1-16 Teaching applicable safety precautions is especially important. Teach a safety precaution just before reaching the point in your demonstration where it applies. State the reason for the precaution so that the trainees will understand the need for compliance. Patience is a virtue for any petty officer. If it does not come naturally to you, you must train yourself to be patient. A slow learner may never acquire the knowledge or skill you are trying to impart if you are impatient. Avoid sarcasm toward a bungler; that person may be trying harder than you suspect. Nothing exhausts the patience of the expert as much as the fumbling attempts of a beginner; however, the instructor must patiently demonstrate and explain until the trainee acquires the needed competence. “Good instruction” means a more effective crew, and such an asset justifies any amount of patience. If you find that your trainees have not learned what you tried to teach them, do not react as if they disobeyed orders. If trainees do not understand a certain lesson or operation, that could indicate a poor job of teaching. The old saying, “If the learner hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught” might apply in some situations. RELATED TECHNIQUES You can use instructional techniques with any of the above methods. These techniques include the use of the lesson summary, oral questioning, and training aids. Lesson Summary The term summary as used here refers to that part of the lesson in which the instructor reviews the material covered. In summarizing, keep in mind two major aims. First, you want to help the trainees identify and organize the subject matter. Second, you want to assist the trainees in understanding and, where necessary, in memorizing the subject matter. Use the following techniques in summarizing a lesson: Introduce the summary properly. Summarize the subject matter thoroughly. Plan the summary so that it assists the trainees in organizing the important subject matter into a form more easily learned. Review the actual subject matter, not just the topic, thoroughly enough for the trainees to gain an adequate  understanding  of  the  subject.  Having  the trainees review the topics (class notes) will aid them in understanding the subject. Avoid a strictly oral summary, if  possible. Remember, if you need training aids to make the right kind of lesson presentation, then you also need them for the right kind of summary. Summarize at appropriate intervals. If the lesson is long for example, 2 or 3 hours in duration, you would be wise to summarize at the end of each period or at the end of each significant area of subject matter. Trainees will absorb short summaries better than an unduly long summary at the end of the complete lesson. Oral Questioning Enough   emphasis   cannot   be   placed   on   the importance of questioning in any teaching situation. Often the difference between a dull, boring lecture and a lively discussion is only a matter of some well-planned, well-directed oral questions. The ability to direct thought through questioning is recognized as one of the most valid proofs of teaching skill. A direct relationship exists between your success as an instructor and the quality and quantity  of  oral  questioning  you  use  in  teaching. Therefore, you will find the following techniques of invaluable use to you, as an instructor: Stimulate trainee thought. Ask questions that call for the application of facts, rather than just facts alone. Facts easily can be committed to memory and require little or no thought on the part of the trainee. Establish a level of instruction. Ask questions that require trainees to comment on previous experience in the subject matter you are going to teach. By asking a series of oral questions, you can determine the trainees' level of knowledge in a particular subject matter. That information will enable you to determine the level at which you should begin instruction. Arouse interest. Asking a general question, such as “How many of you have fired a .50-caliber machine gun?” or “How many persons died on the highways last year?”  will  serve  to  clear  trainees'  minds  of  any extraneous thoughts. Such questions aid in motivating trainees, as they mentally search for an answer. This type of questioning usually is used to generate interest in a large block of subject matter, usually a lesson as a whole.