Spotting skills

[Liemberg 0]

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You may not like the way a person presents knowledge, and thats fine. But no matter what you think about the method..The knowledge does not change. Correct is still correct even if you don't like the delivery.

Then again, if the 'delivery of the knowledge' gets in the way and the instructor is drawn into a pissing contest in stead of delivering the knowledge, he is wasting his time anyway.

The most efficient instructor also takes that into his deliberations. It may be a 'chicken and egg'-discussion, but when invariably the same thing happens over and over again (someone asks a question in one of the forums, you chime in with sound advice, one or two others that already made five coach-jumps and spotted 3 cessna loads also chime in and "here we go again"...)

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If the behavior continued, they would be bounced from the class. This also applies to my "weekend" job as a skydiving Instructor and coach.

I think there is a big difference between teaching as it is normally done in 99+ % of the cases at hand and (recreational) skydiving instruction. At your real job people are PAID to be instructed by you.
At the DZ it is them that pay (well maybe not you and certainly not enough, but often it costs them money to listen to you...)
That brings you in the same realm as the skiing instructor with one major difference and that is that you teach survival skills. When there 'the knowledge' isn't delivered correctly or misunderstood, the student may be in trouble.
In my experience they fundamentally respect that - though nervousness can make them "louder" than you find desirable in your classroom. But the nature of the forum dictates that no one (except the head honcho) can claim the forum as his classroom.

I think I and others get as frustrated by that fact as you often seem to be. But contrary to the situation you may find yourself in when at the DZ where you more or less can dictate at the end of a discussion what the do's and don'ts are (well, at least I can
Therefore, in the end, 'being likeable' pays, when you want to be heard.

"Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci
A thousand words...

[Ron 10]

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Then again, if the 'delivery of the knowledge' gets in the way and the instructor is drawn into a pissing contest in stead of delivering the knowledge, he is wasting his time anyway.

It is something I am working on....Its hard since I still want to pass the knowledge on. I should realize that I can only do half, and that is present the information. And they have to do half...And that is learn the information. If they don't want to learn...For example they think they already know, then there is nothing more I can do.

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Therefore, in the end, 'being likeable' pays, when you want to be heard

True. I find that the only folks that don't like me...Are the ones that argue. I am not always right, but I try to listen when someone with more experience talks. Even if I disagree...They differince is I don't argue with them. I may ask questions, but I don't assume I am right.

I am willing to learn, and I find that folks that are willing to learn also like me. It's only they ones trying to prove themselves and that argue don't.

Still, I am sitting here in Orlando at an instuctor seminar working on better ways to teach....One of the concepts was ot not bother with an argumentative student....And that only happens on here like you say.

So I am going totry, but its hard since I still care.

I will just do my half and make them do theirs

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[skydivermom 0]

Ron,

I hate that this thread has become what it has. Still, in spite of that, it's been helpful to me. I appreciate you taking the time to present the information. It took me several pack jobs to feel confident enough to do it by myself, and I still have much improvement. So I'm sure it will take several times to spot before I feel confident with that...but it's nice to have the information.

You know, skydivers are really few and far between, we have to stick together.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[Ron 10]

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So I'm sure it will take several times to spot before I feel confident with that

Keep learning to stay alive. A Bad spot is often the event that starts an accident.

The first event is often canopy selection, or training....But I know folks that do fine for 100 jumps when the spot is good, and then they think they "Got it". Once the spot is bad things happen quickly and sometimes with tragic results.

I wish they would:
1. Select better equipment for their experience level
2. Train with the equipment.
3. Learn to spot and what do do if the spot is bad.

While all three contribute the the accident, preventing ANY of the three can prevent an accident from happining, and preventing ALL three is the safest bet.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[kelpdiver 2]

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True. I find that the only folks that don't like me...Are the ones that argue. I am not always right, but I try to listen when someone with more experience talks. Even if I disagree...They differince is I don't argue with them. I may ask questions, but I don't assume I am right.

Hey, I like you. Though I think you sometimes translate your personal value judgements into 'rightness.'

The line between asking questions and arguing is a small one. Looking at this particular thread, much of it looked to be semantical in nature, and people were arguing with different assumptions in play as to how the GPS would be used.