Sharing a skill

Skills Training Plan
Preparation	Skill	Making a halter
	Objective     Learner group	Trainees will learn to tie a temporary halter for sheep, goat or calf Bagamoyo Farmers' Group, 8 farmers expected
	Where and when	Bagamoyo – Mr Ali’s farm, 4/5/95 10am-12 noon
	Equipment needed	8 lengths of rope, 2 metres long, 7-10mm in diameter. 8 sheep or goats
Presentation	INTRODUCTION	Very useful for examining young animals, when vaccinating, giving treatment or when taking young animals to market	5mins
	DEMONSTRATION	Demonstrate twice	30 mins
	Learning stages   1. Choosing a rope	Key points   *A rope 2 metres minimum in length, and 7mm to 10 mm diameter *The rope must not be too thin or it will rub painfully on the animal
	2. Tie the end loop	Make the loop as small and as near the end as possible
	3. Tie the inner loop	*The correct distance between the loops varies with the size of animal; about 120mm for a small sheep or goat; 150-180mm for large calves
	4. Complete the halter	*Thread the other end of the rope through the end loop first, then through the inner loop
	5. Understand the parts of the halter	*The rope between the loop knots is called the ‘fixed band’; it cannot lengthen or shorten *The rope with which you can lead the animal is called the ‘lead rein’
	6. Understand how the halter fits on the animal	*The ‘fixed band’ must go over the nose, not under the jaw. If it goes under the jaw breathing maybe constricted. *From the lead rein the rope first goes under the jaw, not over the skull. The halter is then less likely to slip. *The handler generally stands next to the left of the animal, so the ‘lead rein’ must come from the left.
	Trainee Practice	Group work in pairs	70 mins
	Assessment	Check each halter when completed	5mins
	Conclusion	Farmers should repeat the learning stages and key points. Remind the trainees that this halter is only for temporary use	10mins

1. If you are holding a group discussion on skills sharing, try this role play. Ask four participants to act out two different situations. In each, an instructor is teaching a learner how to make a pot of tea. Don’t tell the other participants about the roles being played.

• An army sergeant instructing a new recruit
• A mother instructing a 6 year old child

Afterwards discuss the role play. Can other participants guess the roles that were being played? What were the differences between the two situations – even though both were about the same skill? How did they differ in manner, in the words used, in speed, in the assumptions made, in body language?

2. Think of a training situation that group members may face in the future; perhaps with a farmer’s group, a group of community health workers, or a group of school children. What information do they, as trainers, need to have about the learner group to help plan the training? List the information needed.

3. Discuss the following objectives. Are they good or bad? Why? Do they satisfy the points made above?

• To teach the group about welding.
• To change the front wheel on a tractor.
• The learners will be able to take the temperature of a child.
• To show the trainees how to bud-graft citrus seedlings using the T method.
• The learners will be able to pick out eggplant seedlings from seedbed into trays, at a rate of 45 a minute with 9 out of 10 seedlings surviving.

4. Ask each participant to write their own Skills Training Plan on any skill they want to share. Such skills can be on any subject – health, agriculture, forestry, building, craft work, etc. Let each person instruct another group member in this skill. After each instruction, discuss as a group both the good points and anything that could be improved.