New Challenges
Yesterday was behavior management recertification day. It's a day that happens every four months, and it usually contains a quick review of physical interventions to assist in maintaining safety. Yesterday, it was different.
The folks in charge of our training FINALLY realized that when you only review the physical interventions, that's what people remember and they skip over all of the other stuff - the VERY IMPORTANT non-physical interventions. As a result, our usually quick recertification stretched into a much longer time together.
I really didn't mind at all.
We reviewed lots of terminology contained within the system of behavior management. The problem? We haven't used ANY of that terminology in years. In fact, I haven't ever heard any of those terms before. We were penalized for not knowing these terms which I found to be unfair. I was in a group with four others - most of whom have been in this system from the beginning - and NONE of us were familiar with terms presented.
The instructor told me that the terms were the ones used since the beginning. Actually, he wasn't around at the beginning and has only been a trainer for about 10 months, so the terms may have been around for as long as he has been an instructor, but they have not been mentioned to us during training at all. One of the difficulties with the terms presented was that they have borrowed concepts from other philosophies, but not the terminology. We were asked questions about trauma-informed care which we answered from within that care format - the answers we gave were correct, but not the right words for the behavior management system. As I mentioned, we were penalized for not using the right words - even when the right concept was recognized and used.
After the training, the instructor asked me if I could help them figure out ways to help those of us who had never heard the terminology before learn it more efficiently. (Oooh. A new challenge for me.) I've been thinking about how to do this ever since.
We did some wonderful things yesterday. We did some role playing (good for kinesthetic learners). We completed a word search (good for visual learners). We played Jeopardy (good for social learners). There was competition and cooperation during the training time. The instructor knew the material really well and presented it in a good manner - he was engaging and did not read things from the book (we have lots of those types of presenters in the training department). My major criticism is that folks should not be penalized for not knowing terminology that has never been taught, so I am going to figure out ways to get that terminology into the hands of the adult learners at the facility.
This is my new challenge.
I want to expand on what I found to be engaging and wonderful yesterday in ways that will get vital information into the hands of the people who need it the most - us! I'm thinking a Trivial Pursuit game and a Family Feud game would round out the Jeopardy game quite nicely. A glossary list of pertinent terms would be helpful to us, and some worksheets to fill out while we are playing our games would help to further reinforce the vocabulary. I think all of those things would be within the comfort zone of the trainers as well (there are three of them). My goal is to give them opportunities to help us know what we need to know without significantly changing what they do already. I foresee making crossword puzzles and jumbles, matching worksheets, and maybe even recording a song (to help the auditory learners remember things). I just need to see what the instructors really want, and if they will let me make things for them.
I want to make things for them. I really do.
(What I really want is a copy of the instructor's manual so I can learn the terms myself. I HATE only getting 5 out of 15 answers correct! Perfectionist alert! Perfectionist alert!!)
I love new challenges. They help me feel purposeful and renewed. I have a project to focus on during my work hours. This will help me fill the time that I'll have on Friday once my documentation is finished and my planning for a short week next week is complete. I can make crossword puzzles, jumbles, sorting games, game show presentations, glossary lists, and all sorts of other things for my next training experience!
They may rue the day that they asked me for my ideas...
The folks in charge of our training FINALLY realized that when you only review the physical interventions, that's what people remember and they skip over all of the other stuff - the VERY IMPORTANT non-physical interventions. As a result, our usually quick recertification stretched into a much longer time together.
I really didn't mind at all.
We reviewed lots of terminology contained within the system of behavior management. The problem? We haven't used ANY of that terminology in years. In fact, I haven't ever heard any of those terms before. We were penalized for not knowing these terms which I found to be unfair. I was in a group with four others - most of whom have been in this system from the beginning - and NONE of us were familiar with terms presented.
The instructor told me that the terms were the ones used since the beginning. Actually, he wasn't around at the beginning and has only been a trainer for about 10 months, so the terms may have been around for as long as he has been an instructor, but they have not been mentioned to us during training at all. One of the difficulties with the terms presented was that they have borrowed concepts from other philosophies, but not the terminology. We were asked questions about trauma-informed care which we answered from within that care format - the answers we gave were correct, but not the right words for the behavior management system. As I mentioned, we were penalized for not using the right words - even when the right concept was recognized and used.
After the training, the instructor asked me if I could help them figure out ways to help those of us who had never heard the terminology before learn it more efficiently. (Oooh. A new challenge for me.) I've been thinking about how to do this ever since.
We did some wonderful things yesterday. We did some role playing (good for kinesthetic learners). We completed a word search (good for visual learners). We played Jeopardy (good for social learners). There was competition and cooperation during the training time. The instructor knew the material really well and presented it in a good manner - he was engaging and did not read things from the book (we have lots of those types of presenters in the training department). My major criticism is that folks should not be penalized for not knowing terminology that has never been taught, so I am going to figure out ways to get that terminology into the hands of the adult learners at the facility.
This is my new challenge.
I want to expand on what I found to be engaging and wonderful yesterday in ways that will get vital information into the hands of the people who need it the most - us! I'm thinking a Trivial Pursuit game and a Family Feud game would round out the Jeopardy game quite nicely. A glossary list of pertinent terms would be helpful to us, and some worksheets to fill out while we are playing our games would help to further reinforce the vocabulary. I think all of those things would be within the comfort zone of the trainers as well (there are three of them). My goal is to give them opportunities to help us know what we need to know without significantly changing what they do already. I foresee making crossword puzzles and jumbles, matching worksheets, and maybe even recording a song (to help the auditory learners remember things). I just need to see what the instructors really want, and if they will let me make things for them.
I want to make things for them. I really do.
(What I really want is a copy of the instructor's manual so I can learn the terms myself. I HATE only getting 5 out of 15 answers correct! Perfectionist alert! Perfectionist alert!!)
I love new challenges. They help me feel purposeful and renewed. I have a project to focus on during my work hours. This will help me fill the time that I'll have on Friday once my documentation is finished and my planning for a short week next week is complete. I can make crossword puzzles, jumbles, sorting games, game show presentations, glossary lists, and all sorts of other things for my next training experience!
They may rue the day that they asked me for my ideas...
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