Smooth courses

Applicants with special needs

Running a smooth course

Providing problematic students with customer care can help the entire course run smoothly. If you suspect that a student is going to struggle early on (attitude, language barriers etc), you can do a few small things to help them get through the course without issue.

You should:

• Go up to them and have a chat during a break to make sure they understand what's been covered so far.
• Ask them what they are unsure of, let them know that you want to help them.
• Inform them that failing the test today isn't the end of the world, and they can simply retest.
• Visit them periodically throughout the course, be seen as the 'good guy' just trying to help.

You should not:

• Ignore them.
• Single them out in front of the class.
• Engage in any sort of argument; it's what some people want you to do.

In the situation that a student is totally misbehaving and refusing to adhere to your instruction, you can inform them that they must leave. You can further decrease the chance of this issue if we provide problematic students with extra customer care early and often. Both the trainer and student will go home happy.

Q: What's the best way to avoid a 'blow-up' at the course with a problem student?

Student Interaction

Providing a small bit of customer care to students during the written tasks goes a long way for the exam, and the student's feeling about you and the course.

When a written task slide appears on screen, it's important for Trainers let it run through, and use this time to walk around the room, offering your help to any and all students who may appear to need it.

Q: During the tasks, do you go around to individual students and offer your help? (as this will go a long way to winning them over)

COVID Safety

The safety of staff and students is important to Boating Licence Course. During COVID times, we have to take extra precautions to ensure that we are doing all we can to run a safe course. Boating Licence Course operates with the understanding that all staff and students are currently vaccinated against COVID-19.

Trainers are to:

• Separate tables and chairs – allow for 1.5m distance between each student
• Ensure hand sanitiser is available for all staff and students at all times
• Use hand sanitizer and wash hands regularly
• No longer collect back student pens. The students have been asked to bring their own.
• Place a table between yourself and the students when doing paperwork. Ensure students keep at least 2 metres distance from staff at all times
• Ensure all attendees to complete the COVID tick box on the enrolment form
• Immediately remove any students feeling unwell or displaying signs of illness. Suspend course if necessary. If a student is coughing or has a runny nose, or appears sick, that student must be told to go home.

Q: If you have a student that has a runny nose, but says they are fine, what do you do?

Class venues and size for testing

Venue Criteria

The trainer is to arrange the room prior to students arriving. A good layout early will pay dividends when it comes to student concentration and control of the testing environment.

Look at the picture above...

• Admin Table: We can see the admin table at back of the room near exit so at the end of the course students have a direct exit path.
• Spacing: Tables have been spaced out. This stops talking during the test later.
• Screen: Placed close as possible to students (not in picture, but only 1.5m from front row)
• Projector: Placed on the front row so they person at the back is not too far from the screen.

Ideally, excess chairs and furniture should be removed or placed away but ready if required. The ideal layout will easily adapt later on to ensure testing conditions are met (spare tables may be used to ensure space for testing if required)

Q: What's the ideal room layout?

Testing materials for providers

Written Task Slides

Different people learn in different ways, some by listening, some by writing and some by doing. The goal of the student task slides is to achieve a change of tempo. They also get them to write down key info which helps them pass the test. This is done by allocation of silent time for the student to take the notes.

When these slides appear, the trainer is to walk away from the screen. This is a visual sign that time will be allocated for coping down the important notes/task. Give the students time and silence. If the trainer starts talking, the students will as well.

Q: Why are the student task slides important?

Student interaction & your story

A good trainer will be aware of the problematic test questions and incorporate the correct phrase of the answer in their teachings and stories as it'll help students pass.  These phrases are in red throughout the PowerPoint presentation.

Storytelling

A good story will change the tempo of the course. You should stand in a particular storytelling position, change your vocal range, speed etc.

The skillful trainers art of telling a successful story will:

• Emphasise the red points taught previously, and
• Have a real life example that may include a joke with the punchline being the test answer phrase.

Interaction

Early in the course, it's a good idea to ask students what boat they own/plan to purchase. It's good to do this because when you are teaching, this boat type can be discussed in reference to its safety equipment, lights, maximum speed etc. It adds a personal, consistent element to the course and helps facilitate student engagement.

When asking the group a question, ask a simple question that the majority of students will know the answer to. Throw your question to the group and step forward, listening to the answer.Identify your most interactive 'funny' student. Deliver the joke to him/her. When adding humour, deliver your punchline to the funniest guy in the room. If this person laughs, most likely the whole group will laugh.

A highly skilled trainer will develop and learn the skills to create a session full of different tempos, activities, tasks, and dialogue.  This is a learned ability that makes for a hugely enjoyable session. Perhaps consider a Toastmasters course.

• A good trainer watches the first interactions that the students have upon arrival. What's their first impression? How do they immediately feel about the trainer?
• A good trainer watches the first few minutes of delivery. These first moments should be well planned, rehearsed and refined to ensure the student immediately likes what they see.

Q: What do key red points in a premeditated story do for the course?

Upselling to PWC

Getting students to upgrade to the PWC licence at the course is beneficial for them, the company and you.

Trainers looking to earn some more pocket money can achieve this with a few small tweaks to their responses/stories about PWC.

Good ways to get the student to upgrade to PWC:

• Plant the 'seed' early on by mentioning how much fun jet skis are.
• During the PWC section, again reinforce the fun of jet skiing
• Reinforce the fun of PWC during the mid-break (the slide on PowerPoint will help you with this)
• During a story, consider adding in your 'personal fun experience' with a jet ski (make it up)
• Before conducting testing, mention how easy it is to upgrade today
  • Mention the time and cost savings
• During testing, when the student brings you their test, ask one final time if they'd like to upgrade.
  • Again, mention the time and cost savings.

As you can see, just a few small tweaks to how you mention PWC can result in you earning a decent bonus per course. Trainers should not discourage students from getting PWC, or voice their dislike of PWC's.

Remember, it is for your benefit to upgrade students to PWC.

Q: What's the best way to get students to upgrade to PWC? 

Wearing appropriate clothing

Trainers are required to wear appropriate clothing when delivering a course because what you wear sets the tone and level of expectation from the student. Wearing proper clothing also helps give you the authority and be seen as the correct person to deliver a quality course that they've paid a premium for.

You clothing will distinguish what type of trainer you are. If you wear 'sloppy' clothes, you'll lose authority in the eyes of the student. This is then exacerbated when it comes to making hard decisions at the end such as failing. They'll just see you as 'slop' and will not respect your position.

What to wear:

• Business pants
• Black, leather shoes (or boat shoes)
• Buttoned up business shirt or company issued shirt.

What not to wear:

• Hats
• Clothing with other company branding
• Sneakers, thongs
• Ripped/stained clothing

When teaching the course, your choice of clothing reflects your level of professionalism. Please wear the appropriate clothing when delivering a course.

Q: Why is wearing professional clothing important?