Our train-the-trainer seminar: Packing the method suitcase

On Sunday, August 1, we started at Berlin's main train station: A colorful group of Costa Ricans, Germans and young people from the Visioneers Vacation School, in which only a few knew each other, set off for the guesthouse Gussow in Brandenburg. After a turbulent ride, including a missed train connection and a bus that kindly waited 20 minutes for us, we excitedly checked into our rooms. To everyone's delight, a Visioneers team was already on site and had baked mountains of waffles for us. The mood was further lightened by one or the other energetic get-to-know-you game!

In the afternoon, we started the train-the-trainer seminar, which was about getting to know methods and strategies to be able to give exciting and instructive seminars ourselves in the future. The breaks between the seminar units were used to play volleyball or to enjoy the sun at the lake and in the evening the day ended with a campfire and singing Spanish, German and English songs together.

The second day of the seminar started with a sociable breakfast, sometimes a lot of coffee and a following mindfulness exercise in the forest, in which one person should be blindly guided by the other and should recognize a tree, which at first resembles any other tree, by feeling it. Why not start the day with a firm tree hug? This gave us a practical insight into a method from experiential education.

Over the course of the day, we learned about avalanche methods, 3-corner and 5-finger feedback, scale questions, flashlights, world cafés and much more, equipping us with new knowledge about the trainer role. Thanks to Meike's creative methods and the good weather, learning was easy and in the evening the Costa Ricans shared their Salsa knowledge with us. Of course, we all met again that evening at the campfire and reflected on the day together over stick bread.

On the last day, after breakfast, another seminar unit was introduced, in which it was a matter of putting together a seminar plan ourselves and getting to know various feedback methods, reflecting on the material of the last few days and reviewing the time spent together. Intercultural friendships had formed and at the end the good weather was used once again and a barbecue was held. For the participants of the Train-The-Trainer seminar it was now time to say goodbye! It was a great time, in which each individual was able to acquire new experiences and skills, but the team was also strengthened as a unit and everyone certainly had a lot of fun!