Do you wing it when teaching class or.....

[freedomfighter04]

Question for you guys. When you go an teach your classes do you have a game plan on what you teach to your students that night or do you just wing it.

[Chris Wade]

I like to have a couple of lesson plans "in the bag". Lay out a couple lessons, ideally write them down, and just file them away.

That way, if you are called upon at the spur of the moment, you can just pull one out and go with it, as if you planned it all along.

That being said, I have definitely "winged it" a few times. You end up pulling out drills from a number of previous classes and putting them together.

The trick is not to let students know you are winging it. ;)

[bushinote]

According to the guys that teach for me I always "wing it". I know what I want to accomplish for the week, but how I accomplish it depends on the size and general rank of the class.

[Jeff Burger]

You should have goals and a plan to achieve them.


Jeff

[Musubi Dojo]

Have an end goal, but take a meandering road there sometimes. Train the basics a lot and interject new material as food for thought once in a while.

There definately have been nights where it was moment by moment though.

Cheers
c

[AllanJGAnderson]

You should have goals and a plan to achieve them.


Jeff

Ooooooooooo, profound :bow: !

[Bugeisha]

I tend to have goals and a general outline, but I like to keep things flexible, since the class may change depending on who shows up and what they need in particular.

[don]

I always have a plan with a general principle and specific techniques illustrating that principle.

Often I dump the plan to follow the students' needs. Maybe instead of working on getting UKE's balance into a dead spot, e.g., we have to back-pedal and do some remedial footwork.


You should have goals and a plan to achieve them.


Ooooooooooo, profound :bow: !

Is this a joke? I don't get it.

Jeff's comment sounds like good advice to me. And having coached novice teachers, I know that something this simple can be as a revelation.

[Jessica]

I'm all for having at least a rough game plan before class starts. Sometimes this happens 5 minutes before class, sometimes an hour, but going in totally unprepared just doesn't work out well for me.

[DragonMind]

Depends on whether you consider yourself a professional or not. Going into a classroom of any sort unprepared is inexcusable and fraud if I'm paying you for it.

[FunSPE]

Whenb I do teach class, I prefer to have a lesson already in mind. I really dont like to "wing it".

Robert Soliz

[Tang-Soo-Architect]

Depends on whether you consider yourself a professional or not. Going into a classroom of any sort unprepared is inexcusable and fraud if I'm paying you for it.
That was worth pointing out Barry, though I think that he's asking more about whether everyone goes into class with a specific list of things to teach that day or not.
When I first took a class solo I did sit down before hand and write down what I was going to do, including going into the details of what warm-up exercises to follow. I then worked out the time I needed for each section.
I used it on the day and followed it quite closely, and it gave me a very good indication of how to organise the lesson time, and I keep that original plan filed away at the back of my mind just in case.
Now I arrange my class schedule on the day based on what has been taught in previous weeks. This way I can ensure a good mix of teaching lesson to lesson without being too rigidly structured. It also keeps the classes more interesting for the students, there's no 'oh it's second wednesday of the month, that mean's self defence, I don't think I'll bother going' - things like that can happen, and too much regimentation can make a class feel stagnant.
It's also important to pick up on the ambience of the class. You will find that certain students prefer certain parts of the lesson. For us it's fighting that is popular so every lesson has sparring - and if for some reason it gets missed out we tell the students why and they get extra sparring time the following lesson.
Make the lesson work for the class not the other way round, and you will get more out of your students.

So to conclude: Have a rough idea of what needs to be taught in the lesson but do not get too bogged down in the planning for fear of loosing flexibility and adaptability, which you will need to ensure that the class responds well to your teaching regime.

[Tang-Soo-Architect]

Oh, just had another thought, something which I don't think has been mentioned though Barry sort of touched on it - An individuals teaching ability and teaching style.

Some people find teaching quite natural, others find it more difficult. Some find that they can ad lib a lesson successfully and others need to plan it out in their heads for it to run smoothly.

As Barry said, if a person is disorganised in thier mind in what they have to do then it's not going to go very well .

[Chris Wade]

Depends on whether you consider yourself a professional or not. Going into a classroom of any sort unprepared is inexcusable and fraud if I'm paying you for it.

I think that's a little harsh, unless I am reading too much into it.

Where I train we have had situations where the head instructor is unable to show up at the last minute. So there you are, it's now class time and someone needs to teach class.

So one of two things happens: I, or one of the other instructors, pull out a canned lesson plan and run with it, or as we progress through a warm up, you notice things that need correct. We do a lot of stand up fighting and grappling as part of the warm up during the first hour. Often techniques or drills will come to mind as we progress through it.

I don't see that as fraud at all. There is still value in what is being taught. It just wasn't predetermined before the class started.

[Jeff Burger]

I think that's a little harsh, unless I am reading too much into it.

Where I train we have had situations where the head instructor is unable to show up at the last minute. So there you are, it's now class time and someone needs to teach class.

So one of two things happens: I, or one of the other instructors, pull out a canned lesson plan and run with it, or as we progress through a warm up, you notice things that need correct. We do a lot of stand up fighting and grappling as part of the warm up during the first hour. Often techniques or drills will come to mind as we progress through it.

I don't see that as fraud at all. There is still value in what is being taught. It just wasn't predetermined before the class started.


I dont think thats harsh. People are paying moeny for a service promised to them.
If that situation is a recurring thing then he should pass off a class plan to you and train you to teach it.


Jeff

[Chris Wade]

I dont think thats harsh. People are paying moeny for a service promised to them.
If that situation is a recurring thing then he should pass off a class plan to you and train you to teach it.


Jeff

And they received the service - martial arts instruction.

I don't mean to suggest it's a regular thing. However, stuff happens.

If what you are saying is that if instructors often appeared unprepared, disorganized, or the quality of instruction suffered, then yes I would agree. However what I am suggesting is be prepared.

[Budderfly]

We have a set plan usually. Lots of drills to build up techniques they'll be practicing and tested on later. If the students are doing really good with thier curriculum, then we throw in some more fun options like drills and skill-building games.

[DragonMind]

I think that's a little harsh, unless I am reading too much into it.
I'm not meaning to be harsh, but I am being very blunt. There are professional instructors and there are people who play at being instructors. One sign of a professional is that they have a formal curriculum and clear lesson plans for every day of class.


Where I train we have had situations where the head instructor is unable to show up at the last minute. So there you are, it's now class time and someone needs to teach class.

So one of two things happens: I, or one of the other instructors, pull out a canned lesson plan and run with it, or as we progress through a warm up, you notice things that need correct. We do a lot of stand up fighting and grappling as part of the warm up during the first hour. Often techniques or drills will come to mind as we progress through it.

I don't see that as fraud at all. There is still value in what is being taught. It just wasn't predetermined before the class started.
The importance of lesson plans goes way beyond just what we do today. Each lesson plan is a building block that fits into the overall structure of the curriculum. Remove that block and the structure is weakened. Remove enough blocks and you have random chaos. If I am paying good money for your services as a professional, delivering anything less is consumer fraud.

I can generally predict a school's drop-out rate by looking at how well structured their curriculum and lesson plans are. Overly rigid lesson plans are just as bad as overly vague or non-existant ones. For example, if today's lesson goal is to introduce the front thrust kick to new students, it should have several methods of teaching and a variety of drills to choose from that work it. That gives the instructor flexibility to adapt to something about the class he/she notices but still remains on focus for the goal of the lesson. Let me show you a sample lesson plan for that class based on a 45-minute youth class.

Class Plan WB-6

Goal: Focus on learning a new technique, front thrust kick.

Line up and warm ups (10 minutes)

00-00 to 00:10

Notes to Instructor:
Line up is repeated until all the students hit their marks while maintaining straight lines and good posture.

After a brief bow-in, the instructor reminds everyone to perform at “level 10 intensity” and that they're to practice the idea of “Black Belt Effort” while doing warm ups --to make sure they're giving their best effort.

Warm-ups consist of basic techniques from the curriculum: Fighting movement in a sparring stance; fast jabs; one two punches; etc. During the warm-up drills the instructor previews what is going to be worked on and the level of effort she is looking for from the class. For instance, “We need to get our legs warmed up because we have a lot kicking to do today. You guys are going to be blasting those legs, so let's get ready for a black belt level class.”

Core lesson - 30-minutes

00:10 to 00:13
3 Minutes Demo/Explanation

Demonstrate front thrust kick. Break down component steps and walk through several repetitions of each step. Kicks facing the front of class (class lined up like warm ups) 3 sets of 15. The first set done slowly the second set done fast and the third set done with maximum intensity. 15- to 30-second rest.

00:13 to 00:16
3 Minutes Kicking (emphasis on targeting)

Front kicks with students facing each other. Again, 3 sets of 15 with the last set being an all-out effort. 15- to 30-second rest.

00:16 to 00:19
3 Minutes Kicking

For the final three minutes the instructor has all the pairs of kickers sit down on one knee and then highlights each pair by having them demonstrate their kicks while everyone watches. Philosophy queue: Point out the importance of proper execution of the technique and the dangers of getting sloppy in martial arts and in life such as schoolwork. Imagine everything you do has your signature on it like a painting. Your name is important and you want it associated with quality.

00:19 to 00:22
3 Minutes Kicking

Front kicks with students in lines of 5 executing multiple kicks down the floor (try and have several lines moving at once). This practice is set to a three minute round. The students practice on their own cues while the instructor walks the room teaching the finer details to individuals wherever needed. Philosophy queue: Point out that confidence comes from execution while you are tired. If you are fresh, kicking is easy. It's when you are tired and still kick hard that you gain your confidence. You can rest when you get home.

00:22 to 00:25
3-minute water and bathroom break

Instructor either touches base with parents on the sidelines or pulls in a few students for extra help.

00:25 to 00:30
5-minutes Resistance Kicking

Line up in rows of five with five bags as targets and practice line drills doing front kick. For the first minute and a half the students aim at the top of the bags but don't touch them. For the second half they make contact. The instructor gets the groups to compete against each other for intensity and group effort and coordination. The team that has the most intensity gets to pick the next target to be practiced. The instructor walks the lines looking for anyone who needs extra help. Philosophy queue: Point out that competing can bring out the best in us. We are in a competitive world so we must strive to be the best.

00:30 to 00:38
8-minutes of context setting

Instructor addresses the need to look at kicks as part of an overall strategy rather than a single, isolated technique. Add kick in with previous materials (punches, blocks, combination kicks) and do line and partner drills. Philosophy queue: Success is always in the preparation.

Wrap up/cool-down (5 minutes)
00:38 to 00:43
Slow Stretch

00:43 to 00:45
2-minute Wrap

Finish with review of what was learned, preview next class, suggest a short practice assignment for them at home.

[Jason T Gatts]

I think that there are many respectable instructors who probably don't do it that way. I doubt that Matsumura, Toyama, or In Yoon Byung did it your way - heard any of their students complain that they were ripped off? What about the Gracies or Pat Miletich, is this how they do it? Do you really need to write it all down in order to do it?

I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm just saying that if instructor's aren't doing that it doesn't necessarily mean that they're defrauding their students.

[Jessica]

Do you really need to write it all down in order to do it?

I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm just saying that if instructor's aren't doing that it doesn't necessarily mean that they're defrauding their students.


I would say you don't need to write it all down. It really depends on how mentally organized the instructor is as to whether they should or need to write down the lesson plan. Some people can organize and remember stuff like that without having it physically in front of them.

However, having a written lesson plan can be benificial in a number of ways
1) If the instructor can't be there for some reason, someone else can take over the class and will know what was planned
2) If at some point a parent comes in and complains that youre not teaching their student anything, you can take out your lesson plans and show the parent exactly what was taught and when.
3) If you teach on a cylical (sp?) basis then once you have lesson plans written for the entire cycle, you can just re-use them.

[Jason T Gatts]

I would say you don't need to write it all down. It really depends on how mentally organized the instructor is as to whether they should or need to write down the lesson plan. Some people can organize and remember stuff like that without having it physically in front of them.

However, having a written lesson plan can be benificial in a number of ways
1) If the instructor can't be there for some reason, someone else can take over the class and will know what was planned
2) If at some point a parent comes in and complains that youre not teaching their student anything, you can take out your lesson plans and show the parent exactly what was taught and when.
3) If you teach on a cylical (sp?) basis then once you have lesson plans written for the entire cycle, you can just re-use them.

I think that the specifics that this thread has gotten into is destined to be disagreed upon by those who teach to make a living and those who teach for other reasons (for fun, feeling obligated to pass on what you know, cameradery, community building, etc.).

1) If I'm not able to be at class then it is my responsibility to prepare someone to take over class, cancel class, or expect the students to simply train by reviewing and practicing the techniques that they already know.

2) If a parent complains my first response would be to ask them what their martial arts experience is and if they feel they have more to offer then they are free to train their own children and or start their own class.

3) My students train at their own pace, just because 2 students start at the same time and attend the same classes does not mean that they will be promoted together, in fact it is highly unlikely that they will be - so how does a cyclical, reusable lesson plan help. Students get the same techniques from the front of the class, but those techniques are "learned" face to face with their instructor.

Not claiming one way to be superior simply allowing that more than one way can be correct.

[Chris Wade]

Barry, I think we are talking about slightly different things.

If classes were consistently disorganized, did not lead students to advancing in a well defined curriculum, then I would agree.

We are talking about ONE class (I thought). And, as I said, I like to deal with the unexpected call to teach by having a couple of lessons laid out in advance that I can draw upon. I also have enough teaching experience to change a lesson plan based on what I am seeing during a warm up. Example, during grappling, I see students having trouble maneuvering from the guard. Since it's fresh, why not work on a skill that evidently needs work?

[Tang-Soo-Architect]

Mr Gatts spoke about those who teach for 'fun...community building' et al. in comparison to the professional teacher, which is Barry's point of note. Often they are one and the same. I think the imortance is not how professional but how responsible a teacher is, after all people don't tend to get injured from beaing taught chess badly.
A responsible attitude is part of a professional attitude obviously. Organisation of lessons and onself as a teacher doesn't have to be a draconian measure, I think we all agree on the need for apropriate organisation with flexibilty where needed. How an individual acomplishes that is probably more to do with not only thier own personality but on how they have been taught.

I think Barry will agree with my analysis when I say that he presents himself as a professional person with a penchant for an organised way of doing things and in some aspect this will be down to his vocation. I myself am in similar circumstances, being bound by law to a certain level of professionalism in my job this way of doing things carries over to other aspects of my life.
There's also the arty-farty side of me (which is why I draw pretty pictures with big purple crayon :D ) and so I also advocate a more touchy feely aproach to teaching.

Lets see, one more thing and this is important - in my humble opinion.
You can have the most detailed class plan in the world meticulaously covering every aspect of teaching theory required, or you can make it all up on the spot, BUT if you have no empathy for the class, if you can't read your students, if you are not aware of how individuals as well as the whole class are performing and you mindlessly troll through a lesson then you are not a good teacher. You may be adequate, but that's all you will be.

The greatest teachers I have trained under are those who have, while giving one to one tuition at the other end of the class, turned around and said 'Steven - try to channel your inner spirit more in that technique' or some other helpful words . Always aware, always knowing.

[James O'Neill]

...I'll agree that having a well defined program is a good thing. However, rigid lesson plans broken down into 10 - 15 min intervals just don't work for me. Perhaps if I was teaching a kids class...

Everyone learns differently. It's just like managing people. Some react well to positive reinforcement. Some don't really do their best unless they are under constant pressure. But, IMO, to be a good teacher one must conform one's teaching style to the student. Not the other way around.

To me, teaching is the "Water Principal" in action. While I may have a preconcieved idea about what I'm going to cover on a given night, the material & the whole flow of the class remain adaptable to circumstances - i.e.; who-all shows up for class and how they are progressing with the material as it is being taught.

Sometimes a good relevant question comes up & I'll spend a little time going over the "why" of things... It really depends on the circumstances.

Generally, the larger the class the more structured & formal the instruction is. Samller classes stay far more adaptable & I try to take the opportunity to work on problem areas for specific students.

I don't really teach kids. The only people in my class under 18 are already Black Belts in other arts. Their parents also stay for class (if not participate). I've never had a parent or anyone else suggest that 1) they aren't learning enough or 2) they can't see where it's all going...

[Eliz]

I keep a small notebook with me and jot notes at the end of each class. Much of how a class will proceed depends on what was written after the last class. I teach quite a few classes and it is the only way I can keep it all straight. Especially if specific students were instructed to work on specific techniques before the next class.

Our curriculum is already set by the owner.

[DragonMind]

Teaching - as a profession - has evolved some best practices over the years. One of these is lesson planning. There are many benefits to the exercise of planning as well as having the plan itself. One thing that stands out is that consistently good teachers use lesson plans. While anyone may hit a good day, the real value lies in being good day after day. That doesn't happen by accident and there are very few naturally gifted teachers out there. What I provided is a template for people who have never written a lesson plan. Can you be a good teacher without doing lesson plans? Yes. Will you be consistently good? No.

For all the people who think being professional in your apporach as a teacher isn't important, let me ask you this. Why is there an industry average of 90+% dropout between beginning and 1st dan? Clearly we're not doing something right to have that high of a dropout rate and since the thing we're doing is teaching, where do you think the problem lies?

[Eliz]

Teaching - as a profession - has evolved some best practices over the years. One of these is lesson planning. There are many benefits to the exercise of planning as well as having the plan itself. One thing that stands out is that consistently good teachers use lesson plans. While anyone may hit a good day, the real value lies in being good day after day. That doesn't happen by accident and there are very few naturally gifted teachers out there. What I provided is a template for people who have never written a lesson plan. Can you be a good teacher without doing lesson plans? Yes. Will you be consistently good? No.

For all the people who think being professional in your apporach as a teacher isn't important, let me ask you this. Why is there an industry average of 90+% dropout between beginning and 1st dan? Clearly we're not doing something right to have that high of a dropout rate and since the thing we're doing is teaching, where do you think the problem lies?

Funny. I was with you all the way until the end - "Industry Average of over 90% drop out between beginning and 1st Dan." That is such a huge/broad statement. Age groups? Specific styles? Schools closing? Organizations merging? How in the world can you take a statistic that broad and pin it on the instructors?

[James O'Neill]

What Liz said. There are allot of variables as to why most folks don't stick with training. I always kinda thought it was merely the 80 / 20 rule at work.

Not only that, but this assumes our goal as teachers is to train everyone to Black Belt and beyond. This isn't always the case - different students are there for different reasons.

My goal as a teacher is to make my students better at defending themselves - from situational awareness to actually fending off an attacker. Everything else is secondary. So, as a teacher, despite wanting to cover "X" one night because that is how the group is supposed to progress, I see that the students present really need more work on "Y", my informal lesson plan may go right out the window.

That doesn't mean to say there is no lesson plan though. And the higher the level of the students the more I tend to stick to a plan too.

[Tang-Soo-Architect]

Hmm 90% seems very high. Maybe most of us are lucky and have good clubs.
To digress from the original question, though it is relevant,what myself and my instructors have noted is that drop out goes in phases.
You will get the have-a-go Henry/Henrietta who maybe turns up for 1 to 4 classes, then disappears when they are pushed to pay thier Fedreation fee and buy a suit. Maybe 1 person out of 4 leaves that way. After that most students stick to it until about half way up the colour belts, you may loose 1 student in 8 who get bored after the first year. You then get 1 in 10 drop out because it starts to get much harder and grading progress slows down.
People tend to stick to it after that until 1st Gup then you get a few individuals who find the jump from colour belt to black belt too hard.

Speaking for the classes I go to, I would say that 50% make it to 1st gup, I only know of two students, who because of leaving school and starting work couldn't train regularly any more, who have stopped at 1st Gup, and another who stopped at 2nd gup. Once they can sort out thier working lives and get motivated I'm positive one of them will eventually get thier Dan grade, the others may quit.

[Chris Wade]

Why is the dropout rate so high? As others said, there are so many individual reasons that people drop out, many of which have nothing to do with the teaching.

When recruiting students, what do many dojos demonstrate? The flashy cool stuff. What do they begin teaching? The boring "important" stuff like basics.

People do martial arts as a past time. I know dozens of people that never made it to black for reasons that have nothing to do with the instruction. Some just found they had more passion for another activity, others had kids and couldn't dedicate the time, some moved to a different city and couldn't find a dojo that compared to the one they left.

I personally stopped training for two years, not because I wanted to, but because I was taking night school classes to further my career.

To suggest it is related to the teaching is absurd.

[Jeff Burger]

I think that high drop out rate is largely due to poor teaching.

If they are steadily growing and improving and can see potential for continued growth they are far more likely to stick with it.
Sure there are alot of other reasons people quit but I think alot of people quit cause they think are not going to reach their goals.
They may blame it on their teachers or more likely themselves.
This is probably part of the reason Mc Dojos pretty much just hand out belts, its equals percieved growth.


Jeff

[Eliz]

Not to beat this poor statistic to death... *but it's fun* :D

Even the percentage of students that do in fact drop out due to poor or unorganized instruction, what is the target age range?

What is the percentage of very young students dropping out because their instructors are not entertaining enough? That is a poor instructor in the eyes of a 5 year old (and his/her parents). I believe this group would be quite high but I don't believe 5 year olds are a viable target group.

I also believe older adults pose a formidable percent as older adults are looking for instructors who are highly professional and qualified. They will not tolerate a young/inexperienced instructor.

The age groups in between form the "other" catagory. I believe they are looking for something very specific - competition/tradition/a particular fighting style/more sparring. They are looking for an instructor that offers what they want and that they will "click" with. I don't consider that leaving due to bad instruction. I consider that leaving because the instructor is not offering what the student is particularly looking for.

I sincerely hope I explained this as well as it sounded in my mind. :rolleyes:

[DragonMind]

Very interesting responses.

90+% is an industry average. No average applies to the individual case so there are of course schools that have a lower drop-out rate. Clearly though, the vast majority have a high drop-out rate. The question I asked is why. What I got was typical anecdotal responses, not facts. Let's look at some of them and you tell me who is most responsible for preventing attrition.


Martial arts training does not feel the way they thought it would
Training is harder than they thought it would be, or...
Training is not as challenging or engaging as they thought it would be
They fail to develop the discipline of coming to class twice per week every week – “other stuff” takes over and gets in the way
Friends, family, or co-workers use guilt or derision to pressure them to quit their goal
Other activities seem to provide more of the rewarding feelings they seek
Poor service at the school cuts down their enthusiasm
Lack of professionalism at the school cuts down their enthusiasm
A shabby or poorly maintained facility cuts down their enthusiasm
An unimaginative or disorganized curriculum cuts down their enthusiasm
Poor quality instruction cuts down their enthusiasm
They feel unnoticed and uninvited and thereby unconnected to the school population of teachers and other students
They do not like or cannot identify with the other people at the school
They get restless – “OK, I’ve done martial arts now.”
…and of course there are a few things that really cannot be avoided - they get injured badly or become extremely ill, they have to move to another city, or they run into authentic severe financial trauma


Out of that list, how many are the responsibility of the instructor and are part of a professional teacher's role?

[Note: this list comes out of data from Stephen Oliver]

[Eliz]

Your list is indeed thought provoking, but I still feel that much of the list contains individual student choices rather than unprofessional or under qualified instructors (Poor Instructors).


The question I asked is why

I do maintain that more information is needed as to specific age groups/styles, etc before your initial question can be properly answered.

[DragonMind]

Your list is indeed thought provoking, but I still feel that much of the list contains individual student choices rather than unprofessional or under qualified instructors (Poor Instructors).
Only the last one is something the instructor can't influence.


I do maintain that more information is needed as to specific age groups/styles, etc before your initial question can be properly answered.
What makes you think that any of that makes a difference? Failing tomeet your customer's needs doesn't matter if they are five or fifty.

[torbjork]

I've only ever trained raw beginners, so my experiences might not apply everywhere.

I figured that I had two important facts to take into account:
1. My classes (generally 2 hours long and instruction-intensive) are the first experience of MA these people will have, and they're university students who presumably are capable of reflective though, i.e. will not put up with too much amateurism.

2. When my students face their first test after six months, their performance reflects on me. I don't want my instructor thinking that I'm a useless twit who can't teach.

With that in mind, I made very detailed plans for each class and for the semester as a whole, like Dragonmind showed above. I found it extremely useful and I believe my students would agree - they all passed their test and the head instructor told them their techniques were good, which he doesn't do too often.

I'd do the same for any class, now that I know I have a system that works it can always be tinkered with.