PROFILE
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF ARMY INSTRUCTORS Regimental Sergeant Major Sarah Cox, ASLS
supported, and the Army can benefit from their talents. As the Army Sergeant Major Gavin Paton (the British
Army’s most senior soldier, as distinct from officer) says: “People aren’t in the Army, they are the Army.”
TWITTER #ARMYCONFIDENCE
Read Col Bradley Kilpatrick’s paper, Design and Implementation of Adolescent Learning Strategies, at
bit.ly/KilpatrickResearch
I joined the Army aged 16 as a chef. Having received expert instruction from both military and civilian chef instructors, I qualified with a Level 3 in Catering and Hospitality. Part of the chef trade within the Army allowed
CASE STUDY SHARING IDEAS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING Lieutenant Colonel Frank Cannon, Commanding Officer of ASLS Pirbright
While many of the recent and ongoing reforms in Army training are about alignment with civilian practice, there remain significant differences. “When I joined 33 years ago, the Army didn’t take much notice of the ways that people learn,” says Lt Col Cannon. “So a lot of what we are doing now is about coming into line with the civilian sector.” That said, there is an holistic approach to Army training that is rare in civilian further education provision.
“One thing that the Army does is to look at the ways to improve people professionally and personally, with one eye on what they are going to do after leaving the Army,” says Lt Col Cannon. “We talk a lot about core values in the Army because it helps bond teams together, and we want our trainers not just to teach but to be role models.” Lt Col Cannon says that Army trainer training focuses on three areas: supporting the
professional development of trainers; equipping staff to develop mental resilience among recruits; and offering coaching and mentoring to support young soldiers. While the FE sector continues to markedly improve professional development for teachers and trainers, it generally lags behind the Army in mental resilience training, as well as coaching and mentoring for learners and staff. “We are keen to share what we do and to understand what others do. There is a huge amount that we can learn from each other,” says Lt Col Cannon.
me to enter many local and national culinary competitions. It was here, when I was mentoring the younger students through the competitions, I was approached by a civilian instructor who asked if I’d thought about becoming an Army Chef instructor. He saw something in me that I did not see myself. I felt I did not have the confidence to teach. However, I completed the instructors’ course and became a Basic Chef Instructor. Attending the Defence Train The Trainer (DTTT) course at ASLS, I had an excellent Warrant Officer instructor who was a role model for me and showed me the opportunities that instructing could bring. It was my first introduction into coaching and mentoring. Instructor development within the Army has
increased and improved. It is something that the Army does very well, and there are more opportunities to gain qualifications as an instructor. Through the Army, I have achieved QTLS status with SET, and have gained in confidence. As an instructor manager, it is great to see how
the Army mentors the new instructors coming through the pipeline. The courses that are on offer for instructors develop them in all areas including leadership, technology and safe-guarding, to name but a few. I owe a lot to the civilian instructor I mentioned earlier who saw my potential before I did. He nurtured me into the role and job that I am doing today, and for that I will always be forever grateful. Thank you Mr Mike Allen.
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