wrote:
OK, I admit I am unable to teach someone.

You can lead a horse to water but cant make them drink.

The secrect getting a horse to drink water is not leading them around,
rather, its how to create the thirst.

You should not be concerend with "teaching" studetns rather wondering
how studetns "learn."
Thus: learners not students.


Sometimes you explain it
several times and they dont get it. What do you do?

Determine what the learner need to be able to do when its all over.
Match learnering styles, outcomes, learning methods.


Years ago, I
taught College Physics and my students seemed to think I was good but
that is all abstractions. Teaching a skill is different.


No, not really. Yes, there are a few diffrneces between Thinking and
DOing skills but in the long run none.

I have never
been able to teach my wife to steer a canoe either. I cannot explain
how to do it,

Sounds as though you lack the skill to describe skills (behaviors) ,
that when put together, alow a person to canoe.

Think: Progressve approximation of a target behavior. In other words,
baby steps. Or learn to crawl before stand, before toddle, before walk,
before walking 25 feet without falling. etc.

I just do it.

Modeling is an effective learning stratigy. See one, do one, teach one.
Monkey see, monkey do (social learning theory)

Its like explaining how to ride a bike.
Some people really want personal instruction and others just want to be
pointed in the right direction and let them go.

Yes, now youre on the right track. Diffrent learning types.


My son is like my
wife, he craves instruction to the nth degree and he makes me crazy.

Do you mean detailed concrete instructions? If you can not explaine
what you want how on earth can you expect someone to do it?????

My 10 yr old daughter just wants some general directions and she'll
figure out the rest. Of course, my little daughter drives my wife
crazy.
Tacking in the channel was like that. How do I tell her "Steer up when
you feel power coming on from the wind and then down a little when it
goes away".

Lots of prereq skills to acccomplish that.


"When you tack, you gotta feel when the wind begins to
catch the jib to help push the bow around in a tight tacking situation"
There is a lotta "feel" that goes into this that I cannot explain.

You are not alone. I have listened to 1000s of seasoned managers, cops,
teachers, who get very frustrated becfause they lack the skills to
describe human behavor. Just that you are describing this problem shows
that you have great insight.

The first step is to be able tod istinguish betwen an opinion and a
fact. For example:
1) outside theweather is 81 degrees F, wind NW 18-24 K, visibility 3000
m.
2) Its a beautiful day.

Which is an opinion? Which is the fact (observable behavior)

Now lets take that concept and apply it diffrently. Which is an
opnionand fact?
1) you are so stupid!
2) name all parts of the mainsail.

AKA bob

OK, I admit I am unable to teach someone. Sometimes you explain it
several times and they dont get it. What do you do? Years ago, I
taught College Physics and my students seemed to think I was good but
that is all abstractions. Teaching a skill is different. I have never
been able to teach my wife to steer a canoe either. I cannot explain
how to do it, I just do it. Its like explaining how to ride a bike.
Some people really want personal instruction and others just want to be
pointed in the right direction and let them go. My son is like my
wife, he craves instruction to the nth degree and he makes me crazy.
My 10 yr old daughter just wants some general directions and she'll
figure out the rest. Of course, my little daughter drives my wife
crazy.
Tacking in the channel was like that. How do I tell her "Steer up when
you feel power coming on from the wind and then down a little when it
goes away". "When you tack, you gotta feel when the wind begins to
catch the jib to help push the bow around in a tight tacking situation"
There is a lotta "feel" that goes into this that I cannot explain.


A lot of good advice has been givien here but I think that the answer to how
you teach someone to get the feeling of the thing has not really been
adressed fully. Admittedly I have never taught someone to sail, as I am just
learning myself, but I do have a lot of experience in another area that is
perhaps more difficult. I am a martial artist in several styles and the task
of learning/ teaching someone, how to feel your body move and react to
itself is very difficult. How do you tell somone what it feels like from
your point of view to push or hold some thing. The thing that I have always
felt worked best was to put their hand between mine and the target, going
lightly. If i am pushing they can feel how much force goes into them and
what I am reading that comes out of the object. I would suggest putting her
hand on the tiller, when it comes time for that, and holding her hand over
the top. She can feel when you move and why, she can feel how hard you hold
it and when you shift directions. This might also have some benefit in the
patience and understanding arena as she might feel better holding hands and
being close to you than she would standing across the deck with you shouting
orders. In my experience, most women like holding hands. If she doesn't
learn to sail at least you had fun.

--
Message posted via BoatKB.com
http://www.boatkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/boats/200611/1

" wrote in
oups.com:

There is a lotta "feel" that goes into this that I cannot explain.


Just as you would send your daughter to a good driver training class,
rather than try to teach her how to drive, yourself, and ruining your
relationship with her....wouldn't it be prudent, not to mention a smooth
move to save a marriage, to send the wife to a good sailing school to
learn how to sail?

DO NOT FORCE HER, which will never work. She might not like sailing at
all, but doesn't want to hurt your feelings....any more than you do
because YOU don't like to go shopping for clothes, like she loves.

ONLY if she's truly interested in boats and sailing....should she be
sailing with a crusty old pirate like YOU...shouting orders and cursing
like Captain Blythe from his lofty perch to the slaves on the deck below,
anyways.

(I'm betting she's not interested, never having laid eyes on her.)

Larry
--
Heading out in the morning to retrieve a "few" hundred gallons more FREE
FUEL for the Frybrids. I got enough stored now to run a Hatteras 60 to
Europe!

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:31:23 -0500, Larry wrote:

Heading out in the morning to retrieve a "few" hundred gallons more FREE
FUEL for the Frybrids. I got enough stored now to run a Hatteras 60 to
Europe!

How do you store all of that? Running a big Hatt to Europe could
easily take 9,000 gallons or more.

O'Hara,

Read your "shame and debasement" post and was stunned that you have
failed to train a crew. If you fell overboard everyone might die. I bet your
wife can cook, drive a car, etc. so why can't she sail? Clearly she is
capable of learning stuff.
Rather than trying to analyze and correct your teaching skills send your
wife to a school run by someone with a reputation for competence. The goal
is for her to learn how to sail not for you to learn how to teach.
I'm assuming here that your wife does want to learn how to sail.

Dave M.

David Martel wrote:
O'Hara,

Read your "shame and debasement" post and was stunned that you have
failed to train a crew. If you fell overboard everyone might die. I bet your
wife can cook, drive a car, etc. so why can't she sail? Clearly she is
capable of learning stuff.
Rather than trying to analyze and correct your teaching skills send your
wife to a school run by someone with a reputation for competence. The goal
is for her to learn how to sail not for you to learn how to teach.
I'm assuming here that your wife does want to learn how to sail.

Dave M.

I do not sail with my wife much. I mostly sail single handed where I
use a harness. Even with my wife, I wear an auto-inflatable lifejacket
with personal EPIRB. She simply has little desire to sail.

wrote in message
ups.com...

David Martel wrote:
O'Hara,

Read your "shame and debasement" post and was stunned that you have
failed to train a crew. If you fell overboard everyone might die. I bet
your
wife can cook, drive a car, etc. so why can't she sail? Clearly she is
capable of learning stuff.
Rather than trying to analyze and correct your teaching skills send
your
wife to a school run by someone with a reputation for competence. The
goal
is for her to learn how to sail not for you to learn how to teach.
I'm assuming here that your wife does want to learn how to sail.

Dave M.

I do not sail with my wife much. I mostly sail single handed where I
use a harness. Even with my wife, I wear an auto-inflatable lifejacket
with personal EPIRB. She simply has little desire to sail.


Time to trade it in for a nice power boat. ;-)

JimH wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...

David Martel wrote:
O'Hara,

Read your "shame and debasement" post and was stunned that you have
failed to train a crew. If you fell overboard everyone might die. I bet
your
wife can cook, drive a car, etc. so why can't she sail? Clearly she is
capable of learning stuff.
Rather than trying to analyze and correct your teaching skills send
your
wife to a school run by someone with a reputation for competence. The
goal
is for her to learn how to sail not for you to learn how to teach.
I'm assuming here that your wife does want to learn how to sail.

Dave M.

I do not sail with my wife much. I mostly sail single handed where I
use a harness. Even with my wife, I wear an auto-inflatable lifejacket
with personal EPIRB. She simply has little desire to sail.


Time to trade it in for a nice power boat. ;-)

Why, I like sailing? Besides, i will soon have a power boat too.

wrote in message
ups.com...

JimH wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...

David Martel wrote:
O'Hara,

Read your "shame and debasement" post and was stunned that you have
failed to train a crew. If you fell overboard everyone might die. I
bet
your
wife can cook, drive a car, etc. so why can't she sail? Clearly she
is
capable of learning stuff.
Rather than trying to analyze and correct your teaching skills send
your
wife to a school run by someone with a reputation for competence. The
goal
is for her to learn how to sail not for you to learn how to teach.
I'm assuming here that your wife does want to learn how to sail.

Dave M.

I do not sail with my wife much. I mostly sail single handed where I
use a harness. Even with my wife, I wear an auto-inflatable lifejacket
with personal EPIRB. She simply has little desire to sail.


Time to trade it in for a nice power boat. ;-)

Why, I like sailing? Besides, i will soon have a power boat too.


It was a joke..........a joke..........get it? Hmmm...

Based on your 'Shame and Debasement" story and how you treated your wife you
need to take a couple of steps back and chill out. Life is too short guy.
;-)

Trade what in? the wife? :P
" JimH" not telling you @ pffftt.com wrote in message
. ..

wrote in message
ups.com...

David Martel wrote:
O'Hara,

Read your "shame and debasement" post and was stunned that you have
failed to train a crew. If you fell overboard everyone might die. I bet
your
wife can cook, drive a car, etc. so why can't she sail? Clearly she is
capable of learning stuff.
Rather than trying to analyze and correct your teaching skills send
your
wife to a school run by someone with a reputation for competence. The
goal
is for her to learn how to sail not for you to learn how to teach.
I'm assuming here that your wife does want to learn how to sail.

Dave M.

I do not sail with my wife much. I mostly sail single handed where I
use a harness. Even with my wife, I wear an auto-inflatable lifejacket
with personal EPIRB. She simply has little desire to sail.


Time to trade it in for a nice power boat. ;-)