Typical two day training schedule

ctowndoula · 07-05-2007, 04:24 PM

I have to admit I am frustrated by the typically two day training format. I would love to do something different but the majority of the women I train are traveling to training from out of town.

I am also seeing many women who do not know much about childbirth so I am having to do a bit of CBE too.
I would love to do a once a week, saturdays for a month, etc.

I think it is just so hard to fit douladom into less than 16 hours

(given breaks and lunch and all).

Has anyone had sucess with doing something different or perhaps sucess with continuing the education process after the training?

DoulaCBE · 07-05-2007, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctowndoula

I have to admit I am frustrated by the typically two day training format. I would love to do something different but the majority of the women I train are traveling to training from out of town.

I am also seeing many women who do not know much about childbirth so I am having to do a bit of CBE too.
I would love to do a once a week, saturdays for a month, etc.

I think it is just so hard to fit douladom into less than 16 hours

(given breaks and lunch and all).

Has anyone had sucess with doing something different or perhaps sucess with continuing the education process after the training?

We do 2 1/2 day trainings. 1/2 day on a Friday evening, full day Saturday and Sunday.

We also require that students sit through a full series of childbirth ed classes and finish the reuqired reading before the workshop. Otherwise, as you've found, we spend too much time teaching CBE.

We've thought of the longer trainings spread out over a few weeks, but we haven't implimented it yet.

We also started (but it didn't take off) a yahoogroup for our students so they could network, share birth experiences/stories and hopefully have some good discussions. It didn't have the result I'd hoped though.

AussieDoula · 07-05-2007, 04:43 PM

I think that there is more to learn than 16 hours can adequately teach. I wish there was a way to offer a continuing type of once a week training over the course of a month, but you're right, it's somewhat impractical considering the amount of students who will likely travel from out of town to attend. I wonder at the merits of having some type of follow-up training/reunion?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctowndoula

Has anyone had sucess with doing something different or perhaps sucess with continuing the education process after the training?

I don't know about after the training (aside from the usual mentoring attitude where you remain open to answering questions and giving advice through emails/phone conversations), but having students complete required reading, attend a CBE class, and even submit an essay type paper or short exam before the training can help ensure they know the basics and are ready for what you plan on teaching.

ETA: I see that Angie basically said all that already, I had a few windows open and was typing really slowlyyyyy...

nocomparta · 07-05-2007, 04:52 PM

Are you making sure that they complete the pre-workshop study guide also? I know that really gets their head on for the training, and the new one covers a LOT of CAPPA stuff so you don't have to cover more than code and scope in the CAPPA segment. I also strongly suggest my students attend the CBE class and do at least 2 books from the required reading (one childbirth and one breastfeeding) before the training. Of course you always have those that register at the last minute so it's hard to keep that as a RULE. Hope that helps! (I also suggest emailing Ana Hill on the CAPPA LD list and pick her brain, she's a training genius, and one of our most successful)

AussieDoula · 07-05-2007, 05:12 PM

For furthering the education process after their training, you can always send them here to AllDoulas.

In fact, Tiffany made a fantastic flier that you can print out and distribute to your students if you like.

It's in the Resources section:
AllDoulas.com Handout for Training Binders

ctowndoula · 07-06-2007, 09:38 AM

I have tried the yahoo group list (yup, surprising no traffic). I am open to mentor some of my students so that isn't a problem. I do make them send in their pre-workshop study guide, strongly encourage them to attend their CBE, and require that they read at least one book on the required reading list...but I don't see very many really follow through. And, Val I do seem to get a lot of late sign ups.

I try very hard to focus my trainings on the stuff you don't get as well from books; demonstrating comfort measures, role playing interviews and prenatals, etc.
Perhaps it is a statement on the general knowledge that the majority of american women have regarding birth, perhaps it is that so much time is spent on dispelling myths and reinforcing facts. I would love to add on additional time for how to do research and how to really read a study. Maybe my problem is that I want to cover some of the next steps in doula education. I would love to have a training session and then a CEU session the next year when they have had a couple clients and can really talk about some of this stuff with more understanding!

And of course, I send them here! That goes without saying!

MothertheMother · 07-06-2007, 10:19 AM

Teri Shilling put together a binder for us Passion for Birth students that might work for what you are talking about. It is full of exercises etc to do that will help on the journey to becoming a cbe. Some are quite specific to teaching and some are more general in discovering your own path etc. Maybe creating something like this could work for what you are talking about? I would leave it up to the trainees to complete on their own...if they really want to learn they'll use the tool. I'd love to see something like this!!

ctowndoula · 07-06-2007, 01:04 PM

Now that is a wonderful idea.

Sounds like a lot of work though.

MothertheMother · 07-06-2007, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctowndoula

Now that is a wonderful idea.

Sounds like a lot of work though.

But you'd only have to do it once! Maybe you could just do it on the computer and keep it in disk format so all you have to do is make new copies to hand out. That'd be a lot better than making photo copies and putting together binders for every new trainee. A bunch of you trainers should get together... might not be so bad if it was a combined effort.

DL · 07-06-2007, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctowndoula

Now that is a wonderful idea.

Sounds like a lot of work though.

Tamara.... I believe that Christy is talking about the PfB Learning Task Journal. If you'd like to see mine sometime just to have a better understanding of what she's suggesting, just let me know! I'm not sure, but Catie *might* have one as well.

DL · 07-06-2007, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctowndoula

I would love to have a training session and then a CEU session the next year when they have had a couple clients and can really talk about some of this stuff with more understanding!

Although I've been doula-ing for four years now, if you were to ever have an Advanced Doula training class of some sort, I'd come (those CEUs would be great, too)! I know that I'm FAR from knowing everything and am just a sponge wanting to learn more!

You also know that I'm always up for a good discussion!

Lworzzer · 07-12-2007, 05:54 PM

I've offered DONA-Approved Birth doula trainings for eleven years. In that time, I've taught a series of once a week trainings, two, two and 1/2 and three day trainings.

What works best for us is an intro day (cbe) followed by a two and 1/2 day seminar. I generally offer it beginning on Wednesday (cbe day), and then Thursday, Friday and nine to noon on Saturday.

That extra 1/2 day gives us such a tremendous advantage - more hands on, ability to delve deeper into topics, etc. None of the participants has expressed any concerns about the length of the training.

I always create a separate yahoogroup for doulas that attend each workshop and that has been tremendously successful in providing mentoring as well as encouraging doulas to continue to nurture friendships made in the initial workshop.

I also teach an Advanced training with one of the CNMs in the area that helps bring doulas back together to share tips, etc.

DoulaCBE · 07-12-2007, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctowndoula

Now that is a wonderful idea.

Sounds like a lot of work though.

I didn't do CAPPA training for birth doula, but I know that our DONA trainees get a big three ring binder full of stuff that DONA has put togetehr and the trainer adds to it as she sees fit as well.

It's a great reference to have.

betterbirths · 07-12-2007, 06:56 PM

When I took my doula training (DONA) it was three full days long. Plus one extra day if you needed the CBE. We also got a three ring binder full of stuff and masters for handouts and client agreements and stuff. I don't know how it could have been done in two days. I felt like 3 was barely enough.

ctowndoula · 07-27-2007, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoulaCBE

I didn't do CAPPA training for birth doula, but I know that our DONA trainees get a big three ring binder full of stuff that DONA has put togetehr and the trainer adds to it as she sees fit as well.

It's a great reference to have.

CAPPA does have their manual that I pass out and I use to do a "supplemental" manual on my own. I am in the midst of switching over to CD-ROMS instead. I have many things in PDF format that I hand out on CDs, but still some paper too. So far, students have liked being able to just print off stuff that I give them instead of having to copy it.

The idea was to have something to guide along for continueing education at a basic level. Perhaps, topic sheets to fill in or research ideas with some sources. I would love to work on this but now just isn't the time for me work on it. I am thinking about adding a CBE portion and making the training three days. I really do love spending the extra time, getting to sit and talk about birth for three day...sounds fun to me.