Explain like they're 5 year-olds

By Anonymous - 05/09/2013 06:57 - United States - Tallahassee

Today, I was asked to dumb myself down so the people I was training could comprehend what I was saying. FML
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You deserved it 7 012
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Top comments

Pleonasm 35

Look, if you're trying to teach preschoolers what the difference between a prepositional phrase and a subordinate clause is, you're going about this wrong.

162 4

Comments

ozpunker 20

I'm not sure if this is an fml. Sometimes people try and explain things too in depth.

0 0
friedpwnadge 25

But apparently it can affect your job.

24 1
AKGirlinSD 20

3, No you can't. At my last job, I was required, quite often, to send emails out to all 200+ employees, nationwide. My boss took me to the side, after I had sent out my third one, and said I needed to word the emails as if a five-year-old was reading them. Apparently, an employee freaked out because she didn't know the difference bewteen "advice" and "advise." Sadly, that was just one of the hundreds of reasons. Ugh!

14 0
ApologyKick 25

If we can't fix stupid, what is the "No Child Left Behind" policy going to help with?

10 3
SymphonyGrrl 12

They should learn YOUR vocabulary. You shouldn't have to dumb down to them!

83 12
boredinjp 15

The OP's job is to train them. If she is talking over their heads she's not training them, so she's not doing her job.

57 2
nightbirdblue 27

For all we know, OP could be using advanced technical terms or words that people don't . Instead of saying that people should take notes of what they are saying with pen or pencil to be able to remember it later, OP could be saying "You should inscribe this correspondence with the writing implement of your desires to enhance your ability to recall the things I have instilled later."

37 1
Jemm_fml 29

Actually yes, OP should make it simpler. It's their job to teach, not pontify fancy jargon over people's heads. That requires keeping with the students' pace.

25 2
ryanpreiss 17

I guess my only thought is... does OP use the same language for posting and teaching?

9 1
ThatFancyPenn 18

No I think that OP should dumb things down because they're paying to be trained, so they'd expect the best out of it.

3 1
Zebediabolical 39

It's going to lower the bar to the stupid.

0 0
Pleonasm 35

Look, if you're trying to teach preschoolers what the difference between a prepositional phrase and a subordinate clause is, you're going about this wrong.

162 4
sjbartholome 14

or teach a preschooler how to prove the Mean Value Theorem

2 16
ElementaryEdGuy 18

Actually, I think that's in the new common core standards. :P

4 1
NoFlippinWai 24

I understand how you feel, but you have to learn your audience. It will make you a better teacher and trainer... and perhaps better at your own job. It may suck now, but it will payoff in the end.

62 5
SuperSofie 23

Really depends on what you have to teach them and who it is that needs teaching...

25 0
lonewolf658 6

Don't sweat it OP, they should expand their inadequate vocabulary

7 16
ohro 10

Maybe you guys should find new people to train that don't need to have someone "dumb down" to understand

8 20
your_ma 27

Nothing like intellectual snobbery. Not everyone is intelligent as you but the point is they're on some sort of training or education course with you so they're trying to learn. Maybe give them a little more credit and respect instead of making fun of them for being stupid? No?

68 4