Today was Day Two of our TAGteach certification seminar and it was definitely a bit more hands-on than yesterday. It really felt like we had learned the theory behind TAGteaching on Day One so it made sense that we would jump right in today. We started discussing Doggone Safe and the Be a Tree program, which teaches children to stand perfectly still whenever they feel threatened by a dog. We came up with our own versions of this and presented them through TAGteaching others in the class.
Theresa and Joan had wonderful ways of teaching children how to Be a Tree in a larger classroom setting that I had never thought about after almost two years of doing this. I love when new information is shared and we can all benefit. Joan said something that resonated with me this weekend – something along the lines of “I love positive trainers – nowhere else will you see this gathering and sharing of ideas.” and it is so true. When I was a compulsion trainer, working at All About Pets and all those other shows…you don’t make eye contact with your competition. You work hard to garner more attention to your company and bring in more clients. There is no knowledge sharing.
As a positive trainer, you have an instant family and they’re good people with good hearts. You’re no longer “competition” – instead you are colleagues who share knowledge, collaborate on projects, refer clients, get to know and care about each other, support each other in times of need and applaud each other in times of success.
This weekend really showed that. Sitting there with Andre, Marlo, Heather, Janis, really drove it home and being a crossover trainer was truly reinforced for me.
I digress…
Midway through the day, we split off into groups and started working on our own projects which were based on whatever we wanted to utilize TAGteach for, once leaving the seminar. I had too many ideas and my head was full (not just because of the head cold either!) but I settled on one – teaching guardians to use proper body language when faced with a reactive dog. It was similar to our “Be a Tree” program but I wanted to gear it more towards adults and take it a step further. It was interesting to work through this with my group and think aloud while I navigated through the road map, or the “funnel” as we call it. Once I got into the groove, it was so much easier to take any behaviour and fit it into this “script” using all the tools that were given to us this weekend.
I was able to explain the lesson (why we’re doing this), give the directions (how we’re doing this) and clarify a TAGpoint (which specific behaviour I want to shape/capture), and then use tools like self-TAGging, TAG the teacher, and focus on the Point of Success.
It all sounds very methodical…and you’re right, if that’s what you’re thinking. with TAGteach the goal is to remove the emotion and “fluff” from teaching a specific behaviour. Sometimes we get so caught up in the “ooooohhhh good job!”, “come on – let’s try again!”, “yes, that’s it!”, and then explaining things over and over to no avail. With TAGteaching, you break down a behaviour, give specific directions, and then TAG the desired behaviour. You acquire the skill, practice it to fluency, generalize it, and maintain it. Sound familiar? Those are the four stages of learning. You can’t argue with science. ; )
When you remove this emotion and “fluff”, you get uninterrupted learning, focus, and faster/more accurate success. It sounds cold, but now that I’ve experienced it, it’s the most respectful way to learn and to teach. It’s clear. I wouldn’t want to learn any other way.
When I was the “learner” in practice exercises this weekend, I have to admit that I felt so much more calm and collected. I felt like I could compartmentalize everything in my brain and simply focus on the one task. Once it was quickly accomplished through practicing the TAGpoint, I got my reinforcement (“good job!”) and we moved on to the next behaviour. The process was so quick that I felt like I could learn to be a golfer or a snowboarder or even a gymnast in one weekend.
What did I learn? So much…but one thing that I took away was ‘structure’. If I structure my teaching, my learners can be more successful. By trying to multitask as I do, I’m polluting the process, causing confusion and asking too much. If I break down the learning and make it simple, the process is much faster and much more successful.
Mirkka once told me that while I’m clicker training, I should shut up. I finally understand. Yes, Mirkka. I will shut up. ; )
This weekend was a dream. Learning so much from such brilliant people. The compassion, passion, knowledge, skills, and humour that Joan and Theresa have are not only admirable but contagious. I am so blessed to have met these women and to be so fortunate to learn from them.
I already feel like a better teacher.
Links
TAGteaching a child to tie shoes
TAGteaching hula dancing (it’s not just for kids!)
