During your school studies or training courses, you have surely noticed the different ways of learning from your trainers. You liked some, others not so much. And that's normal! This is what we call “the posture” of the trainer.
Expert, coach, animator or facilitator, the role of trainer can take many forms. But above all: it must adapt to the learner. Do you want to change your training approach? We give you the different types of postures and the mistakes to avoid in this dedicated article.
Definition and importance of the trainer's posture
What is the trainer's posture?
The trainer's posture represents the attitude of a teacher, and the interpretation that learners have of this positioning. That includes The non-verbal language of the trainer (gestures, attitude, position, layout of the room...), but also The elements of language he uses (expressions, tone, popularization...) during vocational training.
This posture is not always a choice. It can also be unconscious and result from the experience or personality of the trainer. Unintentionally, his values and beliefs may be reflected in his words and in the way he conducts his training. We then speak of professional “ethos”:”a system of beliefs, values, norms, and models that provide a frame of reference for individual behavior and social action within a defined community.” (Cairn.info)
Why is the trainer's posture crucial?
This posture is fundamental, because it makes it possible to transmit the trainer's knowledge while strengthening the relationship he builds with his learners. To be a trainer, It's not just unfolding your presentation in a monotone tone, hoping that your learners assimilate as much knowledge as possible.
To be a trainer, It's adopting an attitude, gestures, a tone to capture attention and deliver your knowledge. But it's also about listening to what your learners have to say and knowing how to adapt to each profile in front of you. You will have understood: it is not that simple! To help you, we have established four trainer postures to adopt during your next training courses.
The 3 (+1) most famous types of trainer postures
Adopting a trainer's posture, intentional or not, is essential to transmit your knowledge, while gaining the trust of learners. Studies often distinguish between three types of posture: the expert, the facilitator and the facilitator (or the coach). These postures stem from the relationship between the trainer, the knowledge and the learner (Houssaye, 2000).
But at Beedeez, we wanted to add to this a very interesting position: that of The empathic. So here are four types of trainer postures to adopt. Remember to choose the one that best fits your vision, beliefs, and values.
1. The Expert: the structured transmission of knowledge
The first position most adopted by trainers is that of the “Expert”. The objective of this posture is to transmit knowledge in a structured and fluid manner.
The advantage of this posture: the trainer is credible in front of his audience. He transmits all the knowledge necessary to develop their skills and he knows how to popularize complex concepts.
The risk of this posture: fall into the position of “knowing.” The Expert may sometimes think that he is the only one who has the knowledge. However, its learners also have knowledge and can bring value to the training.
2. The Facilitator: encouraging autonomy and exploration
The Facilitator posture aims to encourage learners to discover new concepts by themselves. This can be through experimentation, practice, collaborative work, or observation.
The advantage of this posture: The trainer plays the role of “mediator” here, and does not position himself as “knowing”. It encourages the autonomy and exploration of its learners. In fact, these learning techniques are very effective: We are talking here about”Learning by Doing”.
The risk of this posture: This posture may not be appropriate for all learners. Some need more extensive support, and would find themselves lost in the face of too much autonomy.
3. The Facilitator or the Coach: promoting motivation
The position of Facilitator or Coach will result in the motivation and encouragement of learners. The trainer will want to put his knowledge into practice. It will then motivate the learners and know how to support them in case of failure.
The advantage of this posture: An Animator trainer is a real Booster of energy. He will know how to lead a class and motivate it to assimilate more or less complex concepts.
The risk of this posture: The Coach posture may, again, not be suitable for all learners. Some people will need to be listened to or to share their doubts. A motivational posture is not always appropriate for these types of profiles.
4. The Empathic: Understanding and Sharing Emotions
The “Empathic” trainer will emphasize listening and understanding his learners. Its objective is above all to create social ties. This type of trainer is often very popular with learners.
The advantage of this posture: the Empathic trainer will have a much easier time perceiving the weaknesses of each learner. Trained people will communicate their questions and doubts, and it will be easier for the learner to adapt their content.
The risk of this posture: the main risk of this posture is to adopt a position that is too “maternal” in relation to its learners. Empathy and listening are two very important levers in training. But some learners can take advantage of this to rely 100% on their trainer and lose autonomy.
Animator, Facilitator, Expert or Empathic: the best posture is still The one you are most comfortable with. If you are able to listen to others, a 100% expert posture may not be ideal. Be natural, and listen to your personality and your learners.
The importance of adaptability
Each posture (Expert, Facilitator, Facilitator, Facilitator, Empathic) has its advantages and disadvantages. But, you will have understood, these postures are not compatible with all learners.
A good trainer will therefore tend to focus on his learners, and not on his content. To do this, he will have to observe, listen and make your learners speak to adapt their posture. In this way, he will take into account their needs and be able to achieve the expected objectives of the training.
To do this, the trainer will have to read of the training plan, the profile and experience of the learners, and the objectives of its training. This will allow him to get out of this “knowing everything” box and to adopt the right posture for the company's challenges.
Common mistakes to avoid
The risks of a “knowing” posture
The biggest mistake What can a trainer do about his posture is to position yourself as “knowing”. In other words, a trainer who “knows everything”, and who considers that the learners have no knowledge.
This type of posture is to be avoided! Of course, the trainer has knowledge that the learners do not have (otherwise, he would not be there). But trained people also have things to share that can feed into the training session. This is why developing a training course based on the experiences of your learners is essential. This helps you support your point with their experience and knowledge!
Overloaded visual supports or language
The second mistake, frequently observed during training, is that of the overloaded PowerPoint presentation. Surely you know the concept of”Less is more”: the more you drown out your learners are a mountain of information, the more complex their learning will be.
On the other hand, we also observe trainers who conduct their course, without catching their breath. In the same way as slides filled with text, long monologues are to be avoided. of your training! In addition to being counterproductive and making your learners sleepy, it dilutes the essential information you want to communicate. To avoid falling into this scenario: catch your breath, speak slowly, and drink water between each important point. Giving time to assimilate all these new concepts is essential for your learners!
Managing stress and stage fright
Being a trainer is not easy. Whatever posture you want to adopt: you are faced with a class of learners who expect something from you. Whatever happens, don't try to get rid of your stage fright. Just try to keep it as low as possible. To do this, you can:
- Identify and analyze your fears:
Are you afraid of not being successful in your intervention? Afraid of disappointing? Scared of criticism?
- Take up these fears and establish a “worst-case scenario”
Answer the question: “What would happen if...?” Imagine the worst possible scenario that could happen! Very often, you will realize that nothing dramatic should happen.
- Establish a course outline to follow
It is reassuring to know where you are going before you start. Create a course “plan” to find your way around and not lose track!
- Breathe!
Before giving your training, take a long breath while inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Focus on that breath, and don't let an intrusive image take over your brain. This technique is magical to relax your muscles and start the class rebooted like never before!
