1-16Teaching applicable safety precautions is especiallyimportant. Teach a safety precaution just before reachingthe point in your demonstration where it applies. Statethe reason for the precaution so that the trainees willunderstand the need for compliance.Patience is a virtue for any petty officer. If it doesnot come naturally to you, you must train yourself to bepatient. A slow learner may never acquire the knowledgeor skill you are trying to impart if you are impatient.Avoid sarcasm toward a bungler; that person may betrying harder than you suspect. Nothing exhausts thepatience of the expert as much as the fumbling attemptsof a beginner; however, the instructor must patientlydemonstrate and explain until the trainee acquires theneeded competence. “Good instruction” means a moreeffective crew, and such an asset justifies any amount ofpatience.If you find that your trainees have not learned whatyou tried to teach them, do not react as if they disobeyedorders. If trainees do not understand a certain lesson oroperation, that could indicate a poor job of teaching. Theold saying, “If the learner hasn't learned, the teacherhasn't taught” might apply in some situations.RELATED TECHNIQUESYou can use instructional techniques with any of theabove methods. These techniques include the use of thelesson summary, oral questioning, and training aids.Lesson SummaryThe term summary as used here refers to that part ofthe lesson in which the instructor reviews the materialcovered. In summarizing, keep in mind two major aims.First, you want to help the trainees identify and organizethe subject matter. Second, you want to assist the traineesin understanding and, where necessary, in memorizingthe subject matter. Use the following techniques insummarizing a lesson:Introduce the summary properly.Summarize the subject matter thoroughly. Planthe summary so that it assists the trainees in organizingthe important subject matter into a form more easilylearned. Review the actual subject matter, not just thetopic, thoroughly enough for the trainees to gain anadequate understanding of the subject. Having thetrainees review the topics (class notes) will aid them inunderstanding the subject.Avoid a strictly oral summary, if possible.Remember, if you need training aids to make the rightkind of lesson presentation, then you also need them forthe right kind of summary.Summarize at appropriate intervals. If the lessonis long for example, 2 or 3 hours in duration, you wouldbe wise to summarize at the end of each period or at theend of each significant area of subject matter. Traineeswill absorb short summaries better than an unduly longsummary at the end of the complete lesson.Oral QuestioningEnough emphasis cannot be placed on theimportance of questioning in any teaching situation.Often the difference between a dull, boring lecture and alively discussion is only a matter of some well-planned,well-directed oral questions. The ability to direct thoughtthrough questioning is recognized as one of the mostvalid proofs of teaching skill. A direct relationship existsbetween your success as an instructor and the quality andquantity of oral questioning you use in teaching.Therefore, you will find the following techniques ofinvaluable use to you, as an instructor:Stimulate trainee thought.Ask questions thatcall for the application of facts, rather than just factsalone. Facts easily can be committed to memory andrequire little or no thought on the part of the trainee.Establish a level of instruction. Ask questionsthat require trainees to comment on previous experiencein the subject matter you are going to teach. By asking aseries of oral questions, you can determine the trainees'level of knowledge in a particular subject matter. Thatinformation will enable you to determine the level atwhich you should begin instruction.Arouse interest. Asking a general question, suchas “How many of you have fired a .50-caliber machinegun?” or “How many persons died on the highways lastyear?” will serve to clear trainees' minds of anyextraneous thoughts. Such questions aid in motivatingtrainees, as they mentally search for an answer. This typeof questioning usually is used to generate interest in alarge block of subject matter, usually a lesson as a whole.
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