectations
Adapt delivery as needed
Manage time
Help learners be successful
Manage problem behaviors