What is Role-Based Training? & How to Incorporate it in New Teacher Training

“No matter how he may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world.” ~ Frances Willard

Hiring new teachers and giving them the support they need to stay in their jobs is a top priority for assistant superintendents and school districts around the country. The ongoing teacher shortage has proven to be a challenge when it comes to providing students with the learning experiences they deserve.

At Alludo, we know that an onboarding system that includes new teacher training can help increase teacher retention while also acting as an onramp for hiring. It’s for that reason that we have included many learning activities and paths that are relevant to new teacher training in our content catalog, including topics that supplement role-based training. Here’s what you need to know about incorporating role-based training into new teacher training.

Table of Contents

1. What is Role-Based Training?
   1. Benefits of Role-Based Training
2. How Does Role-Based Training Work for New Teachers and District Employees?
   1. Provides Teachers with Content Applicable to Their Roles
   2. May Be Most Effective When Delivered Virtually
   3. Implements Reinforcement and Evaluation as Part of Ongoing PD
   4. Incorporates Role-Play and Classroom Simulations
   5. Can Apply to Teachers, Staff, Counselors, I.T., and More
   6. Allows for Creative Training Solutions
3. Is Role-Based Training Effective for New Teachers and Staff?
4. Alludo’s Take

What is Role-Based Training?

Role-based training is a term that refers to a set of learning activities that provide personnel (in this case teachers) with focused, hands-on training to help them acquire the specific skills and knowledge to excel in the classroom. The idea behind it is that people often learn best when they are given the opportunity to perform the skills they are learning as they learn.

In practice, role-based training is tailored to specific job roles and assigned duties. For example, a teacher might learn how to use Google Classroom by preparing an assignment or entering grades for students’ work. They might also use a role-based training program to acquire problem-solving skills that they can apply in the classroom.

Benefits of Role-Based Training

School districts who incorporate role-based training into teacher onboarding can reap many benefits that can help them overcome the challenges of hiring and retaining new teachers.

Higher Training ROI

Investing in teacher training is most worthwhile when school districts and assistant superintendents believe that it will reduce their costs in the long term. Role-based training equips new teachers with the hands-on, practical experience they need to step into the classroom with confidence and, once in place, requires little in the way of ongoing expenditures. It sets new teachers up for success, thus minimizing the risk of teacher turnover and saving school districts the expense of additional hiring and training to fill empty positions.

Reduced Ramp-Up Time

In addition to giving you a higher ROI on training, role-based training can also help you get new teachers up to speed as quickly as possible. Without hands-on experience, teachers are more likely to need follow-up help as they run into complications or problems with classroom tools and school procedures. With it, they’ll enter the classroom prepared to meet all challenges.

Improved Problem-Solving Skills

All teachers encounter problems in the course of their work and one of the most valuable skills a teacher can have is the ability to think through problems as they arise and figure out how to solve them. Role-based training provides new teachers with the chance to improve their problem-solving skills in real time.

Higher Engagement

Teachers are most likely to be engaged when their training is both practical and relevant to their time in the classroom. Because role-based training focuses on necessary skills, learners find it useful and participate enthusiastically.

Fills Skill Gaps

One of the biggest benefits of role-based training is that it can help trainers identify a new teacher’s strengths and weaknesses and provide hands-on training to fill skill gaps. Instead of trying to guess where teachers need the most help, role-based training allows teachers to get their hands dirty–and then gives them the tools they need to connect with their students.

Direct, Personalized Training

Finally, role-based learning offers new teachers the chance to participate in direct and personalized training that’s tailored to their needs. They can work on acquiring new skills and get help with anything they might not already know for their job function.

How Does Role-Based Training Work for New Teachers and District Employees?

Before you implement role-based training in your school district, let’s review how it works.

Provides Teachers with Content Applicable to Their Roles

When you implement role-based training in your district, the first rule is to focus on providing teachers with hands-on, practical training that’s directly relevant to their specific roles. The training they receive should prepare them for the classroom and set them up for success.

May Be Most Effective When Delivered Virtually

Role-based training may happen in person or virtually, but it may be at its most effective when it is delivered virtually in a setting that allows for interaction between trainees. The interactive element makes it possible for new teachers to learn both from their trainers and one another, while the online setting prioritizes convenience and accessibility.

Implements Reinforcement and Evaluation as Part of Ongoing PD

Ongoing evaluation is an essential part of role-based training because even when all new teachers are educated and licensed, they may need help in different areas. A combination of trainer assessment and self-assessment may be used to make sure that new teachers receive the reinforcement and/or additional training they need.

Incorporates Role-Play and Classroom Simulations

Role-based training should incorporate role playing, as its name suggests. When new teachers have the opportunity to simulate classroom situations during training, they can apply their training in real time and get a hands-on opportunity to use it and correct mistakes or improve their performance as they go.

Can Apply to Teachers, Staff, Counselors, I.T., and More

Role-based training is ideal for new teachers but may also be used by any new hire in any position within the school system. Office staff, counselors, aides, IT staff, and more can all use role-based training to prepare for their time in school and with students.

Allows for Creative Training Solutions

It’s impossible to anticipate every potential situation that a teacher could encounter, but role-based training allows for creative training that goes beyond what teachers can learn in a traditional onboarding program. It gives them the opportunity to think on their feet and apply their problem-solving skills.

Is Role-Based Training Effective for New Teachers and Staff?

New teachers and staff all need training to make sure that they’re equipped for their time in the classroom or in the office. Proper training helps them prepare to interact and connect with students. It can help to minimize anxiety in their new roles. Here are some of the reasons that role-based training is effective for new personnel:

• It provides hands-on opportunities to engage problem-solving skills. Problem solving is a skill that can be taught but may not come naturally to everybody. New teachers and staff can have an opportunity to address problems and develop the skills they need to solve both the problem presented and any future problems that may arise in the course of their jobs. Role-based training content should focus on problem solving and include instruction about the specific skills teachers can put into practice when faced with any unexpected problem or situation.
• It provides personalized training to help teachers and staff meet current and future goals. With the help of an initial assessment, training can be personalized to help new teachers and staff to develop existing skills or learn new ones. In this way, it’s an essential part of training because it can bridge skill gaps and minimize the risk that teachers will enter the classroom lacking the training that can help them connect with students and deliver the best possible learning outcomes.
• It boosts engagement and productivity. Role-based training may be delivered virtually and is thus accessible, meaning that your new hires won’t be faced with obstacles that might prevent them from getting the training they need. It’s also more engaging than other types of training because it is personalized. Teachers can get the help they need to build new skills, as noted above. It can also boost their productivity by making them comfortable with classroom technologies and tools before they enter the classroom for the first time.
• It’s adaptable. Well-designed role-based training doesn’t need a lot of ongoing maintenance but it has the benefit of being highly adaptable to changing needs in your district. For example, role-based training would have been helpful for teachers at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing them with hands-on Zoom training to get them up to speed for distance learning.

Alludo’s Take

At Alludo Learning, we understand the power of role-based learning and have included many topics in our Alludo content catalog that can supplement role-based training for new teachers and staff.

We provided a teacher onboarding system for the Yucaipa Calimesa JUSD for substitute teachers that used personalized, standardized onboarding in an asynchronous format. The result was an accessible and engaging system that got substitute teachers up to speed quickly and ultimately, became an onramp for new teacher hiring. We can do the same for your school district.

Incorporate Role-Based New Teacher Training in Your District with Alludo

Role-based training is one of the best ways we know to provide new teachers and other school staff with onboarding that’s practical, accessible, and relevant to their time in the classroom and with students.

Do you want to incorporate role-based training into new teacher training in your school district? Alludo can help you! Click here to get your free trial of our learning platform, Madagascar, with topics to supplement role-based training included.