The Accidental Educator

By Pip McIlroy 

Hawthorn based Pip McIlroy is Founder & Director of boutique consultancy Checking for Understanding, which upskills healthcare professionals in the basics of good teaching and training so they can pass on their expertise effectively. Pip is an experienced educator and facilitator who has worked in health and aged care and the community sector.

It is a common reality across many sectors that those who are most experienced and skilled at the ‘frontline’ role inevitably become the managers and trainers of those who are newer to the job. Think of the experienced social worker who becomes the coordinator, the seasoned teacher turned faculty leader, or the skilled nurse promoted to clinical educator.

Often it means people are taken away from the very thing they are most proficient at to instead manage those at the coalface. After this change in role, the skill gap that can present itself is related to how exactly to best provide support, mentoring and training to those more junior. A lot of this skill set involves being able to present information in the most appropriate, engaging and easy to comprehend way.

Equipping them with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to succeed will depend on well organised learning programs and mentors who understand how adults learn. Those tasked with passing on their expertise might consider these tips for an upcoming session:

Break the ice

An engaged group which is willing to contribute and feeling comfortable to ask questions will make all the difference to your session. Spend some initial time on an ‘Ice Breaker’ or start with a quick, easy question that everyone answers to normalise verbal contributions from the start.

Explain your objectives

Make sure you are clear on the specific goals of the session before you do anything else. In the education sphere, Learning Intentions are statements of these goals/objectives which usually include the terms; ‘know’, ‘understand’ or ‘be able to’, which explain how the session will build participants’ knowledge, understanding or skills. Sharing your objectives with the group empowers them in their learning.

Map out your available time

Plan backwards from the session objectives you have articulated and restrict yourself only to content that helps you achieve these goals. If you have an hour session, map out a schedule which details available time for each part (Introduction, Ice Breaker, Input, Discussion, Practice, etc). Factor in some buffer time in case something takes longer than expected, people are late coming back from a break, etc.

Mix up your medium

There are lots of ways to engage your group and it pays to alternate what methods you are using. This includes both how you are presenting content and what you are asking participants to do during the session.

You might consider:

• Telling a story which highlights the importance of the content they are learning.

• Asking participants to discuss a question in pairs for a few minutes first before inviting a few to share with the whole group.

• Setting up a simulation of the real-world scenario for the group to practice together.

• Prompting individuals to complete a short reading or task on their own before reporting back to the group.