A FACILITATORS CREED - DAVID.S

A   FACILITATOR’S   CREED

I believe that teaching is more than a job - more than a profession It is a VOCATION.

I believe that my vocation as a Facilitator is of supreme importance in the training of the human soul for an eternal destiny.

I believe that on God’s part there is nothing, accidental in the case of each student who enters my classroom.

I believe that without daily prayer for patience, strength and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I cannot hope to fulfill my high calling.

I believe that a Facilitator must love youth and believe in the essential integrity and sincerity of youth.

I believe that Faciliing is more than instruction - it is also guidance and friendship.

I believe that the person taught is of vastly more importance than the subject taught.

I believe  that  I should be guilty of a grave injustice were I to discriminate against a student because of race , colour or creed.

I believe that I own the same professional interest towards students of all intellectual levels.

I believe that if I reproach a students for lack of intelligence, I shall be reproaching the Creator who so endowed him.

I believe that favoritism in the classroom can never be tolerated or condoned.

I believe that justice to myself as a teacher and to my student demands that I make adequate preparation for every class.

I believe that tangible proofs of gratitude from students should never be expected. A teacher’s rewards are all in the future.

I believe that youth is extremely sensitive and can be deeply wounded by public posting of gratitude  or other indiscriminate comparisons.

I believe that firmness and patience are the most effective weapons against the misconduuct or insolence of youth.

I believe that no injury on the part of a student is beyond the forgiveness of the Facilitator.

I believe that loyalty to my school , to my students , and to my fellow teacher forbids the publishing of their shortcomings except to competent authority.

I believe that appreciation and encouragement of my students and fellow Facilitators will do wonders for their morale as well as my own.

I believe that I should never cease to increases in the knowledge of my subject , and to improve  in my teaching techniques.

I believe that my students shall pass through my classes but once. If there is  anything therefor, that I can do to help them live useful lives , let me not delay  it nor neglect it . . . for they shall not pass my way again.....

I BELIEVE EVERYONE WILL READ THIS........

Regards,

S.David,

CC/DB Tech,

Madurai,

Tamil Nadu.

Understanding how your learners learn, is your success !

 VARK Theory

Probably the easiest to understand and implement in your training programme. This theory is based on the FOUR main learning preferences your learners will have.

VISUAL - learners who would like to see it on the whiteboard, flip charts, walls, graphics, pictures, colour. They are probably your creative students, love using different colours in their workbooks, want to make their pages look pretty etc

AUDITORY - learners who would like to sit back and listen. They don't make a lot of notes

READ/WRITE - learners who need to read the information for themselves and they take a lot of notes

KINESTHETIC - learners who can not sit still for long, like to fiddle with things.They like to be actively involved in their learning.

It is important that you understand your own learning preference as you will be delivering in that preference as well. Click here to find a VARK questionnaire and more info on VARK. If your preferred learning style is visual, you will deliver in a very visual way as that suits you, but does it suit your learners? When planning your session, check that your delivery techniques have covered all of the above preferences otherwise some students are missing out on learning opportunities.

Please note that the VARK model is also known as VAK however many educators prefer to have the R added to the model.

In the Revision section the need for repetition has been explained. On average you will need to repeat information that you want learners to retain at least 6 times. So if you cover all of the above learning preferences you automatically cover the same material 4 times already.

Now have a look at your preferred learning preference and the way you deliver as a facilitator

As a VISUAL Learner  I  prefer	As a AUDITORY Learner, I prefer
to use colourful posters and illustrations to use an OHP or PowerPoint to use the Internet to use video/DVD/Television to use graphics, diagrams, pictures to use a range of different colour pens students to produce posters/brochures Don't like using workbooks or organise any practical experiencing by the students as it is all nicely displayed around the room.	to use my voice to explain things to use a lot of group discussion to use role play activities to tell stories and jokes to use music in the training room to have learners do presentations verbal revision Why organise a lot of paper work as it is just as easy to discuss every thing with the students.
As a READ/WRITE Learner, I prefer	As a KINESTHETIC Learner, I prefer
to read from workbooks to provide handouts to give written activities to do to write important words on whiteboard to have closed book tests written tests/exams/quizzes All the information is in the book, so no need to arrange extra activities or create diagrams etc.	students to experience for themselves to use stories and metaphors to make students do all the work the spend little time behind the desk to use up beat music in the room to demonstrate open book tests Why spend type reading and writing while students learn so much more by experiencing.

Hopefully, you have identified yourself.  Now of course it is possible that you are strong in more than ONE learning preference. This is called Multi Modal and your students can be multi modal as well.

But now imagine that you have a very strong Kinesthetic preference and your class preference is 80% Read/Write. How do you think you feel if none of the students like to get involved in your practical delivery? You probably call the students boring while the students dislike coming to your class because they have to do all these activities, while all they want to do is read the book and write an essay!I

f you have done the VARK test today, I encourage you to do it again in 6 months time. Most trainers preferences seem to shift as they learn to appreciate the other learning preferences, especially if you were very strong in just one, you will find as you start getting better at incorporating all 4 that you become more Multi Modal. What ever you are, be assured there is no good or bad preference. It is an awareness that will help you with your delivery and ultimately your classroom management.

Training room application

For the VISUAL Learners , I need to	For the AUDITORY Learners , I need to
use lots of colour provide interactive handouts draw diagrams, pictures, flow charts ask students to create posters and charts use visual aids like DVD, OHP use photographs etc for illustration use mind maps	explain everything verbally provide class discussion time organise group discussions provide group work activities do group presentations Think-Pair-Share brainstorm with groups read from the workbook
For the READ/WRITE Learners, I need to	For the KINESTHETIC Learners, I need to
allow students to read from the book use the whiteboard a lot use written case studies ask students to write journals/essays do written quizzes do written revision make written logical lists	provide role play activities use three dimensional models have fiddly toys on tables have "get of your seat" activities use up-beat music during activities have learners prepare presentations

From the above table you will find that one activity could cater for different learners at the same time. The small group activity could be: read page 10-20, create a poster summarising the contents and present to the class.

• Visual - create the poster- they probably do all the creative stuff, and want to use lots of colour
• Auditory - need to listen as ideas are put forward as to what to put on the poster. Will listen to the presentation
• Read/Write - will actually read the pages and feedback to the rest of the group. Will want to do the writing on the poster
• Kinesthetic - will put the presentation together and want to make it fun

Sumit Tripathi

Trainer

ACF-SEDI

Jaitaran ( Raj )

Class room set up needs to be an invitation to learn.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.  For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create" - Albert Einstein.

Think back to training sessions you have attended yourself. Which training session do your remember with pleasure, the one that had a boring class room set up with just tables and chairs or the classroom set up that looked inviting, vibrant, colourful and looked as if it was going to be a lot of fun?

Knowledge Base Central  lives by the motto: "What we learn with pleasure, we never forget".

You will thank yourself for spending time on setting up your room creatively so it looks like an invitation to learn. When your learners walk into the room, they should be thinking: 'yeah this look great, I don't mind being here today, wonder what we are going to do '.

These are the things you need to consider:

The preferred learning styles of your learners

If you don't know the learning styles of your students, use the VARK model and consider the activities you have planned to cater for each learning style. 

Will you need props for the Kinesthetic learners? What are they going to be? Have them out on the desks before they come in and you immediately have some "imagination" going as they will wonder what the props are going to be used for.

What about your Visual learners? They want to see colour in the room, posters on the walls, flip chart paper, felt tips on the desks.

What about your Reader and writers? They want to walk into the room and see immediately that there will be opportunities for them to write. Have the writing pad and pens on the desk, flip chart on the walls with only the heading written up etc.

For your audio learners, use music when they walk in. This will not only please the audio learners but everybody will be energised and motivated especially if you theme the music to the topic you are teaching.  If this is hard to find, use something up beat and motivational to put everybody in good spirits.

Table and chair set up

This really depends on what you are teaching and how many people you have in your group. There are several classroom set ups you should consider.

• Class room: think back to primary and high school and you will get the picture. Individual desks and chairs all facing forward. Probably not your favourite set up, as this is not very inviting for adult learners who might not have a favourable memories of their school days. It also stops interaction between learners and it makes you, the facilitator, the most authoritative person.
   
• Groups: fantastic set up as you can make the groups from 4 to 8 depending what you want the groups to do. For group discussion keep the groups small, so it is easier for everybody to participate as in larger groups the shy learners will not be as confidence to speak up. However if you want the group to prepare an interactive presentation, six to eight people is ideal as you will have a mixture of learning styles who can all express themselves in their own way. Having a group set it ,also makes it easy for you to walk around the room and give each group individual attention.
   
• Shape: is very popular when teaching a lot of technical contents. Everybody can see you and the white board, but they are still able to easily interact with people next to them and across from them. It is also great that you can walk inside the U-shape and keep an eye on each individual student.
   
• Chairs and tables: think about it, do you always need tables and chairs. For 90% of the time, probably yes but if you are working with a young bunch of learners, take away the barriers of tables and chairs, push them to the side and let them make themselves comfortable on the floor. Some will sit down, some will lie down, some will pull over a chair. Accept whatever their preference is. Perhaps you just want to start like this for an icebreaker/warm up activity and than ask them to set you the room in groups. As long as your learners are learning does it really matter if it happens behind a desk? Try it, step away from tradition, as long as you are happy joining them on the floor as well. Why not organise some beanbags or large cushions for some added comfort.
   
• Just chairs in semi circle: another way of putting the barrier of a desk to the side.  Perhaps you just want to talk to them, do some closed book revision, or explain what task you want them to complete.This is also great if you want to create a group discussion.
   
• Role play: if you are teaching selling skills, communication skills or customer service skills etc that require the students to practice by doing a role play, think about your class room set up desks and chairs. You could have just one table and a chair on either side. Put props on the desks to make it relevant to their subject.

Wall space

Use the wall space. Very often the wall in a training room can look very bland. Again put thought into how you can use this space and use them as a learning tool for your students.

• Posters: do you have any posters relevant to what you are teaching as this will create an instant atmosphere
• Flip chart paper: stick sheets around the room with the bare minimum written on them. Use them during your session to get the students up and ask them to write on them. You could create a cross word on them or a "hangman" game to create some intrigue. You could write key words/principles/definitions on them as this would give your learners an instant feeling of what is going to be learnt today. During the day they can look round the room and reflect what they mean.
• Laminated signs: Any words, abbreviations, definitions etc they need to learn during the session, have them displayed on laminated signs and use them during the day. Like for the flip chart paper, students can check their learning during the day and feel good about themselves as they did not know the meaning of these signs at the start of the day. Use laminated pictures, symbols , cartoon type figures.
• Props: Use props on your wall to create a bit of fun and intrigue and it will create an inviting learning environment.

White board

Good use of the white board (or flip chart if no whiteboard is available) is an essential tool to open up the learners minds.  First of all use as much colour as you can, use oranges, pinks, purples, lime green and yellow for drawing on the board. Use the traditional black, red, and blue for the important information and while writing during the session. It is important that on the left or right hand side of the board you summarise what is going to be covered in today's session.

TIP: Have you used a permanent marker pen on a whiteboard and could not get it off?

There is absolutely no reason to panic. Stay calm and composed. Pick up a whiteboard marker and a tissue , write over the permanent marker pen word and rub out with your tissue. Do little sections at the time if you discovered it after you wrote an entire essay on the board. If you don't believe this simple trick, why don't you and try it right now in a discrete corner of your whiteboard.

Sumit Tripathi

Trainer

ACF-SEDI

Jaitaran ( Raj)

Learner Contract

Hi

Greeting of the day !


Sumit Tripathi

Values at learning place

Behavior of a person determines the type of values that person possess. Our values reflect in every action that we do. “The interactions that go on
—with your parents, the school, your friends—
that’s where
values come into play…
it’s the process.”
This article talks about how to help trainees explore their values.


Values 

20/02/2020 Letter of Appreciation...

Hello,
Congratulation to you for reaching up the top of your organization.
handling this kind of big project for youth empowerment its a great achivement for you.
you saw lots of ups and downs in your life and in your profession also but you always outcomes from all these challenges.
you are doing a great work for Society.
you created your own succes way.
you becoming more practical from all those challenges and being strong also.
you take leadership and after you do great things.
keep the good work continue....................



Best wishes....

project Director

Nilesh parekh.

Creating Learning Enviornments

Hello!


The question of how to create effective learning environment in the absence of certain external factors had triggered my brain. In search of my answer to this I came across the link mentioned below. It has a variety of ways in which a classroom can be made more effective.

Thanks!!

Learning Environment