10
Commandments for Learners
by Susan Boyd
1. Thou shall review the course description prior to class and make sure thou meets the pre-requisites.
Prior to
class, review the course description, objectives and topics and see if
you have the pre-requisites skills. Talk to others who have attended the
course and see how they are using the skills.
2. Thou shall meet with thine manager before and after the course to discuss the training and how it can be applied.
Meet with
your manager before class to discuss how the course information can be
applied to your job needs. Find out your manager's expectations. After
the class, discuss the training with your manager and determine what support
is needed for you to apply the skills.
3. Thou shall be responsible for thine own learning.
As an adult,
you are in charge of your learning, not the instructor. Take advantage
of the class time, practice sessions and instructor's knowledge while
you are in class.
4. Thou shalt participate and be an active learner.
Learning
is an active process! Ask questions, do the exercises, participate in
the discussions, take notes, help other class members, talk to the instructor,
etc.
5. Thou shall be willing to make mistakes and learn from them.
Don't be
embarrassed or frustrated when you make mistakes. Mistakes are learning
opportunities for you, the instructor and the rest of the class. You learn
more when you correct mistakes than if everything goes perfectly.
6. Thou shall ask how the training can be applied to thine own job needs.
You know
your job best. Take each skill you learn and ask yourself and classmates,
How can I use or adapt this skill/technique to my job demands?
7. Thou shall honor the time schedule and be on time for class and after breaks.
Time is money
in a training class. If you are late, you are wasting not only your learning
time and money, but the time and money of the rest of the class.
8. Thou shalt not whine or be negative.
Whining doesn't
make the software go faster or work better. Whining doesn't change corporate
policies or procedures. It just wears down your energy, as well as that
of the instructor and other learners. Don't feel compelled to kill the
messenger. The instructors do not make the policies, they are there to
help you develop new skills to do your job.
9. Thou shall give the instructor feedback throughout class if thou has concerns, issues, or questions.
You are an
adult, in charge of your learning. If you feel that the class is too slow/fast,
or topics aren't pertinent, convey this to the instructor during a break.
Don't keep this all to yourself or complain to your classmates. Most instructors
will try to be flexible and see if they can address your concerns.
10. Thou shall take the time to complete the course evaluation and give honest, constructive feedback.
Course evaluations are important to the instructor as well as to the managers in the training department. Take the time to give useful, pertinent feedback and offer suggestions, not just criticisms or smile sheets with no meaningful comments.