Train the Trainer Program

The Timber Framers Guild has launched a new program designed to support instructors and prospective instructors at Community Building Projects, workshops, and Rendezvous. This Train the Trainer Program, funded in part by the Historic Preservation Education Foundation, will give Guild instructors additional tools and resources to teach adult learners as they pursue their timber framing journey. 

As a pilot, the Guild offered training at our recent Western Rendezvous, testing our newly developed material on a small cohort of leaders and instructors. We will offer two additional limited training sessions in 2026: one at the upcoming TimberFest in New Hampshire, and a second at the Upper Midwest Rendezvous in Michigan. 

This training benefits current and future instructors, so whether you've been teaching for years or are considering applying to teach through the Guild, we encourage you to join us this year or next! Our curriculum covers safe work practice and the tenets of timber frame instruction, which many Guild members have experience teaching, but also units on teaching adult learners, building connections, approaches to constructive and productive feedback, and more. 

Learn more about the grant and its purpose, or read on to learn more about this program's curriculum. 

Train-the-Trainer Program Curriculum Planning

Program Overview
The Train the Trainer Program directly supports this goal by developing standardized instructor materials and providing structured training by seasoned timber framers who are also professional educators. This effort elevates instructional quality, increases teaching consistency across the Guild, and ensures that the next generation of instructors is prepared to teach the technical, craft, and safety competencies required for the preservation of historic timber structures.

Audience

• Current instructors
• Prospective instructors
• Guild members transitioning into leadership roles

Curriculum Structure

• Introduction: The Role of a Guild Instructor & Outline of Program
• Module 1: Leadership, Communication, Accessibility
• Module 2: Teaching Skills to Adult Learners
• Module 3: Safety Leadership & Risk Assessment
• Technical Teaching Practicum/Assessment/Feedback
   

Introduction: The Role of a Guild Instructor and Outline of Program

Objective: 

• Understand the responsibilities and expectations of Guild instructors

Topics

• Welcome
• Background on the Guild’s Community Building Program
  • Mission and vision of the Guild
  • Educational goals of Community Building Program
• Overview: Project manager, instructor, crew leader roles
• Overview: Ethical conduct and professionalism
• Overview: Working with host organizations and municipalities
• Overview: Representing the Guild publicly 
  • Communications guidance
  • Representing the Guild’s mission and values
  • Public speaking/media communications basics

Module 1: Leadership, Communication, Accessibility

Objectives: 

• Build confident, empathetic leadership presence
• Engage participants from across the spectrum
• Develop relationships with and among participants
• Understand different learning styles and how to engage them
• Give constructive feedback and guidance

Topics:

• Introduction to Module & Icebreaker
• TFG Intentions for Community
  • Inclusion & Exclusion
  • Underrepresented Communities
  • Code of Conduct Introduction
• Accountability & Integrity
  • Intention vs. Impact
  • Accountability Exercise
  • After Action Review
• Stress Support
• Feedback
• Responding to Incidents
  • Framing the Incident
  • Response Map Options
• Debrief & Decompression
  • Reflections
  • Forward Commitment
    

Module 2: Teaching Skills to Adult Learners

Objectives:

• Learn how adults learn – and how to teach them effectively
• Develop structured approaches to technical instruction
• Balance education with partner obligation for production

Part 1: Teaching Fundamentals
Topics: 

• Principles of adult learning
• Identifying, engaging with, and managing different learning styles
• Teaching mixed experience levels

Part 2: Technical Content 
Topics:

• Approaches and strategies for teaching core skills
• Instruction Techniques
  • Chalk talks
  • Demonstrations
  • Repetition
  • Learn it/teach it

Part 3: Managing Workflow
Topics:

• Breaking projects into teachable tasks/education modules
• Student rotation planning
• Maintaining focus and morale during repetitive tasks

Module 3: Safety Leadership & Risk Assessment

Objective:

• Create a culture of safety while maintaining momentum of both educational and building objectives

Topics:

• Safety Leadership vs. Safety Compliance
• The TFG Safety System: How the Pieces Fit Together
  • OSHA Construction Standards
  • The Method Statement
  • The Field Level Hazard Assessment
  • The Incident Report Form
• Pre-Build Site Assessment: The Four Workplace Elements
  • Environment, Equipment, Process, People
  • FLHA Hazard Control Verification
  • Documentation
• Daily Risk Assessment: The A+B+C=D Method
  • Severity (A) + Frequency (B) + Probability (C) = Significance (D)
  • The hierarchy of controls
  • Morning safety briefing
• The Lifted Load Environment
• The Raise: Managing Peak Risk at Peak Fatigue
• First Aid Readiness in the Field
• Incident Response & Reporting
• Building Safety Culture On-Site
  

Assessment & Feedback

• Assessment: Teaching clarity
• Assessment: Safety leadership
• Assessment: Communications
• Assessment: Professional conduct

Join Us!

To ensure accessibility, registration for upcoming sessions is just $100, which will be waived if you're attending TimberFest or the Upper Midwest Rendezvous. Contact Allison or Valkyrie at the Guild office to sign up or for more information!