The Pre-K CLASS Observation PowerPoint presenter notes, starting with Training Video 3 (Cars and Latters Stamping) states:
Once everyone has finished, review as a group the dimensions where most people were off by more than 1 and read the summary statements in the justification.
The presenter notes for videos four and five include the same instruction. This has led many of us to only discuss dimensions within training videos where there are some participants off by more than one from the master code. When everyone is in agreement (all of the participants within “1” of the master code) it is tempting to just move on to the next dimension.
A couple of thoughts about why our training materials state that: one reason— skipping a deeper discussion is often a “time saver.” If the pacing of your training has gotten a bit behind, this is admittedly a moment where, if everyone is feeling comfortable the trainer could quickly move on. Another reason, as one of my colleagues said in a moment of humor: “It can feel like you are “beating a dead...well, you know.” We have all been there—as our participants start to appear fatigued, we feel an urgency to complete the video discussion. After all, they could read the Master Code Justification later, after the training, right? Truth is, the best time to clarify the MCJ’s is while your participants are still there with you.
I encourage you, as trainers, to go ahead and have a dimension discussion, even when all of your participants are within “1” of the master code. The most compelling reason: any given participant may be reliable, but for the wrong reasons. By encouraging a deeper discussion about the dimension, and asking participants to share what evidence is present that led them to that reliable code, you as the trainer are continuing to check for understanding. So, what to say when everyone is reliable? I just go ahead, and say something like, “Awesome! Everyone is reliable! Let’s talk about what evidence we saw in this dimension that led us to that code.”
By still encouraging that discussion, you will be able to listen to, and sort participants’ evidence into the correct indicators, which supports them in that all-important step in the coding process. Plus, even when everyone is with “1” of the master code, I often hear evidence shared that fits better in other dimensions. These discussions will continue to deepen the participant’s knowledge as they progress through the videos. So go ahead, enjoy those dimension discussions, it is worth the extra effort!
