TITLE : SECRETS OF A SUCCESSFUL TRAINER: A SIMPLIFIED GUIDE FOR SURVIVAL.

Secrets of a Successful Trainer is a factual guide based on proven techniques involved in the skill of classroom instruction. Writing especially for platform instructors, I have focused on both illustrating and reinforcing the specific skills required to impart knowledge to others in an industrial classroom setting. While many of the techniques featured can successfully be used in both undergraduate and graduate schools, the primary thrust of this book is to aid trainers in business and industry to teach more effectively in the classroom.

The material offers a wide range of benefits. For the newly placed instructor with limited platform skills, the book will provide a step-by-step framework of simplified teaching techniques that can aid in the delicate transition from novice to expert. For the experienced trainer, the book will furnish a viable bench mark against which current techniques can be realistically measured. For students of communication, the topics explored provide a practical down-to-earth guide in the vital task of presenting material to other people in classroom environments that are often less than ideal.

Mastering a new skill is not always easy, and the art of successful training is no exception. It demands personal effort and dedication. The student must have the motivation to learn, coupled with liberal and repeated doses of old-fashioned determination and patience. Applied learning requires constant practice and positive reinforcement.

For many students, the journey along the road to skill mastery usually proves a bit bumpy; at times it may seem both discouraging and tedious. It is precisely at this point that less motivated learners could falter. Perhaps the greatest challenge facing the trainer is to insure that even when obstacles arise, original learning objectives will be met and failure avoided.

Training is certainly no easy task, but for the true training professional, the rewards are well worth the time and effort expended. The demand for experienced classroom trainers has never been stronger than it is today. Whether this book is used as a basic guide for new trainers or as an additional resource for established teaching professionals, the principles outlined throughout the chapters should aid them in developing more effective teaching skills.

How to Use This Book

Secrets of a Successful Trainer has been geared specifically to active learning. Each chapter begins with a summary of learning objectives, or what the reader should reasonably expect to learn from the unit. The main body of the chapter highlights key elements of the particular skill being discussed. Following this is a summary of the main learning points. Each chapter then concludes with either a case study (including discussion points) and/or thought questions that have been designed to challenge the reader in translating the principles learned into actual practice. Where appropriate, suggested reinforcement exercises are also included.

CLARK LAMBERT

Hunhngton, New York December 1986