1-16 Teaching applicable safety precautions is especially important. Teach a safety precaution just before reaching the point in your demonstration where it applies. State the  reason  for  the  precaution  so  that  the  trainees  will understand the need for compliance. Patience is a virtue for any petty officer. If it does not come naturally to you, you must train yourself to be patient. A slow learner may never acquire the knowledge or skill you are trying to impart if you are impatient. Avoid sarcasm toward a bungler; that person may be trying  harder  than  you  suspect.  Nothing  exhausts  the patience of the expert as much as the fumbling attempts of  a  beginner;  however,  the  instructor  must  patiently demonstrate  and  explain  until  the  trainee  acquires  the needed competence. “Good instruction” means a more effective crew, and such an asset justifies any amount of patience. If you find that your trainees have not learned what you tried to teach them, do not react as if they disobeyed orders. If trainees do not understand a certain lesson or operation, that could indicate a poor job of teaching. The old  saying,  “If  the  learner  hasn't  learned,  the  teacher hasn't taught” might apply in some situations. RELATED TECHNIQUES You can use instructional techniques with any of the above methods. These techniques include the use of the lesson summary, oral questioning, and training aids. Lesson Summary The term summary as used here refers to that part of the lesson in which the instructor reviews the material covered. In summarizing, keep in mind two major aims. First, you want to help the trainees identify and organize the subject matter. Second, you want to assist the trainees in understanding and, where necessary, in memorizing the  subject  matter.  Use  the  following  techniques  in summarizing a lesson: · Introduce the summary properly. · Summarize the subject matter thoroughly. Plan the summary so that it assists the trainees in organizing the  important  subject  matter  into  a  form  more  easily learned. Review the actual subject matter, not just the topic,  thoroughly  enough  for  the  trainees  to  gain  an adequate   understanding   of   the   subject.   Having   the trainees review the topics (class notes) will aid them in understanding the subject. · Avoid  a  strictly  oral  summary,  if   possible. Remember, if you need training aids to make the right kind of lesson presentation, then you also need them for the right kind of summary. · Summarize at appropriate intervals. If the lesson is long for example, 2 or 3 hours in duration, you would be wise to summarize at the end of each period or at the end of each significant area of subject matter. Trainees will absorb short summaries better than an unduly long summary at the end of the complete lesson. Oral Questioning Enough    emphasis    cannot    be    placed    on    the importance  of  questioning  in  any  teaching  situation. Often the difference between a dull, boring lecture and a lively discussion is only a matter of some well-planned, well-directed oral questions. The ability to direct thought through  questioning  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most valid proofs of teaching skill. A direct relationship exists between your success as an instructor and the quality and quantity   of   oral   questioning   you   use   in   teaching. Therefore,  you  will  find  the  following  techniques  of invaluable use to you, as an instructor: · Stimulate  trainee  thought.  Ask  questions  that call for  the  application  of  facts,  rather  than  just  facts alone.  Facts  easily  can  be  committed  to  memory  and require little or no thought on the part of the trainee. · Establish a level of instruction. Ask questions that require trainees to comment on previous experience in the subject matter you are going to teach. By asking a series of oral questions, you can determine the trainees' level of knowledge in a particular subject matter. That information  will  enable  you  to  determine  the  level  at which you should begin instruction. · Arouse interest. Asking a general question, such as “How many of you have fired a .50-caliber machine gun?” or “How many persons died on the highways last year?”   will   serve   to   clear   trainees'   minds   of   any extraneous thoughts. Such questions aid in motivating trainees, as they mentally search for an answer. This type of questioning usually is used to generate interest in a large block of subject matter, usually a lesson as a whole.