What you wish you knew

[Stosh]

Couldn't expect anything more than that!  Well done.

[blw2]

great to hear!

I've got to say that with experience here I'd bet the class was at least as good as any other, if not better.

Just because of the many different perspectives you get here.

 

somewhat related, I took SM specific this weekend too.  Pretty sure it wasn't your class, it was at our U of Scouting (north florida)

 

It was interesting mostly because of the teacher.  he's been a scouter since the early 1970's, and said he's been teaching that particular class (in all of it's various versions) since 1975!  That would have been about when i was a wolf cub scout....

 

Mine was a good class, great teacher.... but I've got to say I feel absolutely no better prepared now than i did last week.  I'll bet your class was likely better.  He did stress letting the boys lead, but honestly I don't think he did enough to really get through to some of the students.  It was just too little time to squeeze in better discussion.  I brought up a few tidbits & things I have learned through my self study but there wasn't enough time to really get into it.

A few things he taught seemed a little too much on the fence for my liking.... too much "it depends on the unit" talk, some of which really undermines some boy lead principles.... & I gathered that some of the good stuff just didn't click for many of the students who had already been working as ASM and SM.

[Sentinel947]

I stressed the importance of continuing to learn. One is not prepared to be a Scoutmaster or ASM after a 4 hour class. 

@@blw2 I was not teaching your class. I was in Florida. =P 

 

I will say "it depends on your unit" did cross my lips several times. That's not to imply that the Patrol Method or Youth leadership are optional... they are not.. However..... those concepts are not a light switch. It's a continuum of progress. For some troops, they aren't even on the path yet. I can attest it can takes time, and it's little steps forward. Not to bring that subject up here, it's more than beaten on in other threads. 

My course had 7 folks in it. Ranging from Troops of 5 boys to a troop of 30ish. So I had to break down the mental barrier for myself that what works well for a Troop of 75 scouts like mine, may not work in a small troop. 

 

Some of the leaders were LDS, and I will remember to ask at the beginning of the class next time. While the principles are the same, they have their own structure and rules, and I think I confused them a bit. 

Overall, I beat the drum on the patrol method, and definitely made it a point to let the Scouts lead as much as possible. That the process is chaotic, and that's ok. 

Edited February 1, 2016 by Sentinel947

[qwazse]

Now comes the tough part of teaching these courses where you ask yourself "How much do I want to be The Guy." Since you got positive feedback, these leaders sound like they trust you. (Either that, or Mormons are just inscrutably nice even on feedback forms.) Get with the course coordinator and see if you can follow-up either by phone or at roundtables in the next couple of months to see if anything you taught actually worked for them! Then see if you can invite them to whatever next class you're gonna teach.