Training From the Back of the Room!: 65 Ways to Step Aside and Let Them Learn

Moving into a new role which requires me to teach more I needed a good resource. A well respected teacher recommended this book to me. She said and I now agree it contains many helpful things to do and use. I have been working and using things I found in the book over and over. A great resource for anyone working with any age students!

To people outside training the 4C's can sound like oceans, diseases, or the Hi-C sugary drink, but to us the 4 C's is what the author Sharon Bowman claims we should use to ensure our learners actually learn from their training while making it interactive and exciting.Connections is the first "C" and it contains 15 opening activities that connect learners to the topic.(This is critical as it has been shown that we remember the first and last things more than anything else in between).In her second "C" concepts, she cites 20 strategies "to engage and involve learners" during the, and I won't say it, I won't--l-e-c-t-u-r-e. These strategies emphasize learner feedback and activity that is anything but sitting still or remaining silent. Ms. Bowman believes that if you must lecture, it should be kept to 15 minutes tops, and then making the learners active.Her third "C" is what separates training from education. (Education calls it lab). She calls it Concrete Practice. (She had to add this C for obvious reasons--"The Three C's and a P" doesn't sound quite as catchy). Ms. Bowman realizes as any training specialist does that without practice you only have a seminar, and that practice that is not aimed at accomplishing learner outcomes (objectives) is equally worthless. Here she offers 15 strategies for learners to practice and review what they have learned.The fourth "C" is conclusions and these include 15 strategies for participants to lead in their summaries, evaluations, and celebration activities.Training from the back of the room is just that--you might lead the training, but you make the training participant-centered. Making the learners active is what makes them learn.This book is practical, well-written and will have a high impact in any classroom, and I have seen the results having just trained a number of law enforcement officers to become instructors using these principles. They are highly motivated and intent on using their new found skills in their classrooms.I recommend that you use these strategies in yours.

I'm always looking for creative new ways to offer training and this book was very helpful. I also training other trainers. This book offers good ideas to help make sessions fun and interesting for participants and trainers.

I am a professional trainer and coach primarily in the software industry. I'm always on the lookout for new and better ways to train adults because it is what I do for a living. While looking for something to read on my Kindle I stumbled across this book and decided to give it a read. Only one word can describe my reaction as I was reading - WOW! The techniques in this book are simple, effective and fun. I have now facilitated several courses using the provided techniques and not only did the courses get even better reviews from attendees (and I had always received great reviews) I had a LOT more fun facilitating the classes.This book is truly life changing for me as I suspect it will be for others. The techniques seem odd at times, but the ones I have used have been extremely effective. Class participants engage in ways I never thought possible.I don't think I have ever written a review on Amazon before, but this one is worthy of high praise so I took the plunge!

It has been several years since I first read this book, and it has been both a spirit guide and a recommended resource for engaging adult learners ever since. I appreciate the combination of science, practical advise and useful tools. I've used the approach recommended in this book with corporate groups, non-profits and even high school classes, and have found them to reliably increase engagement, enjoyment and retention. I consider "Training from the Back of the Room" a skill that all trainers and facilitators should have in their toolbox.

Great read that my friend told me about. Presenters should read this.

Un libro que nos lleva de manera clara y sobre todo vivencial por una travesía de lo que realmente significa enseñar. Somos eternos aprendices.

As for me this book is a treasure. However sometimes it is overloaded with the repetitive information. I like more condense and straight to the point summarizing content.

Très utile

Mi sento di consigliare questo libro a chi si affaccia per la prima volta al mondo del training: nonostante sia datato, offre degli spunti utili e delle pratiche da annotare per sperimentare nuovi approcci alla formazione.

This is a fantastic and incredible helpful book for trainers. All those who still use presentations with slide shows in their trainings should definitely read this book. It will give them an understanding how humans really learn and a bunch of ideas and concrete practices to improve the structure of their trainings. But even those who already use interactive training techniques will probably gather new insights and ideas for lecturing from the back of the room.

The book gives practical advice and tools to change your training style from lecture based to participation based. Worht every penny.

World definitely recommend this book to anyone involved in education