How to be an AWESOME trainer in 5 easy steps

While the title of this article may be a little misleading – there are no guarantees that following these steps will make someone an AWESOME trainer – there most certainly are things that we can do to make us more effective and have a greater impact as we train our staff and volunteers in abuse prevention.

First, I must confess that when I became a certified trainer with Plan to Protect® in 2013, I was fairly certain that the company wouldn't be in business for long. I was confident that people would learn to do better through the training and would thus put this small company out of business in no time flat. I could not have been more wrong! Today, more than ever, we need to train people on abuse prevention and protection as child, youth, and vulnerable adult abuse reports seem to be multiplying exponentially! The work that our certified trainers do is critically important. It is thrilling to have people delivering our abuse prevention training worldwide! We should not be discouraged that things do not seem to be changing on a global level as we can be confident that we are making a difference in our own little corners of the world one training at a time!

The five things trainers can do to become even stronger and more impactful in their training are: 

1. Keep learning! I recently read a disturbing yet powerfully motivating book, "Unspeakable" by Jessica Willis Fisher. I also watched the movie "The   Sound of Freedom," which has rocked my world. Continuously incorporating new scenarios and stories into our training keeps us current and demonstrates to our students that these things are happening today. Continuous learning breathes new life into what we are doing – AWESOME!

2. Keep watching! Be involved in the goings on at your organization so that you can observe for yourself what works and what doesn't. If you see things that need to change or be tweaked or retaught, this is AWESOME!

3. Keep connecting! Be available to your volunteers and staff and ask them questions. Let them help you see how the policies and procedures impact the people that are carrying them out. Being there as a source of support and encouragement is AWESOME!

4. Keep recruiting! Safety is not one person's responsibility! Find other like-minded people to help with the training (make sure they get certified) and to keep working at ensuring the safety of everyone in your organization. Building a team is AWESOME!

5. Keep certifying! Our Train the Trainer certification is valid for three years. We recently added Train the Trainer Evergreen for those who already have their Train the Trainer Levels 1 and 2. Evergreen is receiving rave reviews!

We are truly thankful for the hundreds of Plan to Protect® certified trainers that are in the trenches working tirelessly to make the world a better and safer place. We consider our trainers to be one of the most incredible people in the world; they are truly AWESOME!

“This has been very insightful and is jam packed with information!” Roots Christian Homeschool

“You get very thorough information and I appreciate how the course is organized and well structured. I would recommend this course to any organization working with children/youth and vulnerable adults.” Strong Minds Strong Kids

“I really benefited from the comments from my practicum's coach.” Saddleback Church