| BEFORE THEY LEAVE:CLOSERS FOR VIRTUAL TRAINING |
| As a virtual or in-person training comes to an end, it is important to provide closure to the session. Closers summarize key topics, tie the content together, and help trainees develop a plan for application (Meiss & McCallum, 2007). Much of the impact of training may be lost if presenters fail to include a closer to the session. Try one of these brief closers at an upcoming virtual training: |
 A Round Tuit: A round tuit is a flat, circle-shaped object that serves as a reminder to the owner that she planned to do something. Using an image of a round tuit, ask participants to share one new strategy that they will “get around to” implementing in their work with children and families. Pack Your Bag: Using an image of a suitcase (or a diaper bag!), invite trainees to share the most important idea or strategy from the training that they will pack to take back to their daily work. Stuck in the Mud: Ask participants to share one idea that will stick with them. In a virtual training, trainees may communicate their closing ideas in a variety of ways. They may unmute to speak or type in the chat. Talking with a few other participants in a breakout room may be effective, as well as using the text annotation tool to type a response on a whiteboard. The key is to provide closure before trainees click the leave button. |