12 Teaching Reminders

 

  1. If it isn't broke, fix it anyway. Always look for better ways to do things. Make your good teaching methods even better. The best teachers are generally the best students and never stop learning. 
  2. Plan your work, work your plan. Organization is at the heart of good teaching. Know what you are going to teach, how you are going to teach it, when you'll teach it, to whom you are teaching it and why you are teaching it.
  3. Use the KISS formula. It's time tested and still rings true today: "Keep It Simple, Stupid!" Our jobs as teachers is to "trim as much fat" as possible off what we teach. Be specific in terms of teaching only things players will do in the game. Simplicity leads to quality.
  4. Build on rock, not on sand. Teach the basic skills first and build progressively to those that are more difficult and challenging. As in building a house, it's the foundation that allows it to withstand the storms that come along.
  5. Have a vision for your students. What do you see for your players individually and your team collectively? Paint a picture of what they can become. 
  6. Attitudes and techniques. Along with teaching the techniques, teach the intangibles that make those techniques successful under the most trying circumstances. It's the intangible qualities that lead to the highest level of execution
  7. We remember best what we see. Students are better visual learners than auditory learners. Demonstrate the correct technique while explaining it.
  8. Get to the point. Keep your explanations and demonstrations concise. Be specific. Don't overwhelm players with too much information.
  9. Say it once, do it ten times. Students learn best by doing. Repetition, then, is the mother of learning.
  10. Don't just do it, do it right. Demand quality execution from your players. Repetition alone is not enough, it's quality repetitions that count. 
  11. Teach on the run. Once the techniques have been explained and demonstrated, correct and instruct your players as they are doing it. Avoid stopping the group to instruct one player unless it's something everyone can benefit from.
  12. Don't blame the lemon on the workers. If things aren't successful, evaluate. How can you do a better job with your players? Ask another coach to evaluate you practices or games and be open to criticism. Listen to your players, especially your graduating seniors, as it's amazing what you can learn.

--The Coaching and Leadership Journal



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