How to teach ‘The Hobby’
I have taught all sorts of people throughout my time, from big burly manly men, to delicate women, to tiny tots. So what is the most important thing when it comes to teaching people?
(oh and of course there is a secret lesson down the bottom.)
Context
Context is key
Who are you teaching, what are you teaching and why are you teaching them and who are you?
Who are you?
Not actually a thriller movie just a basic question
I am serious about each of these questions, who are you? For example, I am a 6’3” (190cm) guy. I am a big guy and when I worked in security work it wasn’t for my stunning good looks. I was taught during retail, and a few other jobs, that when I talk to people it should be shoulder to shoulder, my sides to their sides. Sit next to them, not opposite them. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Knowing who you are and what you bring to the table is important. Some people will be known for their reputation, some people will not, and those who aren’t may have to show their skills before they are taken seriously.
Why are you teaching them?
Is this someone who has come to you for lessons? Well, you are going to be on easy street. During my time studying psychology one of my lecturers said, “The dirty secret of psychology is that 70% of change is achieved through trust between the client and practitioner” actually knowing how psychology works is only 30%. I believe that this parallels to most things if someone trusts you they are going to listen if they are a willing subject. For someone who you are trying to convince to join in with hobbying, you're going to have to come in with a plan and you are going to have to be much more willing to cater to them than to follow the plan. I know, two opposite ideas and it hurts and that is how it will feel.
What are you teaching?
If you are teaching something you need to have a fair amount of knowledge and or experience with it. Another dirty secret of psychology, people are rationalising beings, not rational ones. Meaning they will come up with justifications for actions not make justified actions. What does this mean? It means people operate off feeling a lot more than you think and if they feel that you don’t know the subject whatever it may be… well it won’t take much to justify walking away. So know your subject.
Who are you teaching?
At the start, I said I have taught all sorts. Well even in the last year I have taught a guy with biceps bigger than my thighs, a little lady and a youngster some of the tricks of the trade when it comes to painting.
I treated each of these people very differently and if you think I should have treated them all the same, I am not sure you are up for teaching people…
The guy, very to the point do this do that, get this result. After each instruction, it was followed by “copy” as in he understood, that’s his language. So, the first lesson in who you are teaching, reflect their language back at them. After it was done I explained why we do it this way and why that is important. But for men, the act of physical learning far outweighs the verbal portion.
The lady was pretty much the opposite, I would lay out in detail why we did each thing because the instruction for each action was secondary to the understanding of why. She wanted to know why we did each thing because that helped her grasp what is next. Also, it was a lot more long-winded because that is how we talked to one another. Once again reflecting the language back to them.
The little lad, well like with most youngsters you don’t talk down to them, but you do avoid vaguery. Things must be concrete and solid for them to move ahead, you tell them exactly what they did right, not “that looks good” or “that looks nice.” You say this looks good because of X, Y and Z. They are information sponges and if they respect you, they will absorb everything you say.
Quick review
Who are you? Know who you are and how it affects your student(s) and how that might change how they interpret information. Stick to your strengths, and avoid your weakness as mentioned above my strengths in one area, were a weakness in another.
Why are you teaching them? Have you come to them, or them to you? Make sure when teaching that the student is willing to achieve instruction otherwise, you are throwing good after bad.
What are you teaching? If you don’t know your subject in and out at least have the ability to portray confidence in your subject.
Who are you teaching? If your instruction is not tailored to your student, there is little point because it won’t be received as well as if you just treat them like the individual they are.
Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.
This is the basic essence of not only essay writing but also of teaching in general. We humans are very badly wired. We are lazy thinkers, not good thinkers. And we will forget things easily unless it is drilled into us. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a drill sergeant. It is simple, you just say…
Here is what we are going to be doing.
Here is what we are doing.
Here is what we did.
That’s it, that is the whole story. You tell them, then you told them in fact you may note that… this is exactly what I did here.
The Most important thing
Okay… so I cannot understate this enough…
Walk Away!
Now, am I saying leave a child with a hot wire cutter?… No… I am saying, walk away once your student understands what it is that they are doing… and why do you do this? It’s simple… they need the room to grow. Make yourself a coffee, look at traffic, smell the ocean or listen to the flowers I don’t care what it is… Find an excuse or outright tell them.
That is what I do, I say, okay I am going to leave you to it now, I want you to work on it to the best of your ability and when I come back to tell me what you discovered. People LITERALLY think differently when they are being watched. Mirror neurons are a thing if you don’t believe me well, only 30% of this will get through.
I found that when I returned they are invigorated by discovering things on their own. You set them up with what they need to succeed and when they do it on their own they feel empowered. They feel as if they can go beyond what you said and perhaps their insight will help you. The thing is that simple, having that distance makes them able to connect parts they may not have been able to before.
It doesn’t matter if it is airbrushing or drying brushing, terrain making or fine sculpting unless they have the confidence that they can do it without you, you have failed them. So don’t be dependent on knowing they are doing well. Let them fail, let them pick themselves back up.
After all, you are coming back.
And there it is…
My few lessons on how to teach this hobby to others. Know yourself, know them, know the subject, tell them what you're going to tell them, teach em’ to do it, then tell them what you taught them and finally walk away and let them fail and succeed on their own.
That’s it in a nutshell.
I hope that helps you spread this hobby to others, in the meantime…
