Recently, as in about 6 months ago, I began working as a trainer and staff developer at my place of work after only being with the organization for 6 months before the promotion. Sure I had learned a significant amount about the processes and policies that my organization follows, and yes, it is enough knowledge to teach it to new or recently hired employees, but I believed that I could do more. I believed that I could create trainings or additions to our current operational trainings that would allow for knowledge and functional skill retention.
My supervisor, who I'll refer to as Pink Boss because she loves pink, suggested that I take courses in Instructional Design as I set forth on the journey to turn our trainings into curriculum and re-evaluate the strategies we as a department use to teach trainees. Pink Boss recognized my need to be challenged and I found that place where challenge met work in the Instructional Design Grad Certificate at UW-Stout.
After completing my first quarter, where I learned the basics of Instructional Design and went through the process of creating instruction through a quarter-long project, I'm now working on refining my skills in Instructional Strategy and Assessment for this quarter. I find pleasure in applying what I'm learning in my classes into work, and I enjoy learning the theories and practices behind what I practice everyday.
