Training Trainers
These folks obviously need to know everything! So they should:
Read through all the suggestions for training in this section of the site.
Practice, practice, practice with scoring, especially if using PEDS in print. So, present lots of case examples, and preferably have your participants volunteer examples of their own... while you supervise scoring.
Trial PEDS Online to get familiar with how it works.
Be able to answer all questions on our post-test—meaning abundant familiarity with the background section in this module, i.e., child development, psychosocial risk, resilience, policy mandates, etc.
Have a good sense of implementation challenges for the groups that trainers will, in turn, train.
Get familiar with our frequently asked questions and with all the resources on our site. If at all possible, have your trainees explore this site before your presentation. It is important that they be able to find needed information including FAQs.
Be able to select among our slide shows, those that are most relevant to the groups your trainees will train.
Be prepared to add to our list of parenting/referral resources with local options.
Understand the implementation challenges for various types of settings--most particularly health care with its very short encounters and thus the need for enormous efficiency in delivering measures.
Understand that preferences for measurement approaches are ever-present, and that presenting options among tools is essential (although it is wise to limit the options presented to a set of measures workable for the types of providers you train). Too many options can be overwhelming.The Table of Tools in this training module includes recommendations for what works in health care versus other services.
Be sufficiently practiced and thus comfortable with your presentation that you can be humorous at times AND are comfortable with the sometimes painfully pregnant pause that always occurs when posing the first few questions to participants. That often takes a minute or more.
Practice presentations to ensure comfort and mastery of material and can avoid just reading from notes or look excessively at slides (always boring).
Have attendees take turns presenting at least parts of their presentations. Ask them to practice (e.g., at home) to make sure their presentations so they don’t exceed the time frames allotted (always irritating for busy professionals).
Make sure they are comfortable working with Powerpoint and know how to: Craft a set of slides appropriate for the group to be trained); Play our videos on their computers (downloading these in advance of their presentation and making they run); Deal with computer mic issues or are prepared to provide their own voice over); Use a thumb drive and place their slide show/videos on it (in case AV folks can’t hook up to the presenter’s computer); Arrive early when presenting to large groups to help with AV set-up and sound checks (and to send AV requirements in advance); Prepare for talks (e.g., have a bottle of water at hand (all those exhalations make speakers thirsty) and turn off an FM mike before heading to the bathroom (horror stories abound about the failure to do that)!
Consider using our post-test (which can also serve as a pre-test to help future trainers know what they need to know) at the end of your presentation so that you are assured of their competence.
Encourage trainees to join the Early Detection Discussion list on www.pedstest.com. There they can post questions to others using screening and get feedback. This is also a good way to let us know if other types of information needs to be provided on our site.
If you need a certificate of completion for your attendees, please contact us and we can send you one you can modify.
If you'd like us to announce your presentation on our site, please send details (time, date, location, etc.) and we will post it.
Consider sending trainees home with a few case examples that they can score and then write-up short reports/referral letters with local referral resources, to send back to you by email. We have a training version of PEDS Tools online which is especially useful for those wanting to use our tools in print. You can view their success at scoring online. Please contact us if this would be helpful to you.