taught it; so as soon as you teach trainees to do a  job,  have  them  practice  it. Teaching  applicable  safety  precautions  is especially  important.  Teach  a  safety  precaution just before reaching the point in your demonstra- tion  where  it  applies.  Tell  the  reason  for  the precaution so that the trainees will understand the need  to  comply  with  it. 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 under- stand  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 under- standing  and,  where  necessary,  in  memorizing  the subject  matter.  Use  the  following  techniques  in summarizing a lesson: 1.  Introduce  the  summary  properly. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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 We  cannot  place  enough  emphasis  on  the importance   of   questioning   in   any  teaching situation.  Oftentimes,  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 the instructor: 1. Stimulate trainee thought. Ask  questions that call for the application of facts rather than just facts alone. Facts can easily be committed to memory  and  require  little  or  no  thought  on  the part  of  the  trainee. 2. 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. 3. 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 5-8