So, you have asked the questions, or used the checklist to gather information on the new player at your practice… WHAT NOW???? Keep Calm, and Design Instruction Conversational Tools First, most of the time it will be more informal and organic. It will come up as general reminders or comments from your students. Putting prior knowledge to use is one of the most fun things in the beginning. It can create a cooperative learning environment and establish trust between the teacher and student. Conversations might sound like: “OK we are going to work on footwork first! I know you have some experience with ballet. As we work think about what foot positions this work is similar to and tell me what the names for these foot positions in ballet are.” “You have done Tae Kwon Do? Great! Can you show me horse stance? This is the perfect place to start building a period fencing stance! You are already HALFWAY THERE!” Any time you can help your student by: A) Referencing prior knowledge “Hey this mov
Prior Knowledge for Fighters and Coaches So, if you have not heard before, the term prior knowledge refers to everything a student walked in the door knowing that day. It seems like a really easy concept, of course you want to know how much they know, OF course we ask new fighters things. But are we asking the right questions, and are we asking and evaluating enough to really know where these fighters are at? Conversely, are we handing a Kindergartener a typewriter and sending them off to write a novel so to speak. Did you assess their understanding of basics? (What is your definition of basics?) Did you talk to them about learning preferences, how to address them, and preferences about physical interaction? What style are they learning? DId you ask about physical limitations? Previous teachers? What about other sports or activities, and confrontational skills? As a classroom teacher I used checklists daily to assess skills and knowledge, and make certain I was moving children th