The use of training is associated with the need for changes that increase the likelihood of success in any activity, therefore Training is a way of influencing and a way of obtaining changes.

Note: The specific features of the training are:

· unconditional adherence to a number of principles of group work;

· focus on socio-psychological assistance to group members in self-development (help comes not only and not so much from the leader, but from the participants themselves);

· stability in the group (usually from 7 to 15 people) and frequency of meetings;

· a certain spatial organization (most often – work in a comfortable isolated room, participants sit in a circle most of the time);

· emphasis on relationships between group members, which develop and are analyzed in the “here and now” situation;

· as a rule, the active behavior of each training participant;

· objectification of subjective feelings and emotions of group members regarding each other and what is happening in the group, verbalized reflection;

· an atmosphere of relaxedness and freedom of communication between participants, a climate of psychological safety.

Standard blocks used during the “construction” of training:

1. INTRODUCTION (5% of working time).

This stage consists of a brief presentation of the goals and objectives of the training, and the official opening.

1. ACQUAINTANCE (5% of working time).

The presenter first introduces himself to the audience, then invites the training participants to introduce themselves. The presenter plans the forms of introductions in advance.

The presenter, like the participants, is called simply by name (either “you” or “you”, the coach decides). It is not recommended to use a middle name (only in rare cases, for example, when the coach is much older), because it may interfere with the principle of working “as equals”.

1. PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS (3% of working time).

At this stage, participants express their expectations from the training, which may not coincide with the goals and capabilities of the training, but they are always significant and can serve to adjust the seminar plan in order to increase the effectiveness of training.

Participants can also complete daily feedback surveys to help clarify expectations while assessing performance.

1. ACCEPTANCE OF GROUP WORK RULES (5% of working time).

This is the stage of the birth of a group, when the group assumes certain obligations that it is ready to follow, with the obligatory recording of them on a piece of Whatman paper. This sheet is posted in a visible place and remains there throughout the training.

The following rules must be included:

1. Speaker's right. Any speaker has the right to be heard to the end, and only after that the next participant can begin to speak.
2. Raised hand rule. This rule is a continuation of the previous one. It pursues two goals: the first is so that the speaker is not interrupted, the second is so that the smart thoughts that come to mind during the work do not disappear. The participant raises his hand, and when the opportunity arises, the presenter gives him the floor.
3. Confidentiality. All personal information should not go beyond the group.
4. Don't give ratings. Here the personalities of each other are not assessed, but opinions are discussed.
5. Presenter's right. The facilitator may interrupt an exercise or other group activity if it interferes with the group process. He also ensures that the rules adopted by the group are followed.
6. Punctuality. The group is usually small in size, and the absence of even one latecomer has a significant impact on the process. Therefore, it is proposed to reward late participants with the honorary role of reader, singer, dancer with corresponding functional responsibilities.

The group may propose other rules. Usually these rules are situational.

1. ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF INFORMATION (5-10% of working time).

To avoid repeating information that is well known to the participants, the facilitator must find out what they know about the problem. To do this, you can ask questions to the group, use questionnaires, quizzes.

1. UPDATED PROBLEM (10-30% of working time).

It is used to arouse participants’ interest in the problem, to motivate them to change behavior, and also to ensure that they begin to recognize the problem covered at the seminar as significant.

1. INFORMATION BLOCK (20-40% of working time).

The information block should be divided into several logically complete parts, which are distributed throughout the training. At this stage, the facilitator should have enough time to provide detailed information.

The presenter’s task is to present the information in such a way that it is heard and absorbed. It is necessary to actively use visual materials, discussions, role-playing games, etc.

8. ACQUISITION OF PRACTICAL SKILLS (20-60% of working time).

During preventive training, participants can acquire the following skills:

1. Communication.

They are developed throughout the seminar with the help of special games and exercises.

2. Responsible decision making.

To develop these skills you should use “brainstorming”, discussion of one problem by the whole group, games aimed at understanding the problem, developing a decision-making algorithm.

3. Changing the behavior strategy.

In order for a person to change his behavior strategy, he needs to have an idea of ​​the presence of other strategies. Suitable for this role-playing games.

This skill helps a person:

− react flexibly and plastically in any situation;

− better adapt to the environment;

− find a way out of difficult situations faster;

− implement your plans and achieve your goals.

YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT:

Information block, stages of updating and developing skills

Ø Have enough plastic structure;

Ø At these stages there is no clear time frame and mandatory sequence;

Ø They may overlap or run parallel.

Know how to ask. For some people, nothing is more difficult. As, indeed, for the rest.
Balthasar Gratian

Let's consider the option of creating custom training. Using a survey, you can obtain more accurate information and, based on it, create an optimal future training program. When a trainer prepares for the next seminar, most often he does this at the special request of the manager, who, as a rule, knows what he wants his employees to be like after the seminar. The more precisely the manager has formulated his wishes, the more likely it is that he will get what he wants.

Unfortunately, in reality, the coach does not receive the exact wording of the order very often. The most that can be expected from most managers is information about what they are not satisfied with in the current level of employees. Naming what they lack is much more difficult.

One of the reasons for such situations is that coaches and managers usually speak different languages. The customer operates with the concepts of “increasing sales”, “company loyalty” and “business development”, and at the same time you are trying to talk about “communication techniques”, “paraphrasing techniques” and “adjustment techniques”. As we see, the customer often defines his needs in a very general way.

To find out what is expected of you in reality, you often have to do some real research. Perhaps documents (job descriptions, certification protocols, etc.) will help you: you will at least see what qualities are expected from employees and what exactly you need to develop during training. Also for this purpose, a “hierarchy of questions” is used.

Hierarchy of questions

This is the name of a structured method that helps to learn about hidden needs.

Level 1

• What is the need?
• Why is training needed?
• When will its results be useful?
• Where will they be useful?

Once these questions are answered, you can move on to the next level.

Level 2

• What abilities will be exactly needed?
• Why will they be needed?
• When will this happen?
• Where will they be used?

Most likely, the last two questions will be answered in the same way as in the first level. Don't be embarrassed: this repetition will give you confidence that you understood everything correctly.

Sometimes you have to work using a deeper level of analysis: “What skills? Why them?”; “Which techniques exactly? Why them?”; “What types of behavior exactly? Why them? This will help you understand how much skills, experience, and knowledge the customer needs.

After analyzing the information received, you will understand what exactly the customer and his employees are missing, it will become clear to you what they need to be taught and how to structure the training. In order not to doubt the correctness of your understanding, find the reason for the lack of necessary knowledge. The search will lead you to business requirements. Maybe we are talking about a new strategy that requires new skills, and their absence prevents you from achieving the desired result. Maybe the point is to prepare employees for a new job and a new role, which is impossible without new knowledge and skills. All this will help you decide on the content of the training.

In addition to surveys, there are other ways to determine training needs. First of all, this is activity monitoring and questioning.

Using questionnaires to obtain information makes it possible to find out and analyze almost all opinions on the desired topic, and it takes relatively little time. The more precisely the questions are formulated, the more complete the information received. Good questions must be both general and specific. General questions are usually formulated in such a way that the answers are difficult to analyze, and specific questions too often suggest the answer by their very wording. For an informative questionnaire, you will have to find a balance between these extremes.

Another undoubted advantage of the survey: it is completely accessible in electronic format, which reduces the time spent by the respondent.

Monitoring is a fundamentally different way of obtaining information. Essentially, it is monitoring how an employee performs his duties. Observation should last as long as necessary for the employee to demonstrate compliance with all procedures included in his job description. It’s better if he shows this more than once so that you have a more accurate opinion about his main problems, mistakes and gaps in knowledge.

Training structure

The main thing to start working on a training program is to clearly formulate its result. To do this, decide on the goals and objectives of the training. Depending on them, you will choose funds.

Step 1. o Setting expectations and setting goals: defining the skills and knowledge that trainees are expected to achieve as a result.

Step 2. Search for information: collecting information necessary for conducting the training.

Step 3. Selecting Methods: A description of the tools and tools for working with this information and skills.

Step 4. Script writing.

Step 5. Testing and correction of the plan.

Step 6. Conducting training.

Step 7 Working with results.

To prepare an effective training, answer a few questions.

• What do we want and what can we achieve during the training?
• What skills will we work with?
• What exercises will we use to do this?
• What blocks will the training consist of?
• What is the purpose of these particular blocks?

This is how you decide on the most important things:

• knowledge that needs to be transferred to participants;
• information with which you will do this.

The next stage will be to select the necessary exercises, work on them and bring them to the form in which they will most fully correspond to the goal of each block.

In the program of any training, the structure should always be clearly visible - individual fragments that are sequentially interconnected. They are called blocks (modules).

Training blocks (modules) are the structural units from which the training is built, each of them is an integral subject-didactic complex based on interrelated procedures (trainer’s tools). Each individual block is needed to solve a specific educational problem by creating a certain situation that affects the educational group.

One day of training includes no more than 4-5 blocks (if a new skill needs careful development - no more than 2-3 blocks). Only in this case will the training bring results.

Let's look at the approximate structure of a two-day training (see table on page 50).

What should you pay attention to first when planning a training?

1. Training should be an active process for everyone involved, not just you. When working on a plan, always put the participants at the center of what is happening. People will remember your training and learn a lot from it if they are not passive spectators, but active players in every scene.
2. Remember that each activity included in the training must have a logical beginning, continuation and ending. Thanks to the logical development of the blocks and a well-constructed connection between them, the entire training will look like a continuous process for its participants, each stage of which they will be able to evaluate at any time.
3. The goals must be clear to each listener. For maximum effectiveness, state at the beginning of each session what you are looking for.
4. The choice of goals should be logical and motivated. When talking about the goals of the training, specifically highlight their relevance.
5. Achieving goals should seem like a clear process. After introducing the participants to the training goals, describe in detail the methods you will use to achieve them and the exercises that will help you with this.
6. The basis of the training should be the personal experience of the participants. Try to conduct the training so that the participants speak more than you. Be the guiding force and allow them to develop!
7. Build as many tasks as possible on interaction. It is tasks like this that are a sign of good training. If almost the entire process is based on conveying information that you present as a lecture, the value of the training is much lower. Let the information you share not be abstractly theoretical, but taken from life.
8. Don't be afraid to deviate from your original plan. If at the moment when you were about to change the type of activity, an important issue suddenly arises in the discussion, discuss it, changing plans along the way. Training is not an army, but your group is a living organism. Listen to him and he will answer you in kind. However, the breaks needed for rest should not be postponed.
9. Ask yourself what kind of memories you want your participants to have. It will be great if you can plan a training session that will bring both benefit and pleasure to everyone.

Training block

As already mentioned, a block (training module) is a structural unit, which is a united subject-didactic complex of interrelated procedures and tools for a trainer, which is designed to solve a training problem by creating a certain impact situation in a group.

What should each block (module) of your training include? Below is an approximate time breakdown. Time frames may vary depending on the type of skill being considered and practiced.

• Explanation (Done by trainer, approximately 15 minutes)
• Demonstration (Done by trainer, approximately 5 minutes)
• Exercise (Done by participants, approximately 20 minutes)
• Feedback (Done by the trainer and participants, approximately 20 minutes)

What will be your main forms of work?

• Mini-lecture (Needed for explanation)
• Moderation (Needed for explanation and feedback)
• Facilitation (Needed for explanation and feedback)
• Role play (Needed for exercise)
• Group (Needed for explanation and feedback) discussion
• Brainstorming (Needed for exercise)
• Exercise (Needed for exercise)

Mini-lecture

Typically this is the transfer of a large amount of new information in a short time. Characterized by brevity.

If a lecture in the traditional sense is a leisurely monologue of a lecturer with a detailed presentation and passive listeners, then in a training, which, as a rule, is characterized by intensity and interactivity, this is a form of work that takes a maximum of 15 minutes and is impossible without the activity of the audience.

Results of the mini-lecture:

• informing. The main objective of the mini-lecture is to introduce students to new material and give them a theory that will be useful in practice. Obtaining such information should be the first and main result of this form of work. It usually concerns new technology, new skills, schemes and algorithms;
• change of setting. During the mini-lecture, the listeners should have a positive attitude: everything that the trainer says is connected with reality. Let the listeners previously be of the opinion that the main thing in sales is the seller’s convincing arguments and demonstration of the excellent qualities of the product. After your lecture on questioning techniques, they should change their minds and understand: with the help of questions, rather than arguments, agreement between the client and the seller is achieved much faster. The situation in which we see an active seller and a passive client is not the best, and now the participants will agree with this;
• motivation. You must present new material in such a way that your listeners want to immediately check it out, use it, and put it into practice. It is then that the participants will be ready for the second stage - various types of exercises. Exercises, as a rule, follow a mini-lecture and are devoted to the practical application of new skills.

Modernization

This is the name of a working method that gives the group the opportunity to jointly formulate a new concept. It is important that this concept is based on general criteria that are perceived equally by all listeners. This way, during the training, you create a common language for the group. First of all, moderation is needed to get rid of the inevitable contradictions that arise due to differences in perception, due to the individual characteristics of the participants. Thanks to moderation, the basic concepts are interpreted equally by everyone, which is extremely important. Thinking processes become clear: both you and the group understand how to work with them.

Usually our thinking is a process that does not unfold over time, but moderation allows us to show it as a series of stages, which is of great importance for learning.

Moderation results:

• a common understanding of key points accepted by everyone. Disputes over terminology disappear. Complex topics are discussed much faster;
• a clear and convenient common language appears;
• ambiguous terms and postulates are introduced into discussions quite freely;
• it makes it easier to formulate basic terms and return to them regularly;
• moderation serves as a very strong anchor and a great starting point.

Thought processes are activated. Active participants who are more inclined to action than to thinking need to be given increased attention at this moment. For example, assign them to take notes. If you have found a group in which the majority of participants are active, do not dwell on moderation in detail, conduct it more dynamically, and do not allow yourself to be drawn into endless disputes. Remember that you can control the pace of the discussion through the speed of your speech and gestures.

Facilitation

The method is used to obtain an overall picture of participants' opinions regarding a single issue. Typically, such work is carried out before discussing a new topic, at the beginning of a mini-lecture. In this way, you awaken your listeners, they become more energetically involved in the process, and their thinking is activated. By gaining an understanding of the full range of audience opinions through facilitation, you can focus on points of view that can serve as an introduction to new material. As a rule, this method takes 10–20 minutes: the time depends on the number of listeners and their activity. Each listener is allocated a maximum of two minutes.

Facilitation results:

• The result of the work is an increase in the activity of participants, which has a positive effect on the general condition of the audience. You must remain attentive and friendly, and your summarization of participants' opinions must be as accurate as possible. There is no need to deepen the thoughts expressed: your task is only to summarize them, this is how facilitation will be most productive. Paraphrasing participants' statements, let alone developing their content, will only do harm: in this way you will demonstrate to them your own competence in comparison with their level, and this is not the effect you want. Your task is not to put yourself on a pedestal, but to stimulate the dynamics of group work.

Make sure that there are no disputes at this stage of the work. If they flare up, stop them immediately. Remind that what is important now is not the search for truth, but everyone’s opinion. Only then will you analyze what you heard and, perhaps, stop at one thing.

Role-playing game

Role-playing is a method used in business training to practice new skills. Role-playing requires at least two participants. In the process, they communicate with each other based on certain, pre-assigned roles. Usually these are the roles that they regularly have to play in life: client and seller, boss and employee, etc.

The main rule of any role-playing game is this: it should only focus on one new skill. If you try to practice two skills and then analyze what happened from two different points of view, it will not work: as a result, the participants will not master either of them.

Role-play results:

• developing new skills and knowledge and consolidating them;
• transition from studying theoretical material to practical activities directly related to the profession;
• increased activity of training participants: without it it is impossible to play your role correctly.

Brainstorm

Brainstorming is a special method of working in a group, with its help new ideas are born; a method that develops creative thinking of participants.

How does brainstorming work during training?

1. It is used when new original ideas are needed to solve a complex problem (how to lure a client away from a competitor, how to build relationships with a monopolist supplier, etc.). All students are divided into small groups, and each one works separately.
2. Brainstorming is great if you want to show how different processes work when working in a group, especially if you are conducting training on leadership or team building. Not everyone takes part in the assault. The most active of those present will be the working group, and the task of the rest will be to observe them.

Prepare special observation forms: this will help people feel involved in doing the right thing. It is also useful to record a brainstorming session on video: in the future, you will be able to analyze such work in a group and the processes occurring during this process with any participants.

Brainstorming results:

• The method makes it possible to obtain new points of view on the problem, new, innovative solutions. Your responsibility is simple - record the results and put them in writing. In the process, everyone will gain new knowledge: both you and the listeners. If you depersonalize the information received, it will become very useful when conducting future trainings on a similar topic;
• if the next day you distribute leaflets with solutions to participants, this will increase both your authority and the rating of your training;
• If the main purpose of the brainstorming session was to show the group process of finding a solution, you will be able to demonstrate a lot to the participants during the analysis of the video recording. They will see how different options are born and die, how a person becomes a leader or steps aside. They will see what stages the struggle for power consists of, how the simplest objects turn into significant markers and begin to play the role of a scepter, an orb and a marshal's baton, be it a flipchart, a felt-tip pen, etc. Brainstorming and writing it down will be an excellent opportunity for you to show principles of distribution of roles, ways to manage listeners, etc.;
• Brainstorming always has a positive effect on group energy. All participants can be involved in it, both active and passive, leaders and observers. Since the most active people participate more, it can be used in tired audiences. It is easier for active people to get involved in work, they will spend less energy on it, and brainstorming will go as expected.

Exercise

An exercise is an activity of participants, which is organized in a certain way and works towards the gradual development of new skills.

What should be included in any exercise?

• Instruction: an explanation of the task at hand or the procedure being practiced.
• Independent work: this time not in a group, but individually.
• Observing the actions of the participants: this can be done not only by the trainer, but also by all listeners. Correcting the results and timely exchange of opinions will allow you to quickly and successfully master the skill, correct your own mistakes and accurately complete the task.
• Control over the result: this is also a matter not only of the coach, but also of each participant.
• Trainer's summary: summing up and special emphasis on the relevance of the acquired skill in professional activities.
• End of the exercise: announced by the coach.
• Procedure: announced by the coach. You decide who will start doing the exercise, who will be the first to demonstrate their results.

Exercise results:

• individual stages of the necessary actions are practiced, thus mastering complex complex skills. During the exercises, participants are always active, and the training itself is more energetic;
• for participants engaged in the exercise, time passes very quickly, people do not get bored;
• As a rule, exercises always generate interest and have a positive effect on the overall atmosphere.

Games and exercises for training

Exercises and games during training have a very specific goal - the development of skills and abilities. The conventionality of what is happening as the main feature of any game turns learning into an exciting activity and makes participants more active.

There are various methods dedicated to role-playing games, and they are all aimed at one thing: gaining critical thinking skills, the ability to solve problems, get out of difficult situations, and choose the right behavior in any situation.

By playing, training participants get the opportunity to understand how they usually behave in life and solve the problem of fears associated with possible mistakes. It is important to conduct not only the game itself, but also the subsequent discussion of the process.

What are the functions of a role-playing game? There are three of them: role playing, imitation, modeling. In the game they can be used either separately or all together.

Role-playing game

The most important thing about it is that the participants play certain roles. The roles are conditional, but they help people look at their usual behavior from the outside, abandon some stereotypes, and learn something new.

The games included in the training should not be too conventional. It is better if they are closer to reality: it is more useful for participants to learn how to act in standard situations that they will encounter in their work. One of the most common and popular options is the game of seller and client. Here you can play out quite fantastic plots, which, nevertheless, will allow you to touch on current relationships and use the necessary skills. Even ordinary fairy tales like “Teremka” and “Kolobok” are useful if you turn the plot at the right angle.

Role-playing games are especially good because they help you look not only at a person’s actions, but also at the emotional component of these actions, at the attitude towards the action. This effect is called problematization; it helps to strengthen a free attitude towards one’s old views, and therefore promotes change.

The ability to film a game will greatly increase its impact. Of course, it will seem to the listeners that everything was wrong; looking at yourself from the outside is very surprising at first. If they not only see themselves, but also analyze their own actions, this will allow them to re-evaluate their stereotypes and, most likely, get rid of many of them.

If the game involves a lot of action, a lot of skills will be practiced.

These two moments of role-playing - problematization and training - usually represent its content.

By what criteria is the situation to be played out chosen?

• Realism
• Safety
• Understandability
• Reality of characters
• The ability to “live” the situation.

As a rule, any such game can be divided into several stages.

There are different ways to gain personal experience, and training is a rather unusual option. Gaining experience does not imply passive absorption of information. Even if something undoubtedly important is framed as just a general idea, this information will not truly affect a person, will not change his value system, will not influence his views. Knowledge that is easily acquired will also be easily forgotten, and carefully developed skills will be put into practice and will remain for a long time. Real truth is obtained through labor, not through passive observation, but through active participation. A person must become the center of events, only in this way will he gain valuable experience. Any action is accompanied by an experience with which comes a new discovery. Everything that is emotionally experienced is remembered better. One of the main training activities is a game aimed at mastering new behavior, new skills, new procedures.

What might be the goals of different game situations?

• The game helps you learn new strategies that will be useful in the future in difficult circumstances.
• In the game, the participant better understands the problem from the point of view of the other party (client or subordinate), and can imagine his thoughts and feelings about this.
• The game not only improves existing skills, but also masters new ones.
• The game is used to train certain personality traits (self-confidence, etc.).

While playing different roles, participants constantly draw conclusions. Of course, to do this, you need to get involved in the game with all seriousness and try to play realistically. For everything to go as expected, it is necessary to find a balance between the certainty of the situations being played out and elements of improvisation.

It is better to start role-playing games 2-3 hours after the start of the training so that the group can work together.

It is very important to clarify the following: although acting skills will be useful, they are not at all required.

The second condition should be this: all listeners can participate in the game.

Types of games in Case Study training

The “case study” method became extremely widespread in the 70-80s of the 20th century. It appeared at Harvard Business School (first in 1924). It is based on the principle of precedent, or case. The system was first used in the study of economics, but later came to medicine, law, mathematics and other sciences.

Now the method is still widely used in the West. As a rule, 35-40% of all academic time is devoted to it: at the University of Chicago Business School - 25%, at Columbia University Business School - 30%, at Wharton - all 40%. At Harvard, where this method originated, the average student analyzes up to 700 cases during his studies.

Both the purchase and sale of cases developed in business schools is a separate industry in the West. The same Harvard produces about 700 cases per year. Special organizations have been registered (European CaseClearing House - ECCH, etc.) that distribute cases. ESSN is about 340 different participants at such a level as business schools INSEAD, IESE, London Business School.

Step 1. The group receives a task.

For example, you need to describe a case from the work of an enterprise that is relevant to the topic being studied.

It must meet the following requirements:

• be based on real events;
• include a specific problem that will be analyzed;
• provoke discussion;
• suggest several options for solving a problem;
• match the level of difficulty of the discussion.

The description of the situation should include:

• positions and roles of the main participants (director, employee, etc.);
• facts characterizing the main stages of events and the reactions of participants (“You have been appointed as the new head of the department; the company has a difficult market situation, your task is as follows. Your new employees react to it like this”).

Step 2. Groups exchange descriptions of the situation.

At this stage, the group reflects on options for solving the problem, trying to justify the chosen option.

Step 3. Presentation and evaluation of solutions.

The group makes a presentation of its solution. The coach provides feedback.

Exercises

Exercises are usually called systemic actions aimed at developing certain skills in students, which should be facilitated by certain conditions. There are exercises that allow you to master a skill and exercises that allow you to consolidate it. The forms of exercises can be very different, but they are all usually built according to certain rules.

• The purpose must be clearly described. What exactly do you want to achieve from this exercise?
• The goal needs to be justified. Make participants understand the need to master the skills that the exercise focuses on.
• Be sure to connect the new exercise with the material that you have studied before and that you will study later.
• Provide participants with clear instructions.
• State the exact start and end time of the exercise.
• Monitor the execution carefully.
• Discuss the results.
• Remind them where participants can apply the skills they have learned.

When developing instructions and thinking about the rules of the exercise, you must remember: for now this task is understandable only to you, and making it understandable to the participants is your task. Think about different options for introducing instructions to listeners, come up with a visualization. Show with an example what exactly needs to be done.

Of course, the execution itself will take even longer. No matter how much you want to intervene, don't. Let the participants do everything on their own: experiences and impressions that do not need to be shared with anyone are much more valuable. Of course, if you are asked for help or you see that work has completely stalled, help, just don’t behave like a person who always does everything right, but finds himself in a circle of incompetents.

The discussion should end with reflections on how the exercise relates to future plans, how its results will affect practical activities, how best to apply them in work, and what problems will be encountered.

Instruction

Familiarization with the instructions is as follows.

• Brief description of upcoming activities
• The principle of operation and the sequence of steps are explained
• The fact of understanding is confirmed
• Deadlines are being determined
• The most important points are briefly repeated
• The trainer gives the necessary examples

What material can you use to develop exercises?

• Money
• Fairy tales
• Movies
• Policy
• Story
• Life of animals
• Life of the company
• Life in general

Test development methodology

The results of the training can be assessed if necessary. The students received certain knowledge, which means that the testing system is suitable for assessment. The wording of test questions, for which you must choose the correct answer from several proposed ones, must be extremely precise. You can work with tests based on the results of the entire training, or based on the results of each day. Please note that you will receive a result that measures the knowledge of your participants, but not the quality of your work (it is quite possible that the participants did not learn anything new today). If you want to assess the change in awareness, you need to conduct a control test with the same questions at the beginning of the seminar. The difference in the results of the first and final tests will show what you gave the participants and will allow you to evaluate the quality of the training.

Test forms

• With closed tasks:
  • to choose the correct answer from the proposed options;
  • to establish compliance;
  • to create the correct sequence.
• With open tasks:
  • to construct a response;
  • to type an answer;
  • to independently formulate an answer.

Test requirements

• Absence of any ambiguity.
• Conciseness of questions (5-9 words).
• Same length for all answer options.
• The impossibility of random guessing.
• At least three answer options.

Types of questions

• To choose an answer from several proposed options.
• To substitute a missing word or number into a sentence.
• To create your own proposal.

Performance criteria

• Reliability of a test is the consistency of the results: if a participant takes the same test a few weeks later, there will not be much difference in the results.
• The validity of a test is its suitability: it measures exactly the indicator that needs to be measured.
• Priority - focusing on the most important moments of the training.

Writing multiple choice questions

A test containing such questions is usually quite effective, and the effectiveness of its use in training is high. The main advantage of the test is that with the correct content of the questions and a well-thought-out structure, the feedback you receive in the end will be very objective. Such questions are called multi-alternative and consist of three functional elements: basis - introduces the context (the question itself); the key is the correct answer; distracting options - incorrect answers.

• Make sure the key is correct. An answer option in which not a single participant can find anything dubious. Usually the most attentive listeners manage to do this. Imagine how disappointed they will be when they receive a test where they find errors.
• The clue doesn't have to be the obvious correct answer. Formulate the question, key, and distracting options in such a way as not to give away the correct answer. Do not use phrases from the stem in your answer, make sure that it is the same length as other answers. Control the grammatical connections between the key and the stem. Don't underestimate students: the test writer often doesn't notice the obvious clues he creates, so be careful.
• Watch the use of words with the meaning of certainty and uncertainty. There is nothing wrong with using the words “sometimes”, “often”, “usually”, “occasionally” in the answer options, as well as completely definite ones: “always”, “never”, “everyone”, “nobody” " It is important to remember one thing: these two types of words cannot be combined in answers to one question. Note that undefined responses are most often selected by listeners hoping to guess the correct answer.
• The wording of the framework must be extremely clear. If you use the word “which”, specify what kind of choice you mean: one option, two or more? This can be clearly stated, for example: “Which two of the following answers...”. This formulation will allow participants not to guess when thinking about the question, and you will be able to more accurately select both the key and distracting options.
• Don't use options that people won't think about. Making people think is, in fact, the first task of both the test and the entire training, so try to get rid of formulations like “all of them” or “none of them.” Such options are a strong temptation for participants who are too lazy to think about the answer. Apart from this problem, these options can sometimes be useful and sometimes better.
• Use negative questions with caution. If you formulate the basis: “Which answer is not true?” (“Which one is the exception to the rule?”, etc.), the participants must clearly understand that now, contrary to usual, they will have to look for the wrong answer.
• Each distracting option must contain an error. Most likely, after the test results are announced, you will have to answer questions and explain the reasons why the key is correct than the option mistakenly chosen by the listener.
• Errors in distracting options should be common. It makes no sense to give a clearly incorrect answer among those proposed. Erroneous answers should resemble the correct one and should raise doubts in the participants. The only acceptable exception is to use a deliberately incorrect answer if it adds humor to the test and lifts everyone's spirits.
• Use distracting answers. When working with an audience, ask open-ended questions more often; You can easily use the most common incorrect answers in your test. The longer you conduct the training, the easier it is to compile and record a list of typical mistakes made by participants.
• Find opportunities to test questions in a large group. A larger sample will give a more objective picture. You can ask listeners to vote for different answer options. If almost everyone answers correctly, you should also think about distracting options. When preparing a test, when you do not have the opportunity to test it with a large audience, test the questions in some other way. For example, send them to potential group members via email.
• Use a more complex form of questions. To do this, you can offer more distracting options, making it more difficult to choose, or give a task in which you need to choose not just one answer, but the best combination of answers (“a”, “c”, “d”, etc.). Refer to the literature, look at tutorials, find different options for multiple-alternative questions.

Training materials

To fail preparation is to prepare for failure.
Benjamin Franklin

To avoid becoming a participant in the preparation of failure of your training, pay close attention to the necessary materials. Make a list in advance of everything you will need during the course of the action, check the availability of all things in the required quantity both before ordering or purchasing materials, and upon receipt, and, just in case, before the start of the training. This will give you peace of mind, confidence that everything will go as it should, and will insure you against a number of troubles. The stress associated with running around looking for the right materials before the training itself will not help you perform it well.

Here is an approximate list of training materials and tools that will be useful to you in the preparation process:

• personal computer or tablet;
• projector for multimedia materials;
• network extension cable 5 meters long;
• a list of all participants (perhaps someone refused the day before);
• list of events (number and schedule of breaks, breakfasts, lunches, evening events);
• workbooks or notebooks;
• writing instruments;
• handouts, reproduced in the required quantity;
• copies of assignments for exercises (consider not only the number of students, but also yourself);
• training feedback forms;
• certificates for participants;
• a camera for taking flipcharts at the end of the training;
• trainer's suitcase (markers, paper tape, multimedia speakers, stickers, scissors, etc.)

Remember that each training is unique and requires its own set of working materials and tools (for example, in some cases you will need a video camera and a tripod). Prepare a list in advance and check it several times. The more detailed it is, the less problems preparing the training will bring you!

Handouts

Handouts are not always needed. This circumstance is influenced by:

• topic of the training;
• purpose of the training;
• training tools;
• wishes of the participants;
• possibilities of the organizers.

What difficulties may arise if you decide to use handouts?

• First, it can be difficult to know the best time to distribute prepared materials. It is convenient for some to study them before the training: it is easier for such participants to work if they know what will happen. We must remember that this confidence does not always benefit others: “Oh, I already know that!”
• On the contrary, there will always be listeners who do not look at the materials distributed, even if you specifically asked to look at them and gave some kind of task. A situation where the amount of knowledge in a group varies greatly does not benefit the training.
• It happens that participants think that the handout is a ready-made summary of everything that is happening, which means they don’t have to listen to the coach and go about their business.
• Sometimes these materials are misunderstood by the trainers themselves. It should be kept in mind that reading a finished text aloud will not improve learning productivity.
• Distributing materials at the end of the work is also not the best option. In this case, they will not contain any new information for the participants; they may simply be forgotten or left in the audience.
• It is necessary to number the pages in your materials, otherwise many will find it difficult to navigate through them quickly enough. Trying to find the right place, they will distract at least their neighbors, which greatly slows down the work process.

Main parts of the brochure

1. Title page
2. Goals and objectives of the training
3. Main content
4. Bibliography
5. Glossary of terms

Main content

1. Blank sheets for notes
2. Definitions of basic concepts
3. Graphic information, diagrams and drawings
4. Quotes
5. Tasks and instructions for them
6. Work algorithms
7. Information in tables
8. Theoretical material

The problem of discrepancy between the course of training and the sequence of presentation

How to overcome this discrepancy?

Brochure or plan: which is better to focus on?

It’s great if when conducting training you rely on a built-in system of definitions, tasks and methods of work. It’s great if you know the brochure by heart or even better.

Just remember that constantly loading your listeners with all this strict information, classifications and definitions, rules and exceptions, is actually harmful. It is more useful for them to have a coach in front of them who can answer certain questions and illustrate the answer with an example based on practical experience. It’s impossible to cover everything in a brochure and present it in a convenient way, but your listeners need that too.

It is impossible to make a brochure that includes all the necessary information and does not contain anything unnecessary.

Remember that training is a creative process in which both you and your listeners participate. Is it possible to predict creativity 100%?

Sometimes it is more important to deviate from a pre-thought-out plan, provide a definition that is not in the brochure, give a vivid example or draw a picture that will clarify everything much better than the dry theory of the handout. This principle begins to work when the group has some new significant question. It was difficult to predict, but now you can answer it, using not a prepared brochure, but your huge reserves of information. These are extremely important and necessary educational moments: listeners see that they have learned valuable information through their own activity.

It happens that such additions are repeated by you at every training, and it seems to you that it’s time to make this material mandatory and include it in the brochure. But a publication of 100 pages can hardly be called a brochure. You, of course, can call it a textbook, especially if the material is successfully arranged and can be understood even in isolation from the training, but another risk arises here. Perhaps, due to the large amount of information, there will not be enough time to cover all sections of the textbook, and this will surprise the participants. They will perceive the training as shortened or incomplete.

The coach has to resolve a complex contradiction. On the one hand, I would like to make the handouts more complete and informative. On the other hand, no training will benefit from reproaches for an incomplete program. The output is a brochure containing only basic information. The more additional information you provide participants in response to their questions, the higher their satisfaction with the training will be. The feeling that they were able to learn a lot of important things beyond the program was very beneficial.

We must not forget about another trend in modern work with information - the growing importance of visualization. Research shows that it is easier for people to perceive new things from a ready-made text, but problems may arise with listening comprehension. However, you can always read the information you need from a brochure at home or even in the classroom. And although people can read the text on their own, without the participation of a trainer, this is normal practice, and, as a rule, it does not raise objections. A long, complex text with terminology, spoken in front of an audience, is perceived and remembered much worse than a page from a textbook. As a last resort, this can be combined by preparing, for example, written instructions and glossaries that duplicate what you are telling. Polite people, when starting negotiations, not only state their name, but also give the opportunity to look at it by handing over a business card; in the same way, during the training it is worth giving participants the opportunity not only to hear, but also to read the necessary information, and return to it if necessary.

What conclusions do we reach?

First: your brochure should still be concise. This will give you the opportunity not to reproduce everything chapter by chapter, and to feel freer to navigate the course of action. You will be surprised how many precise definitions and successful classifications are born during a lecture or discussion. They often turn out to be more filling than what you would prepare in advance: we all prefer fresh food to canned food. It is completely normal, when starting training, not to know in advance every word and action: life will show you which option to choose, or even make you the inventor of a new approach.

Second conclusion: make your brochure as complete as possible. Your training participants will be able to read rather than hear most of the information and will be grateful for it. You don’t have to repeat definitions a hundred times and ask you to remember the sequence of actions: the necessary pages of your brochure will help you.

So you have two options:

1. include only necessary information in handouts;
2. include all possible information.

Training equipment

I carry everything I have with me.
Biant Priensky

If you're doing your training at a hotel, you might think they'll provide you with everything you need: a flipchart, stationery, and a projector for a rental price. However, it's important to remember that you actually need a lot more things.

What else will you need to take with you?

• Camera
• Video camera and tripod (if required according to the training program)
• Suitcase for transporting equipment
• Good audio speakers, MP3 player, Extension cord
• Several different adapters for equipment
• Watch with clear analog dial
• Checked sheets for flipchart (at least 20 pieces for 1 day of classes)

Let's take a closer look at the necessary equipment.

• The camera resolution must be at least 10 megapixels, the zoom must be at least six times larger. Models made by Canon or Nikon are preferable.
• When choosing a video camera, it is better to choose an optical image stabilizer and a three-matrix CCD system. An important and useful addition would be an expansion lens, a carrying bag (the best option is from Lowepro) and a spare battery. The battery capacity, of course, must be large enough.
• A video camera without a tripod makes little sense. Choose a metal tripod and rely on the manufacturer (Manfrotto 728B is a good option).
• Since this is not all the equipment you need, you will need a suitcase with wheels. It must be durable and reliable. Consider Vanguard's VGP 32, for example. Fixed wheels don't always withstand air travel and luggage compartments - choose an option with a removable trolley.
• What should be in your suitcase? Audio speakers, bright markers (make sure they are not dry), A4 sheets (both white and colored, in sufficient quantities), a soft small ball (useful for simplifying the transfer of words in a discussion), masking tape (2 cm wide, better from Body or 3M), aerosol glue, a good three-meter tape measure (useful, for example, for marking flipcharts), a large ruler, wax pencils, aerosol markers (BlowPen), plugs and adapters of various configurations (camera, projector, speakers - everything needs to be connected to other equipment ), large Post It notes (useful for writing down participants’ goals), pencils (for drawing sketches on a flipchart), eraser, paper cutter, large scissors. Don’t forget about the minimum necessary first aid kit: several packets of “Theraflu” and “Coldrex”, activated charcoal, adhesive plaster of different sizes, something painkiller (“Spazmalgon” for headaches), just in case some stronger analgesic (“Keta -nov” for toothache), perhaps something like “Alkozeltzer” would not be out of place. A first aid kit can be useful not only for you, but also for your listeners.
• One of the most significant aspects of organizing a training is the quality of the notes on the flipchart, their durability and brightness. Good markers are not easy to find. The best, without a doubt, are produced by Sanford; this brand is called Mr. Sketch. However, you can only stock up on them through online stores in Australia and the USA. If we talk about the Russian market, stop at the brands Centropen (Czech Republic) and Edding (Germany). Particularly note the Edding 388: you'll love its wide wedge tip. Make no mistake: buy markers specifically for flipcharts, usually this is specifically indicated. It will be a shame if the markers imprint on the flipchart itself through all the sheets. As a rule, it is more convenient to use a marker with a beveled rather than a pointed tip. It’s good to choose markers of different colors. Black and blue are suitable as the main color (which means you should have more of these markers), and green and red are good for highlighting text or making illustrations.
• What do you need speakers for? Firstly, upbeat music will greet people as they enter the room at the very beginning of the training; during breaks you can create a light, pleasant background music so that people relax; Music is also suitable for completing the training. Secondly, speakers are a must if you will be checking video recorded on camera. When choosing speakers, pay attention to the ratio of their quality, price and power. Be sure to take models with a metal grille on the front (JBL and Logitech offer good options).
• Almost any MP3 player will do, as long as it has a display for selecting songs. For example, Nano 8 Gb from Apple. Make a playlist in advance. Reggae is great for starting training and breaks. Choose neutral music that will not cause rejection by anyone: for example, you should not include songs by Russian performers in the list.
• In theory, a hotel should have a necessary thing like an extension cord, but if you need to plug something in late at night (for example, to prepare and check materials for tomorrow), you may not find the right person. Sometimes hotels charge a fee for the use of extension cords, and such that for this money it is quite possible to buy a new one.

In general, we can say with confidence that the less often you conduct training, the greater the amount of necessary equipment.

The structure of the training is a certain logic of presenting information to participants. If it is structured correctly, then the participants will learn the maximum amount of information, and the training itself will be easy and dynamic.

What should be the structure of the training:

1. Introduction.

• Introducing the participants to each other and to the trainer. First you talk about yourself, then each participant briefly introduces himself. This stage is necessary to create a trusting atmosphere in the group.
• Introduction of training regulations and rules. These measures will allow you to prevent possible unwanted actions of participants and agree in advance on important organizational issues. You can read the description of the rules used in the training.
• Gathering participants' expectations. This is necessary so that you can more accurately understand your group's request and can understand in advance which issues need to be addressed in more detail.
• Don't delay. This stage is quick, usually taking less than 30 minutes. If we are talking about sales training or product training, this stage should not be delayed with long and detailed familiarization exercises, as this is not advisable. However, you shouldn’t skip it, otherwise your group will take longer to “get involved” in the process and you will have to deal with an inactive audience.

1. Theory.

• Theory in total should not occupy more than 40% of the training. Otherwise, the training will turn into a seminar, and this is a completely different form of training that does not contribute to the development of practical skills among participants.
• The theory should be broken down into parts and served to participants in portions. This form of presenting information makes it easier to remember and, moreover, tires participants less.
• Eliminate all complex terms, concepts, diagrams or try to replace them with simpler ones. The main goal of the training is not to tell the theory, but to develop practical skills among the participants.
• Visual support. Duplicate key points in the presentation, handouts, and diagrams on a flipchart. Information expressed in simple symbols and short abstracts is easier to remember and remains in memory for a longer time.
• Try to give participants only what they can actually master during the training. Often the coach wants to tell the group as many different interesting, “tasty” details as possible. However, often there is no time to practice them, or the group is not ready to apply this knowledge in practice, which means that you are wasting time that could be spent practicing practical skills.

1. Practice

• This stage should occupy up to 60% of the training and be the main one. Practical exercises should follow each block of theory and show how it is implemented in practice.
• Exercises should be understandable to participants and practical in nature. Prepare in advance a list of cases that will describe the most common difficult situations in the practice of your employees.
• Try not to interfere. Don’t finish the presentation for them, don’t give them tips on how to work out objections. If you intervene often, the participants will not try, knowing that you will do everything yourself.
• Organize the training so that participants receive the maximum amount of feedback about themselves. Based on this information, they will be able to look at themselves more objectively, understand their advantages and areas of development. One of the most effective ways is to use a video camera in exercises, which always makes a strong impression on the participants and is a powerful impetus for professional growth.
• Write out all the instructions for the exercises in advance.– this will help you save time on explaining the task and avoid misunderstandings.

1. The final stage.

• At this stage, you summarize all the knowledge and skills acquired. This is necessary so that the participants once again remember all the topics covered and remember the key points. You can also ask what was most important and meaningful to the participants themselves. Saying what you remember again helps the participants summarize what they received, and the trainer understands what was most important to them (this will be useful for the next training).
• Remember to return to participant expectations. you must answer all the questions that were at the beginning of the day. When participants see that during the day you have discussed all the important points that seemed very difficult at the beginning of the day, they feel satisfied and feel that the learning was fruitful.

A properly structured training structure is the basis for effective training. Trainings that are correct in terms of structure are easier for participants to understand; information is presented logically and consistently. This makes the process easier, reduces participant resistance, and makes the group more engaged.

• 1. Communication based on the “here and now” principle.
• 2. Confidential style of communication, sincerity.
• 3. Personification of statements.
• 4. Inadmissibility of passive, contemplative behavior.
• 5. Willingness to have a variety of contacts.
• 6. Inadmissibility of direct assessments of personality.
• 7. Respect and recognition of the autonomy of the personal space of the participants.
• 8. Confidentiality.

Structure of psychological training

The training structure includes four main stages:

• - organizational and preparatory;
• - introductory;
• - activity-reflexive;
• - stage of performance assessment.

Organizational and preparatory stage. Purpose: preliminary study of objective indicators of professional competence of employees. The desire of the participants to cooperate with the penitentiary psychologist and members of the group is formed. Since participation in the training and the implementation of individual procedures is voluntary, it is important for the penitentiary psychologist to carry out preparatory work to create positive motivation for participation in the training. And here it is very important that the manager has the ability to master the art of motivation based on an individual approach. You cannot force others to do what they cannot decide to do. A group member who does not want to answer any question or participate in any exercise can always refuse (the “stop” rule). However, if a training participant often uses this rule, he impoverishes himself. The general principle of humanity presupposes the psychological security of the individual, the confidence that confidential information will not become the subject of discussion outside the group and will not be used against the individual (the rule of confidentiality).

The preliminary goals of the training, the principles of organizing activities, the timing of classes are discussed, and a formal introduction takes place. Participants undergo psychodiagnostic studies, write essays “My profession”, “I am a professional”, “My professional difficulties and victories”.

Introductory and familiarization stage. Goal: satisfying the participants’ needs for psychological safety, eliminating anxiety. Participants discuss the personal composition of the group, choose names to address. The temporary work schedule is determined, and the rules for participation in the training are discussed. Specific goals are discussed and a psychological contract is concluded with the participants. They get acquainted with the results of content analysis of essays, reflections and psychodiagnostics. A psychological passport is filled out. A presentation of the model of professional competence takes place.

Activity-reflective stage. Goal: developing psychological material (real feelings, experiences, memories, thoughts, which are the object of analysis and subsequent activities). Participants gradually become involved in the exercises, providing personal and group feedback. The number and nature of exercises at this stage may vary depending on the personal composition of the group, as well as on the speed of achieving phased goals.

Performance assessment stage. Goal: stabilization of positive changes. Preliminary forecasts are compared with the results obtained in terms of psychological content, the results achieved (not achieved) are analyzed, and the reasons are identified. To consolidate positive changes at this stage, it is more expedient to distinguish two phases: the first begins immediately after the end of the training, the second begins 7-10 days later.

The result of psychological training involves a double result: firstly, mastering the skills of self-development of professionalism as an activity, and secondly, constructive changes in the level of professionalism of the individual.

Training sessions, like any other form of psychological work with children, require habituation, adaptation of participants to new procedures, ways of working, organizing space, etc. Therefore, it is advisable to introduce certain norms and mandatory procedures from the very first use and adhere to them throughout psychological training, right up to the graduating class. It is necessary to understand that the introduction of each new form of work distracts participants from the content for some time and switches their energies to adapting to a new situation of activity and communication.

Traditional norms of a training session may include working in a circle, the rules of “one microphone” and “raised hand”, taking notes in a special notebook, accepting the opinion of everyone sitting in a circle, the right to one’s own opinion and giving reasons for it. That is, these norms are both organizational and substantive in nature.

It is very good if, from the very beginning, children are offered a certain structure of such an activity, to which they gradually get used, beginning to understand its inner meaning. Let's consider two options for structuring the lesson. Each of them has its own advantages and limitations.

First option. The “basic” structure of a training session might look like this:

1. Welcome Ritual
2. Warm up.
3. Reflection on the previous lesson.
4. Introduction to the topic of today's lesson (main content).
5. Exercises and procedures that allow you to master the main content of the lesson.
6. Reflection on the past lesson.
7. Homework or a “bridge” to the next meeting.
8. Farewell ritual.

Rituals of greeting and farewell are the psychological “frame” of the lesson, the boundary that separates it from the previous and subsequent “pieces” of the life of the child and class (group). They function as a “lock” that unlocks the door to the training situation (tuning) and then locks it. The second is no less important: the participant must leave the lesson enriched with new content, but at the same time ready to switch to another activity, other people as presenters. In addition, rituals are a way of creating and maintaining the community of participants, their “WE” feelings. If possible, rituals should be developed by the group itself (in elementary school this is not always possible; then the leader offers them to the group). And they should not be handled arbitrarily: they must be sufficiently stable and mandatory for execution in every lesson. That's why they are rituals.

Warm-up is a means of influencing the emotional state of children, their level of activity, and performs an important function of setting up productive group activities. Warm-up can be carried out not only at the beginning of the lesson, but also between individual exercises if the psychologist sees the need to somehow change the current emotional state of the children. Accordingly, warm-up exercises must be selected taking into account the current state of the group and the tasks of the upcoming activity. Certain marking exercises allow you to activate children and lift their spirits; others, on the contrary, are aimed at relieving emotional overexcitement. If the current state of the children fully meets the objectives of the lesson, you can conduct thematic warm-ups: in addition to the psychophysical and emotional mood, they serve as an introduction to the topic of the lesson.

Reflection of a lesson involves a retrospective assessment of the lesson in two aspects: emotional (liked it - didn’t like it, was it good - was it bad and why) and semantic (why is it important, why did we do it).

Reflection on a past lesson suggests that children remember what they did last time, what was especially memorable, and why they did it. The psychologist offers to remember with whom they discussed these exercises after the meeting, whether they showed them to other people and what came out of it, explains how it could help them in their studies or communication outside of class.

Reflection on the lesson that has just been completed assumes that children themselves or with the help of an adult answer the question of why this is necessary, how it can help in life, and show an emotional connection with each other and the leader. Reflective techniques in working with children are a topic for a separate discussion. They are subject to a number of serious requirements: they must be compact, very informative, varied and unobtrusive.

Each time, the presenter needs to very clearly set the task, first for himself, as the creator of the scenario, and then for the participants. What kind of reflective activity is important to us now, in the context of the topic of the classes and the overall objective of the course? How much time can we devote to her in each lesson? Obviously, for training programs focused on the development of the emotional sphere, it is important to teach children to record and analyze their feelings and the feelings of other people. For programs of a communicative nature, reflection on relationships, positions in communication of one’s own and one’s partners, behavior patterns, etc. is extremely important. In programs focused on the development of cognitive functions, it is necessary to develop and train reflexive skills associated with understanding the characteristics of one’s own memory, attention, will, thinking, perception. But there is also reflection on one’s own values ​​and expectations, reflection on the method of action and its consequences, which is especially important when teaching children methods of effective activity (mental, collaborative in a group, etc.).

All of these forms of reflection need to be taught, but they cannot be taught at the same time. Each time we select and set a reflective task for children in accordance with the general goals of the training course or specific lesson. Reflection cannot and should not be reduced to the question:

“Did you children like the activity, what feelings did you have?”

An introduction to the topic of the current lesson can be carried out even earlier, at the stage of thematic warm-up. Or it can be an independent and very important stage of the meeting. Its function is not only to bring to the attention of the children the topic and main goal of the meeting, but also to motivate them to do serious, deep work. Various techniques can be used to introduce content. For example, the topic may simply be communicated and the tasks listed. This can be effective (from the point of view that the topic has been heard and the motivation to work on it has been formed) in cases where children (teenagers, high school students) have a lot of trust in the presenter and are willing to tune in to any content he offers, as well as in cases where when the topic is undeniably interesting or extremely relevant. You can formulate a topic and, together with the participants, determine the objectives of the lessons based on the topic and interests of the students. This approach can be effective at different school ages, but under one condition: the participants must have experience in such work (experience in independently setting goals for their own activities). The use of the problem-based method is very effective: students are presented with an open question related to the topic, and during the discussion it is established what information the group already has to answer it, and what information needs to be obtained in this lesson. It is possible to interest the participants in some amazingly striking fact and continue to work on the energy of involuntary interest, etc. It is important that the psychologist, like the teacher, has a variety of methods of motivating learning activity, since children are different, classes are different, and what works for some does not work for others. An important feature of such techniques in the work of a psychologist who conducts training sessions rather than lessons: they should motivate not only to obtain new information, but also to self-change, mastering new ways of behavior and activity.

Exercises and procedures aimed at mastering the main content are role-playing games, psychotechnical exercises, discussions, accompanied by short monologues by the leader (“Injecting the necessary information”), reflective “pauses”, summing up, recording these results on the board and in personal training notes. Depending on the age of the participants, games, exercises, on the one hand, and informational reflexive inclusions, on the other, are planned in different proportions. Games and exercises dominate in training sessions for children. In training programs for seniors, the ratio may be one to one. Both extremes are dangerous. A training session cannot be reduced to a set of thematic games and a “short” reflection at the end like “I liked everything.” It is impossible to let the participants “play too much”, because then the main feature of the training as a form of developmental work is leveled - meaningfulness, awareness of learning. But it is dangerous to turn training into a seminar lesson: in this case, the very basis of training education – the student’s own practice – disappears. In general, training sessions are effective where and when the facilitator managed to form in students the “correct” attitude towards the game - as a means of self-knowledge and self-development. Of course, only high school students can fully consciously treat the game as a learning tool, but developing just such an attitude should begin already in elementary school.

Homework... Difficult question. On the one hand, a good school psychologist would be hard-pressed to give modern children one more homework assignment. On the other hand, it is difficult to organize effective psychological training without it in the mode in which it most often exists at school (once a week, in the afternoon...). Now, if only with immersion, and on the road, and with subsequent consolidation in real activities, educational activities first of all, then you can do without any tricks in the form of homework! And so... What to do? There are different options: work seriously with parents - once; integrating the process of preparing homework into the extracurricular life of schoolchildren (excursions, intra-class events, etc.) - two. Integrating content into learning activities with the help of subject teachers and doing without homework is three. Of course, other options are possible. These are for example. This is the first option for structuring a training session. Simplest.

The second option is more refined, but also more demanding on the professionalism of the leader and the working conditions of the group. It allows you to organize each training meeting as some thematically, organizationally and emotionally integral “fragment” of life. The structure of the meeting in this case is as follows:

1. Warm-up (best - thematic). Performs the function of psychologically launching a topic. After the warm-up, the topic is announced.
2. Diagnosis of a problem during an exercise or small game. The game should show participants what they need to work on in terms of their own development or the development of relationships.
3. Theoretical “piece”: introduction of concepts, rules, technologies. Information, the so-called “theory,” is given in extremely measured doses. Just what you need for today's lesson, in a very simple and understandable form. This is the information that helps to form skills (from motivational and instrumental points of view) and subsequently track them yourself.
4. Practicing skills in a series of exercises. As a rule, these are short, specific exercises to practice different aspects of a skill.
5. Generalization of acquired skills in a “big” role-playing game. The game acts as a means of testing the effectiveness of everything that happened before.
6. Reflection (exchange of feelings, analysis of what happened, answers to the facilitator’s questions).
7. Interpersonal support, feedback.

Such an activity is difficult to carry out in 40 minutes (although there are experts who can do this), it requires more time to implement, but the benefits are obvious: the effectiveness of working on some skill or ability, structured in this way, is very high, especially on average and senior school age, when children's trust in adults requires constant confirmation, including checking for the personal significance of the work being done (significance for students).

Training sessions as a form of developmental work are in demand in all school settings. Naturally, the content changes. This form is excellent for the development and formation of social skills in students of grades II – III and younger teenagers. It is effective in career guidance and development of self-regulation skills in schoolchildren of any age. She has few restrictions.

Perhaps there is only one thing, but it is essential: it requires a system, thoughtful ways of transferring the new formations being formed into real activities, and a certain psychological education of children: try placing teenagers in a circle who have no experience of participating in training situations, and “from scratch” conduct them a full-fledged lesson... “butter butter”. If the environment is educational, it cannot but be developmental. In the modern interpretation of the phrase “developmental environment,” the emphasis is most often placed on the purposefulness and meaningfulness of the actions of adults when setting development goals and designing the system of relations at school and the school space. A developing educational environment is an environment specially designed or carefully cultivated to solve certain problems of human development, a system of relationships, saturated with values, meanings and opportunities that are valuable for the formation of this person. The influence of the environment is at the same time powerful and soft, comprehensive and natural for the person developing in it. The essence of its influence is non-violent: the acquisition of certain abilities, the development of certain aspects of the mental appearance occur in response to requests from the environment. They become in demand by the child. He needs them in order to drain to the bottom the possibilities of the surrounding space and relationships with other people. Like that.

Participation in the design of a developmental environment is a unique, extremely rich in opportunities situation for a school psychologist. Such participation allows him to solve developmental problems in the most natural way for the child. And within an hour the most effective. Any developmental situation built into the educational process or educational environment as an “insert”, a special form of activity or relationship, presupposes special procedures for consolidating new qualities and their transfer to natural conditions of life. What can be “dissolved” in an educational situation that is familiar and understandable to the child does not require additional effort from the child or special steps from the adult.

“Dissolution” of psychological developmental work in the educational environment of a school is a special and creative task. Surprisingly, this kind of professional art is most often mastered by school psychologists last: after training, specially designed correctional classes, lessons... Naturally, not all developmental tasks lend themselves to such dissolution, but many, very many.

A form of developmental work that balances on the edge of “artificial” and “natural” is a psychological action. This form received its name by analogy with various artistic actions that were so popular in the art of Soviet postmodernism in the 70s and 80s. XX century. At its core, it is an environment, often a play environment, which is created for a certain time in the space of a school, parallel, or classroom. It does not interfere with other types of activities of children and adults, but it has some of its own content, rules, and planned results. The main goal of such “actions” is to expand the living space of the participants by introducing new additional meanings, sensual colors, and cultural meanings into their lives. “Life is richer than you usually perceive it” - this is, apparently, the pathos of the “psychological action.”

Important features of the “promotion” are unobtrusiveness and unusualness. It does not prevent those who want to ignore it from living as usual; it paints the lives of those who are ready to join in with new bright colors. During their lifetime, actions create a certain mood in the school, a dominant emotional state; the school begins to be experienced as a single whole, and the people in it as close and interesting interlocutors. Promotions can be of a gaming nature (for example, “Secret Friend”), or take the form of an unusual survey (“Rainbow”, a thematic sociological survey). A special type of psychological action is Day(s) or Psychology Week at school.

Psychology Week is a collection of psychological actions subordinated to one theme, one idea, which for the person included in it unfolds as a kind of holistic, completed action.

When planning the Week in general, it is advisable to adhere to several working principles:

• The week must be complete and complete, i.e. have a psychologically defined beginning and end, a main idea and motto;
• each day should flow smoothly into the next;
• it is necessary to have types of work that would make every day unique and “cross-cutting” events that set the general spirit of the Week;
• Every day should have integrity and completeness, i.e. contain some central event, have its own semantic focus, which can also be expressed in the motto of the day;
• the events of the Week should cover the entire school - all children and adults;
• Week events should, if possible, not interfere with the educational process; at the very least, this intervention must be made minimal and strictly agreed upon with teachers and administration.

When these principles are implemented, the Week turns out to be “two-layered” or containing a figure and a background. The figures are the central events of the day, the background is “end-to-end” forms of work such as a psychological newspaper, a Week stand, “fences”, quotes posted around the school, and musical accompaniment.

The Week is similar to any other event in its unobtrusiveness, unusualness and main goals - expanding the emotional, semantic, and activity “field” of a person’s life, creating a school community. It is distinguished by its substantive depth and, undoubtedly, organizational complexity.

On what thematic foundations can the Week be built? The general answer is – very different. The main thing is that the topic has a beautiful and multifaceted spread: value-based, cultural, social-psychological, personal. For example, a great topic is “The Roads We Take.” This topic can be spread over any number of days (as many as you can handle). The road is not straight, and at any moment it can lead into a swamp, or be blocked by a barrier, or climb into impassable cliffs. All these images of the road can be matched with appropriate psychological metaphors. Mountain steep slopes are intellectual tests, a swamp is a test of cohesion, etc.

“Yin and Yang” is an excellent topic for a psychological “three-day”: one day is “male”, the other is “female” (psychological characteristics, interests, view of representatives of the other sex), the third is “HE and SHE” (love, friendship , understanding).

The five-day theme is “Seasons.” Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are well-known seasons associated with certain psychological states, capabilities, and interests of a person. Thus, “Winter” was for us a time of dreams and gifts (the motto of the day is “It’s time to dream”). “Spring” is a time of love, confusion of feelings under the motto “The time is coming...”. “Summer” is a time for yourself and about yourself: “Summer is a little life.” And autumn... autumn passed under the motto “Autumn, you told the soul about the most important thing” - and was dedicated to philosophical reflections on the meaning of life and its values. The most unexpected was the fifth day of the Week, which was called “The Fifth Season” and was held under the motto “The season of my soul.”

During the Week, fleeting breaks, as always, are replaced by mandatory lessons, no one cancels breakfasts and lunches, but surprises await in every corner of the school in the form of “fences”, wise thoughts or unusual tasks; At every break, something happens in one or another hall: a competition, a game, tests. Five minutes before the bell, you may suddenly be asked to fill out an unusual questionnaire, and within an hour the results will be processed and posted at the Week’s stand. And so on.

In addition to its main developmental effect, Psychology Week has another, also developmental in its own way: increased interest in the activities of psychologists on the part of students and teachers, an increase in his authority. At the same time, it is important to understand that a single psychological event, organized in the form of a Week or Days of Psychology, for all its entertainment and aesthetic elegance, is not an entertaining event, but a developmental one. This means that there may be a variety of individual reactions to the proposed content and form. It may irritate some and seem pointless to others. Such reactions are sometimes needed to be noticed and help cope with the condition, but in most cases the psychologist simply needs to accept and experience them. And under no circumstances should you make excuses by explaining the hidden meaning of what is happening. Especially if the action was based on a metaphor, like, for example, our favorite morning action “Rainbow”.

In addition to psychological actions, other methods of naturally “embedding” psychological developmental content into the educational environment of the school can be used. Thus, traditional school events and holidays can be filled with psychological meanings. For example, the well-known and frequently used “Intellectual Marathon” can, in addition to developing educational ones, solve developing psychological problems.

Here is an example from experience.

An intellectual marathon, in the creation of which teachers and psychologists united, can be planned and implemented as a holiday. A holiday of knowledge, intelligence, education.

On this day, the process of cognition unfolds as an unconditional universal and personal value, as well as the relationships between people that arise in the process of joint cognition.

Thinking, improving your mind, expanding your knowledge is great, it’s interesting, and, after all, it’s socially prestigious.

A person who does this deserves undoubted respect and recognition. This could be the idea of ​​a marathon. How do psychologists participate in its implementation?

The marathon, which is used in this case as “for example,” took place over three days.

The first day is an individual tour. It took place for the entire secondary school (from V to XI grades) simultaneously and was a test. Based on the results of the first round, by the evening of the same day, the winners in each parallel became known, several people from each parallel. They were invited to participate in the second day of the marathon.

The second day is psychological work. Officially, what was happening was called “preparing teams for a group tour of the intellectual marathon.” It was known that teams would compete on the third day. Some. Each has 7 participants, from grades V to XI.

They will move from one subject station to another and score points. And the quality of their work will depend not only on the individual abilities of each, but also on the cohesion of the team.

The teams worked for several hours. The composition of the teams was determined by lot; everything else depended only on the participants themselves. The task of the psychologists was not only to introduce the children to each other and to encourage them to cooperate with each other. By the morning of the next day, each team had to have a name, motto, coat of arms (emblem, symbol), as well as a 3-minute speech - a greeting, with the presentation of which the third day began. The performances were evaluated by the jury, and this rating was included in the overall team score.

Working with teams, psychologists acted in a professional role that was familiar and understandable to them and those around them.

They did not entertain the marathon participants. They taught them, acted as coaches, mentors, helped them find a common language and establish cooperation. The guys who advance to the second round of the marathon with this selection are intellectually developed, knowledge-motivated students who quickly understand their main task: to create a cohesive, strong team capable of successfully fighting for victory. They viewed the psychologist as a specialist who would help them solve these problems. It is important that psychologists did not prepare their performances together with the children. They helped them enter an active, creative state, created an atmosphere of trust and openness: then the teams worked independently.

This particularly clearly demonstrated the peculiarity of the psychological professional position. Of course, for the sake of spectacular performances, it would be worthwhile to involve several talented teachers in the work of children's teams. The next day we would listen not to baby babble and homemade poems, but to almost professional mini-performances. But children would have very little to do with this. And in general, the meaning of developmental work would be eroded beyond recognition.

On the third day, psychologists accompanied the teams on their difficult journey: they periodically helped them respond to difficult moments in relationships, losses at stations, and develop more effective tactics for working together while performing intellectual tasks. Their work became as invisible as possible: the main thing was the intellectual search process, which included teams. Other tasks were relegated to the background. But after the game was over and the results were summed up, the role of psychologists again became very significant. A number of teams needed to discuss how the process went and the reasons for the loss.

As a result, the “marathon runners”, without noticing it themselves, took part in several psychological developmental procedures – from games and training to CTD and collective reflection of the process. However, all these forms were organically woven into the intellectual activity that was significant to them.

The marathon and the participation of psychologists in it is a concrete example of how psychological developmental tasks can be intertwined with pedagogical, educational or educational tasks, and how situations can be designed to solve them together. Joint psychological and pedagogical activities and programs implemented on the basis of a class, parallel school, are a very promising and effective type of work aimed at solving complex problems of development and training. Of course, it requires a certain maturity from adults: the ability to jointly set tasks, develop activities, distribute roles and responsibilities. The teacher and psychologist must speak the same language, understand the essence and purpose of each other’s work, and the specifics of the methods and techniques used. They must trust each other. But “the game is worth the candle”: as a result of cooperation, a highly effective common approach to solving mutually related development and education problems is born.

Thus, the work of a psychologist, focused on solving the problems of development of children, adolescents, boys and girls, can take on a variety of specific forms and outlines: a game, training, lesson, action, joint psychological and pedagogical event.

Each of these forms has its own capabilities and limitations, its own strengths and weaknesses. The choice of a specific form is closely related to the specifics of the developmental task being solved by the psychologist, the experience of the participants (the extent to which they master this or that form of developmental psychological activity) and their age, school traditions.

It is, naturally, connected with the professional preferences and qualifications of the psychologist himself.

Developmental work can occupy a different place in the overall system of activity of a psychologist in an educational institution: from peripheral to central, and can be both situational and systematically planned. Situational development work is organized according to a request, most often a problematic one, and is local in nature.