Learn how to moderate a Train the Trainer network session effectively and support the learning of other trainers with these tips.

In my experience, the best way to evaluate the session is to ask the participants about the top 3 learnings of the day and how will they use these concepts in the practical world. This helps the master trainer to understand the effectiveness of learning, revision of the concepts and most importantly whether the participants got the real value from this training or not.

How do you moderate a Train the Trainer network session?

As a trainer, you know how important it is to keep learning and improving your skills. One way to do that is to join a Train the Trainer network, where you can exchange ideas, feedback, and best practices with other trainers. But how do you make the most of these network sessions? How do you moderate them effectively and ensure everyone benefits from them? In this article, we'll share some tips on how to moderate a Train the Trainer network session, based on the principles of adult learning, facilitation, and collaboration.

1 Prepare the session

Before you moderate a Train the Trainer network session, you need to prepare the session well. This means defining the objectives, agenda, and format of the session, as well as inviting the participants and setting the expectations. You also need to choose a suitable platform and tools for the session, such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Miro. Depending on the size and diversity of the network, you may want to use breakout rooms, polls, or chat features to enhance interaction and engagement.

Add your perspective

Paul Eder, PhD

I Lead You to New Insights | Strategy Consulting, Artificial Intelligence, & Data Innovation | Author of FIRESTARTERS
Report contribution
Preparation is a superpower. When you're training trainers, you are dealing with an audience of experienced professionals. They will know if you haven't put in the time. In addition, they must feel comfortable to jump into action after the training. Your poor preparation could hinder their ability to be effective.

Like

2 Introduce the session

At the start of the session, you need to introduce yourself and the session to the participants. You can use a warm-up activity or an icebreaker to break the ice and create a positive atmosphere. You should also explain the purpose, goals, and rules of the session, and invite the participants to introduce themselves and share their expectations. You can use a flipchart, a slide, or a shared document to capture the main points and refer back to them later.

Add your perspective

Sunil Anandani

Founder & CEO @ Swayambhuti Consultants | Realisation Training Specialist
Report contribution
It's very important to give value to the budding trainers. They already have knowledge about training. Everybody is there in the TTT with some expectations. If the master trainer takes expectations in the beginning and ensures that every relevant expectation is covered during the training then it will help the budding trainers to be the trainer they like to be and in turn add more value to their future participants

Like
Nompumelelo Tsolekile

Senior Learning Facilitator| Skills Development Facilitator| Acting Learning Consultant MFC RMM Old Mutual| Coach| Mentor| Graduate Program Manager| Facilitator| Recordkeeping
Report contribution
Invite attendees to introduce themselves at the beginning of the session, which also serves as an icebreaker, and to express their expectations. During your introduction, describe the session's objective, goals, and guidelines. Capture key points with graphic aids. I also ask Polly questions

Like

3 Facilitate the discussion

During the session, you need to facilitate the discussion and encourage the participants to share their experiences, insights, and questions. You can use different techniques to stimulate the conversation, such as open-ended questions, paraphrasing, summarizing, or probing. You should also monitor the time, the energy, and the participation levels of the group, and intervene when necessary to keep the session on track, balanced, and respectful. You can also use feedback forms, surveys, or quizzes to check the learning outcomes and satisfaction of the participants.

Add your perspective

Sunil Anandani

Founder & CEO @ Swayambhuti Consultants | Realisation Training Specialist
Report contribution
The job of the master trainer should be to create a spark of confidence in participants for training. The more the participants speak, the more they are confident. So it is very critical to make the participants speak more and the master trainer just needs to facilitate the session and make corrections if any.

Like

4 Support the learning

As a moderator, you also need to support the learning of the participants and help them apply what they learned to their own contexts. You can do this by providing relevant resources, examples, or tips that can enhance their knowledge and skills. You can also use reflection activities, action plans, or peer coaching to help them identify their strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps. You should also encourage them to network with each other and stay in touch after the session.

Add your perspective

Sunil Anandani

Founder & CEO @ Swayambhuti Consultants | Realisation Training Specialist
Report contribution
Learning if not converted to application in the real world is of no use at all. Hence, it is very important to give real-life examples from the master trainer's experience regarding the application of the concepts. At the end of the discussion, the participants(budding trainers) also need to tell the master trainer how will they try to use it in the real world. This is very important for sustainable learning

Like

5 Evaluate the session

After the session, you need to evaluate the session and your own performance as a moderator. You can use the feedback from the participants, your own observations, or your co-moderators' input to assess what worked well, what didn't, and what can be improved for future sessions. You should also document the main outcomes, learnings, and recommendations from the session and share them with the participants and the network organizers. You can also follow up with the participants and offer them further support or guidance if needed.

Add your perspective

Sunil Anandani

Founder & CEO @ Swayambhuti Consultants | Realisation Training Specialist
Report contribution
In my experience, the best way to evaluate the session is to ask the participants about the top 3 learnings of the day and how will they use these concepts in the practical world. This helps the master trainer to understand the effectiveness of learning, revision of the concepts and most importantly whether the participants got the real value from this training or not.

Like
Nompumelelo Tsolekile

Senior Learning Facilitator| Skills Development Facilitator| Acting Learning Consultant MFC RMM Old Mutual| Coach| Mentor| Graduate Program Manager| Facilitator| Recordkeeping
Report contribution
After the session, I assess the session's quality and moderating skills. I also check by evaluating what went well, what didn't, and what might be improved for future sessions using participant comments, according to my observations, or the opinions of your co-moderators. Along with capturing the session's.

Like

6 Develop yourself

Finally, as a moderator, you need to develop yourself and your own skills as a trainer and a facilitator. You can do this by joining other Train the Trainer network sessions, either as a participant or as a co-moderator, and learning from other trainers. You can also seek feedback, mentoring, or coaching from more experienced moderators or trainers. You can also enroll in online courses, webinars, or podcasts that can help you update your knowledge and techniques.

Add your perspective

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How do you moderate a Train the Trainer network session?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Prepare the session

2 Introduce the session

3 Facilitate the discussion

4 Support the learning

5 Evaluate the session

6 Develop yourself

7 Here’s what else to consider

Train the Trainer

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Train the Trainer

More relevant reading