Behavior analysts learn to train others with a procedure called Behavior Skills Training (BST). Part of implementing BST is modeling for the person learning how to implement the skill. Now the usual problem with this strategy is the trainer might have the right letters after their name, but can’t actually work with a person, and/or can’t model the skill well. Of course, that training is ineffective.
But the opposite problem can happen, too. If the trainer is too skilled and is able to do amazing things, it can easily intimidate a new person. Parents or staff who are trying to learn a skill instantly think things like, “I could never do that.” They can become afraid to try, and give up too quickly. Even if the person learning isn’t too intimidated to try, they may attempt to copy fine points that aren’t critical for task at hand, and training can take much too long. Engelmann warned us about this problem.
Of course, we want trainers to be great implementers. But it is important to try to remember what it was like to be new to a skill. Often, people who have been doing this a long time and are very skilled have forgotten what it’s like to be a learner. It is hard to not model everything you know, but only what the learner needs to learn.
You can improve your training skills by remembering what it’s like to be a learner. You do that by constantly putting yourself in the position of being a learner. You need to do that anyway, because if you aren’t trying to learn new things, you aren’t on a Poogi.