Training
Closing the Training
Put Closure on the Content of the Training
Participants should experience a sense of closure with the content of the training. For example:
- Ask for a volunteer to summarize the key take-home messages.
- Conduct games that review concepts or information learned during the training.
- Do a post-test.
- Develop an action plan describing how the participants will use the new knowledge, attitudes or skills.
- Review expectations from the beginning of the training, and ask if all have been met.
- Address any lingering questions or concerns.
Put Closure on the Emotional Component of the Training
Trainings where there has been significant personal sharing or where participants have formed strong emotional bonds need closure so that participants are not left with unfinished feelings. Examples of ways to put some closure on the emotions that were generated by the training include:
- Take a group photo.
- Have participants stand in a circle and say one thing they have appreciated about the other participants. A variation is to have people write comments on small pieces of paper and put their contributions in cups marked with each participant’s name. This strategy works best when participants have been together over a two- to three-day training or are part of a group who meets over several months.
- Give participants an opportunity to plan a reunion or another time to get back together. Again, this strategy is most appropriate for groups that have met over time or where deep bonding has occurred.
- Give certificates of participation or completion.
