Do learners feel that trainers care?
The importance of being interested in learners' needs and experiences.
introduction:
It is very important to understand that the learners don’t feel at same levels (cognitive and emotional) the sincere interest of the trainer/facilitator toward their needs and their experiences that can become part of the training session too.
Content:
Trainers play an important role in the trajectory of the learner throughout the non-formal training experience. Positive relationships between learners and trainers have a long-lasting impact and can contribute to learners’ social and professional development. In fact, such a positive relationship enables learners to feel safe and secure in their learning environments and promote engagement whiting learning. For some learners, their relationship with the trainer may provide the stability, responsiveness and support from one trusted reference person.
In this sense it is important to create opportunities for channelling this energy positively and:
• Build trust;
• Provide space for sharing individual and group needs;
• Create a sense of importance and empowerment of each learner and the group as a venue for empowering the learning as such;
• Offer guidance and support during the training session or eventually during the follow-up;
• Create an environment of cooperation and compliance;
• Encourage learners to formulate their own learning goals based on their needs;
• Adapt some part of the training on their learning goals.
Exercises:
How to apply it in everyday work?
Let’s try to verify if and how we are caring about these dimensions in our everyday work:
| Focus | How? Activities in your everyday work |
| Build trust | |
| Provide space for sharing individual and group needs | |
| Create a sense of importance and empowerment of each learner and the group as a venue for empowering the learning as such | |
| Offer guidance and support during the training session or eventually during the follow-up | |
| Create an environment of cooperation and compliance | |
| Encourage learners to formulate their own learning goals based on their needs | |
| Adapt some part of the training on their learning goals |
Reflection Questions:
- Do I really care about the needs of the learners?
- How can I be able to integrate into an already planned activity?
- How much do I feel prepared for being flexible in this part of the preparation?
