Our Approach While Teaching
Sifu Brinker has a saying, one I find myself referring back to time and again. You can’t force something down a students’ throat. You need to get them to open their mouths first.
What is a sure fire way to cause a student to stop being receptive, to close their mouths? It’s the same for everyone. You and me as well. Put them on the defence. Raise their hackles. Lose their respect. This is the biggest thing we need to avoid doing.
If a student feels they are being judged, you have lost the ability to teach them. Period. As instructors, we need to be diligently mindful of our attitude and demeanour. Having a condescending attitude? Absolute worst way to approach teaching. As instructors you rely on your students to learn, but if they are not, if they are not applying the lessons you have been giving them, THAT IS ON YOU AS THE INSTRUCTOR. Do they have a crap attitude? Yep, on you. Not a phase, not a result their age, not due to the weather or season.
Why do they have a poor attitude? Because they do not have a reason to change it. Why are they not picking up or applying the lesson? Because it has not reached them yet. It could be a matter of learning style, immaturity or maybe they had a bad day. As instructors, you need to have your finger on the pulse of your students and class, to identify the underlying issues and then change your approach accordingly. Not every student learns the same way. Not every student is motivated by the same things. You cannot approach your classes with a one size fits all attitude, because all you will do is alienate and eliminate those students who do not fit into the structure you have decided on.
What does this look like? Taking accountability for your students shortcomings. They have come to us to learn. If they are not learning it is because of our failure to teach them in a way that they can learn from. If they have a bad attitude we need to inspire them, not write them off. We will most likely hit walls in our attempts, but if we are not trying to change the situation or even take an interest in trying to change it, that student is as good as gone. And our school cannot survive without students.
Check your own attitude before pointing a finger at your students. You cannot expect them to know a thing until it has been taught effectively. You cannot expect them to have the ability until you give them a chance to practice and apply it. Talk less, lecture less. Inspire more, teach more. Be invested in your students and their success. Take responsibility for their failures. This is the only way you will have the ability to do anything about it. It’s not about pointing fingers at anyone. It’s about taking accountability, which will give you control and the ability to influence the outcome.