AWAY / teaching tricks

How do you feel about demonstrating the wrong way to do something first? I'm thinking any negative reference to what the student is doing wrong would be better handled with something like "remember what the line did when I moved my wrist too much".

Wondering if anyone else demos the wrong way first? Especially with something as common as wristing.

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Jim .... I can't say, since I have not tried that as a first move. Mel Krieger did that on one of his videos .... demonstrating the way an imaginary, "Joe xcdcxcx*&s" made his casts.

I have used the technique of having the student fail to make tight loops ..... all big ones. Then I have him make them bigger ..... and bigger, yet.

At this point, I ask him to go back the way he started and note what he did to accomplish this .

Then I have him do it again, but I tell him to KEEP GOING WITH WHAT WORKED TO GET BACK TO HIS FIRST WIDE LOOP until the loop is small.

Kind of a, "reverse psychology", I suppose. Once in a while works with a difficult student.

Worth putting in our, "bag of tricks".

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Gordy,

I know this is a little late in asking but here goes....

This Saturday morning 2 other CCI's and I have 17 students that have indicated they would like to work towards becoming CCI's. The abilities of the 17 students range from "this is a fly rod and I think you hold it here" to a couple of very competent casters that need more help in their teaching skills than their casting.

Our dilemma is to reduce this number without discouraging any of the students. The 3 of us have discussed this. Our feelings are that it would be unfair and discouraging to the more competent students to stand around while we a working with another student on a basic pickup and lay down cast. On the other hand it would be discouraging to the less skilled students to watch someone in the same class making required cast with ease while they are struggling with the basic's.

Our fly club is going to be offering beginning and intermediate classes in the next 6 weeks or so. We would like to encourage those that need more work in basic and intermediate casting to move to those classes without being negative and offending them.

Realizing that there is no one size fits all anwser for this dilemma, we would appreciate any words of wisdom that will allow us to reduce the class size, while encouraging the remaining students to continue to improve their casting skills.

Thank You
Pat Blackwell

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Pat .... you are right in not mixing them together.

Your fly club can organize them into ranks.

Once members reach a certain rank, (I would think it would be advanced casters) , then they can logically go on to study for CCI.

Establishing ranks will turn some off ..... OK, they won't become teachers anyway, in all likelihood. If it is done correctly ( Making you members see this as a solution) then it can become a stimulus as they strive to aquire status.

Main thing is to be sure these folks are interested in TEACHING ..... not just casting. They must understand that teaching is the main thrust of the casting certification program right from the start.

Nobody starts a teacher's prep course in any field until becoming educated firmly in the basics. It's true in other sports, too.

A couple of analogies: Would you think it a good idea to start taking a ski instructors course if you can't even get down the mountain without falling ?

Would you take a life savers course if you can't yet swim ?

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