Session 2: Teaching practical skills - the practice

1. Demonstrate how a young person or adult is effectively trained and developed in a practical skill.

For this session, you will need the following resources:

• Any equipment, material or resources required by the briefed staff member
• Flipchart
• Flipchart paper and pens
• Copies of Handout A.

This session gives the opportunity for each participant to teach and learn a practical skill. Each participant should have been asked prior to attending the module, to prepare a practical skill to teach to another person. They should bring with them any equipment, material or resources required. (See Handout A).

Where there are an odd number of participants, it may be necessary for a member of staff to take part in both the teaching and learning elements of this session. A member of staff should be briefed before the module to this effect and should have any equipment, material or other resources they might require.

Before the session commences, split the course into two equal halves, Group A and Group B. If necessary, include the previously briefed member of staff to equalise the numbers in each group.

Copy each of the tables shown below onto a sheet of flipchart paper:

Ask the participants from each group to insert their name and the practical skill they are offering to teach into the left-hand columns of the appropriate sheet.

Once everyone has done this ask the participants to look at the other sheet and insert their name as a ‘learner’ into the right-hand column against a skill they wish to learn.

Ideally the tables should be filled in well in advance of the session itself. It will be particularly useful if the participants are able to consider and complete the tables during regular breaks such as coffee or meal times.

Explain to the participants that for the first period of 40 minutes, Group A will have the opportunity to teach their practical skill. This will be followed by a 10-minute hand-over period, after which Group B will teach their skill for 40 minutes.

Check that each participant knows who they are teaching, the practical skill they are learning and with whom.

Give the participants from Group A 10 minutes to set up their learning environment.

Trainer’s notes

It may be found useful to sound a horn, blow a whistle or otherwise indicate the start and finish of each 40-minute session.