taught it; so as soon as you teach trainees to do a job, have them practice it. Teaching applicable safety precautions is especially important. Teach a safety precaution just before reaching the point in your demonstra- tion where it applies. Tell the reason for the precaution so that the trainees will understand the need to comply with it. 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 under- stand 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 under- standing and, where necessary, in memorizing the subject matter. Use the following techniques in summarizing a lesson: 1. Introduce the summary properly. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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 We cannot place enough emphasis on the importance  of  questioning  in  any teaching situation. Oftentimes, 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 the instructor: 1. Stimulate trainee thought. Ask questions that call for the application of facts rather than just facts alone. Facts can easily be committed to memory and require little or no thought on the part of the trainee. 2. 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. 3. 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 5-8