Teaching Experience #5
Yesterday morning Siri and I met at 7:30 am at Bonneville golf course. It was so cold we could see our breath. I took into consideration the cold weather and planned breaks throughout our two hour golf session. Luckily, Siri is warm blooded and was comfortable in her shorts that she arrived in. I on the other hand needed the chance to warm my hands between golf segments. She seemed bright and eager to learn. I reviewed our first golf lesson by asking her what she remembered from our first meeting. She remembered more information than I thought she would because it has been a couple weeks, and I know she is a busy person. She reiterated four out of the five basics to putting. Then i had her do about a 15 ft putt drill going through each of the five steps. I gave her feed back on her aim, her stroke, and her tempo as she continued to gradually get closer to the hole with each putt. After that drill we played a little competition game where we both would putt to each of the holes around the putting green with the goal to never 3 putt. This drill helped her to understand the importance of reading the green correctly, getting the speed and direction down so that you can have a short second putt.
As we played I talked her through how a golfer thinks on the green or while playing in general; adding in jargon here and there, and also competetive or visual strategies or what I have learned from past instructors. She appreciated knowing the ins and outs that students sometimes don't get in lessons because teachers feel that students can't handle the information overload. This is true in some cases; usually I do go with short and sweet. If Siri were trying to become a real expert golfer than I maybe would have left some details of instruction out of the lesson, and focused soley on skill aquisition, and competetive strategies. However, I know that she can handle lots of information, make sense of things pretty quickly, and appreciates knowing the mental aspects of the game just as much as the physical. I know this because she is skier and a coach herself and knows the importance of positve mental and visual balance. I discovered this about Siri through many conversations in and outside of class. She is a holistic individual and also a hands on learner. I made sure to give her the chance to putt with my putter more than I was using the putter. Ideally, I would like if she had her own or could rent a set. I also tried to explain how touch and feel with the distance is acquired through repetition and practice but she could also get a feel for how hard to hit a putt by looking at the hole and taking practice strokes before hitting the ball. I told her I'd make a mini golf champion out of her. After the putting drills I proceeded to teach her additional golf skills in the learner progression.
Learning Experience #5
I did two crockpot recipes within the last week that turned out amazing! I love chicken and rice so last Wednesday, I decided to throw in four frozen chicken breasts, two cans of condensed chicken soup, along with some mushrooms, and a few other ingredients and let it cook for a few hours. About 30 min before dinner time I steamed some rice and broccoli in my slow cooker. This recipe was extremely easy because it didn't call for a great deal of ingredients and I didn't have to defrost the frozen chicken. My roommates loved it, and I felt like "Hey, maybe I could be a cook after all!" However, I did notice that no matter how simple the instructions seemed, I was still a little bit more stressed than I probably should have been. I realize that I was probably feeling stress because I wasn't just cooking for myself but for my roommates as well, and that whenever I am learning something new or challenging there is always that edge or stress that comes with pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. I had these same feelings while I was preparing the second crockpot recipe last night, beef enchilada soup. I was more stressed at the grocery store because I couldn't find the green enchilada sauce easily. After a long time of searching I finally asked a grocery store attendant if they had some, and where I could find it. He immediately directed me to the isle without hesitation, and said that he would start checking my other items while I went to get some. From this experience I learned that it is so much easier just to ASK WHEN YOU HAVE A QUESTION or when you need help or assistance. It really does save time and energy, and it is worth any minimal ego blow I might experience. Also this experience reminded me of the idea of interdependence and how the people in the grocery store are trained to help and assist customers. They are experts in their field and I should ask for their assistance because I am not an expert in negotiating the grocery store. In a vicarious way I help others to be more fulfilled when I allow them to serve or help me. Interdependence is the way small and big jobs get done. Yes, learning how to negotiate the store without help can be a great independent accomplishment, but I learned that it is just as great to talk with someone who works there, find my items quicker, and enjoy a pleasant conversation with a person. I think we are trained to be so independent that we actually lose social skills as we go through high school and college. Then employers wonder why their employees don't work well with others or as a team? ---The crockpot turned out to be one of the best beef enchilada soups that I have ever tasted!
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