Re: [Paddlewise] teaching styles and gender

From: Dave Flory <daflory_at_pacbell.net>
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2001 15:38:39 -0800
In attending many, many physical how to do it classes from CPR, thru'
Aikido and Motorcycling to Kayaking and having instructed in the first
three, I have observed that there are at least 3 types of learning/
learners. Some people learn well from the spoken/written word. Usually I
think these have a very good imagination, and extrapolate from the
written/spoken description a mental movie of themselves doing the act.
Some learn well from watching the task done in front of them. Others
learn physical things only by actually doing the task, sometimes with
actual physical manipulation of the student to make their parts move
thru' the right sequence of positions. I am a type who is not naturally
athletic or graceful but through great mental effort and hours and hours
of first slooooww, then medium, then normal speed moves can learn to
perform with grace and economy of movement. It took me years to learn
relatively subltle moves in Aikido, that some picked up very quickly. My
experience tells me that some people who learn more slowly may understand
and remember what they've learned better than some who are instant
learners. (I like to tell myself that, anyway.)  :-)  

One of the best indicators of the quality of instruction in a particular
location is to look at the former students of the intructor(s). If the
students are _good_ the instructors are probably _excellent_! Intructors
who are rigid in their teaching technique are going to have failures as
they won't be taking individual variations of learning abilities into
consideration. Nothing is sadder than a closed mind, anywhere.
-- 
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Dave Flory, San Jose, CA.  daflory_at_pacbell.net  Go Sea Kayaking!!  ©2001
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Received on Fri Mar 09 2001 - 15:40:55 PST

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