Critique of answers, cont'd

Walter & Group....

Additional comments by Dennis on Gary Davisons answers :

Good plan. Just to reemphasize a few of the points made by Gary. As a rule always check students rod, line, before the class begins. Wrong line weights, lines on backwards, broken lines, no leader, even with experienced casters ! 

 

A few years ago I taught a number of '6 hour' introductory classes in Northern British Columbia. My wife (CI) and I told the promoter 14 maximum, he had 27 sign up !! Yikes, one young teen had a fly rod with about 500 yards of mono spinning line on the reel. No time to make a change, didn't want to insult or embarrass the lad so we made a few casts (??) then I said try my rod while I help somebody else. When I went back to him I said do you want to cast with yours or mine for a bit, he said I?ll stick with yours.

 

We switched a spare reel with a fly line line off one of our rods and a few minutes later I put the boy's rod back in his hands and he lit up like a Christmas tree.   After class we pulled off 300 yards of mono and attached my spare fly line. We had a great chat about lines after the class and he went home with the line and a smile. (Thanks to 3M SA, not me)

 

We have also learned over the years to have each instructor carry:

1. 2 or 3 made up 'loop connection' leaders WITH YARN ATTACHED.

2. A bottle of fly repellant and sun screen

3. and sure ' baubles bangles and beads' that we all usually carry in our vest

 

D.

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Dennis critiques Don Pendleton's answers.  He brings up an important point  :

 

 

From Don Pendleton:

 

1. What now ?         Welcome everyone to the class.  Introduce everyone.  Encourage the group to get to know each other.  Tell where the casting area will be, restrooms,  give a brief time schedule of events, lunch, break, .

        Give a brief outline of how the class will be taught.

 

2. Any change in our goals ? Is there a common goal ?  As far as the average fly casting class, the individual MOs are pretty realistic,  the group description sounds pretty normal!!!    This group would not surprise me at all.  Just always be prepared for different levels of fly fishers to show up.  Even those that have fly fished for several years have a reason for being at your class.  Seek out and satisfy their needs as well as the movie dreamers. No changes in your goals,  the common goal is to teach fly fishing and teach students to cast a fly line.  Over a two day class teach the essentials, variables and fishing.

 

 

 

3. How will we start the day ?  Begin with an immediate explanation of tackle and equipment used.

 

Appears as though you have immediate equipment issues to deal with.

 

        8 people need to be equipped.

        

        the 3 people with their own equipment need to be checked, the guy with the 10wt. should be encouraged to  use a lighter wt. rod, if he insists on using he own rod keep an

                eye on him for tasks he will have problems doing, make sure he understands his equipment's advantages and disadvantages.  Use his equipment as an example

                to explain to students the wide variations available in fly fishing rods/lines/uses.  Leave the door open for him to try your equipment.

 

          Match up the two teens properly,  a husky strong teen may well handle a 9' rod,  a weaker smaller teen might be better fitted with an 8' rod.  The student with his

                    grandfather's rod may have a special sentimental attachment to learning with and using that rod.  Handle this appropriately to the student's wishes but leave

                    the door open for him to up grade to better  rods that you may have for the class.  Similar to the fellow with the 10 wt.  keep a special eye on him for equipment

                        limiting problems and professionally deal with them.

 

            Outfit the two ladies appropriately,  their husband's rods may not be suitable for them.

       

 

4. Will we (you and the CI's) approach responsibilities differently ? If so, how ?   The MCCI should be leading the CCIs, the students, school and lessons.  The CCIs should be assisting students and the Master in teaching, demos, individual student needs.

 

Don Pendleton

 

 

More excellent points by Don. Also see my notes above. Another 2 star answer 'sentimental attachment' to Gramp's rod is very important. Praise the rod ' great rod in it's day, but they get brittle with age, might be better hung on the wall and admired', whatever it takes, absolutely nothing detrimental, 'this rod is a piece of junk' got an instructor 'persona non grata' at our school.    

 

Dennis

     

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Additional question from Dennis :

 

Dividing up a group can be very interesting. Sometimes we put an experienced caster with 2 or 3 new casters. Why do we do that ?

 

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Dennis comments on Gary Kell's answers :

 

Answers from Gary Kell :

 

Our CI's are here and ready to go:

 

Wow, Gordy your right, there is a lot to deal with here -- to put on a good school takes lots of thought and preplanning.  If you have CI's that have at least been involved in a school settng before it would be a big help.  I find some instructors are great one on one but get the jitters or are not practiced at group presentations!!   If this is a school that students paid for I'd be sure CI's got together at least the day before and practiced the teaching moments beforehand and made out their own instructor notes or used my instructor notes to guide their presentation.  Anyway here are some thoughts based on my experience with developing and putting on such schools with class make up just like Dennis describes. 

 

1. What now ?  Organize, make assignments, agree on overall responsibilites, develope and review lesson plan/schedule with team, make final adjustments.  Make sure each student has a functioning rod, leader, & yarn fly.  I like to mark fly lines with magic marker at spot where line should be held during each casting exercise.  In this case if at all possible I would use "school rods" ready to go.  Then on second day have session where students can use their own rods if they desire.  Have them come early to set up for casting or do it over lunch with help from one of the CI's.

 

In lesson plans, I like to divide time into teaching moments and coaching moments then with CI's agree to time allotments for both. ie Teaching moment - Roll Cast/5 minutes whole class,  Coaching Moment - Roll Cast Practice/Divide into 3 groups 1 instructor for each group.  Rotate every 10 minutes.  I like to have instructor notes for each teaching moment - not that the instructor does not know how to do the task but to note the essential information that should not be forgotten and to keep instructor on track and off tangents. We instructors have trouble talking too much!! 

 

The style of teaching is up to each instructor but we all should cover the essential info within time limits agreed. 

 

Agree on Coaching approach...rotate to each student during coaching moments - praise first, one correction at a time, use simple, clear language, allow student practice time, keep to couple minutes each student. Ratio in this case is about 5 to 1 --- If possible I would have chosen 3 CI's to get closer to 4 to 1 ratio. 

 

Team teaching has some great benefits to students once they get used to it.  Each instructor has a different set of coaching tools and different delivery.  Often a student will relate/respond well to one or another of the instructors and often take something from each!!

 

With the varied skills in this class I would approach it from the lowest common denominator - no experience.  Often people with only 5 years experience and no formal training really need to start from "scratch"  they often benefit the most but sometimes also difficult to coach because of bad habits!!  Often during coaching moments an experienced student can be introduced to advanced techniques one on one --without confusing the beginner.  As a coach when approaching this student just ask what have you been working on? Go from there.

 

Agree to "hands on" approach - if you decide it is OK ... get permission first.   I stand off to casting side and grab blank above handle to avoid the personal space issue alltogether. 

 

2. Any change in our goals ? Yes, with the make up of this class I would add a "knowledge goal" along with a "casting goal".  Since this class has many beginners I would add - Student will understand the concept of fly fishing, the basic equipment, fly fishing terminology and fly fishing strategies.  Fly Casting Goal - Overhead cast 40 feet, retrieve line, false cast and shoot line back out to 40 feet. 

 

Is there a common goal ?  The overall, common goal is to have fun, enjoy learning, go home with a smile. 

 

3. How will we start the day ?  Equipment and facility set up before students arrive.  Introductions - students & instructors, review of schedule, review of facilities,  general approach and goals.  I like to start students out with a bang..... get out and cast.... I start with the overhead cast but many well thought-out approaches will work.

 

4. Will we (you and the CI's) approach responsibilities differently ? If so, how ?  

 

Identify Lead Instructor - makes sure everyone is having fun.... does intros, moves folks along to next task does reviews etc.  makes decisons on adjustments and changes on the fly... making last minute assignments etc. in consultation with team. 

 

Identify Time Instructor - one assigned to watch time -- very important.  As instructors we often get caught in "data dump" mode -- telling captive audiences all that we know!!  Bad idea -- be brief using simple language that audience understands and will retain.  More is not better .... just the opposite... more confuses the beginner in a way that he takes nothing home but "Wow is that fly fishing complicated"!!   Agree on signals to be used to indicate "times up"!!  (Use the Instructor note cards if you have this problem!!)

 

Identify Logistics instructor responsible for students with logistics problems...Like -- I have to leave early -- I don't feel good --- where can I make a call etc etc..... Make sure students know who this is. 

 

Also, assignments should be made as to who sets up each teaching/coaching moment ..... prepares materials, sets out cones, ropes, targets, checks and repairs leaders etc.  before the students arrive at the next task.

 

Gary

 

Great job Gary: Some 2 star answers here. As an examiner you got my attention with: 1. Time management (see my note above)

 

2. Where to start; 'approach it from the lowest common denominator - no experience'.  (After a demo at one large fishing show I was approached by a gentleman who confessed that he had been salmon fishing for 25 years and thought you had to have a fly to help pull the line forward !)

 

3. Rotation: Move instructors around after each session, exchange rods (with permission).   Different words, various ways of giving instruction, not because one instructor is better or more knowledgeable than the other, just turning on a different light !   

 

4. Marking fly lines, I like it.  

 

D. 

 

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