How would you teach?

You take in information, sure. But can you relay that information to others and do it justice?

I'm officially a Teaching Assistant at my dojo/college now - it really doesn't change anything, but it'll look nice on my resume! On top of that, I'll be doing a session at taiko on karate and the basics of Shotokan, for us to experience what it's like moving in a way both similar and different to what we're used to. Even though I teach basics often enough, this time it's in a setting where I have a different role - instead of senior student, of senpai, I'm just another player.

So I've been thinking about how to teach basic fundamental techniques in a different way. How do I break down six weeks of basic material into 50 minutes? What to leave out? What has to stay in? How do I communicate the information without expecting compliance, like I get in the dojo?

Which brings me to my question to you, dear reader. You know an art, a skill, a trade. How would you teach it to a group of people who know nothing about it? What are the key points that you would make sure to cover? What would your demeanor be like?

Some of you may not care about this - maybe you feel you teach well enough or don't have to worry about teaching? In that case, instead of thinking about teaching to others, think about how it makes you approach the material in a different way, which in turn helps you understand the material better, which then can help you do it better.

And if you feel you don't need to understand it better, well then why are you reading my blog? You're obviously good enough to be a superstar. ;)