Teaching Systems

The Learning Progression

1. Unconscious incompetence: Don't know what you don't know
2. Conscious incompetence: Know you don't know it, struggle with it
3. Conscious competence: Can do it, but requires focus and attention
4. Unconscious competence: Automatic, no longer requires conscious thought

Good teaching moves people through these stages efficiently. Bad teaching leaves them stuck.

The 70-20-10 Model

• 70% Doing: Hands-on practice is where real learning happens
• 20% Feedback: Coaching, correction, discussion with others
• 10% Instruction: Reading, lectures, watching demonstrations

Most teaching over-relies on instruction (the 10%) and under-emphasizes practice and feedback. Flip this.

Demonstration + Practice

1. Explain: Brief overview of what you'll do and why
2. Demonstrate: Show the skill at normal speed
3. Break down: Show it again slowly, explaining each step
4. Have them try: Student attempts while you watch
5. Coach: Provide feedback, correct mistakes
6. Repeat: Practice until competent

See One, Do One, Teach One

Medical education model that applies to any skill:

• See one: Watch someone else perform the skill
• Do one: Perform it yourself with supervision
• Teach one: Teach it to someone else (proves mastery)

If you can teach it, you truly understand it. Teaching is the final exam.

Apprenticeship Model

Traditional method that produced skilled craftspeople for centuries:

• Extended time: Learning happens over months/years, not hours
• Increasing responsibility: Start with simple tasks, progress to complex
• Live-in or close contact: Constant exposure to the skill
• Economic relationship: Labor exchanged for teaching

Written Procedures

Good procedures enable learning and provide reference:

• Step-by-step: Number each step, one action per step
• Clear language: No jargon without explanation
• Visual aids: Photos or diagrams for complex steps
• Warnings: Highlight safety-critical points
• Troubleshooting: Common problems and solutions

Template: Goal → Materials → Steps → Safety → Troubleshooting → Tips

Checklists

Not just for teaching - for ensuring nothing is missed:

• Pre-task: What must be ready before starting
• During task: Steps that must be done in order
• Post-task: Cleanup, verification, documentation

Checklists reduce cognitive load. When stressed, people forget things. Checklists remember for them.

Quick Reference Cards

• Laminated cards for field use
• Essential information only - no explanations
• Step numbers, critical values, common problems
• Small enough to carry, durable enough to survive

Physical Skills

Gardening, construction, first aid, cooking, repairs

• Demonstration is essential
• Practice must be hands-on
• Feedback on technique matters
• Repetition builds muscle memory

Conceptual Knowledge

Science, math, systems understanding

• Start with why, then how
• Use examples and analogies
• Test understanding with questions
• Connect to practical applications

Decision-Making

When to act, what to prioritize, triage

• Present scenarios and discuss options
• Explain the reasoning behind decisions
• Practice with increasingly complex scenarios
• Debrief after real situations

How to Know They Got It

Age-Appropriate Skills

These are guidelines. Individual children vary. Know your kids.

Teaching Tips for Kids

• Make it fun: Games and challenges beat lectures
• Keep sessions short: Attention spans are limited
• Let them help: Kids want to be useful. Give real tasks.
• Accept imperfection: Better they try imperfectly than never try
• Praise effort: Focus on trying hard, not just success

Skill Sharing Events

• Skill swaps: Everyone teaches something they know
• Workshop days: Focused teaching on specific skills
• Practice groups: Regular meetups to practice together
• Community projects: Learn by doing real work together

Skill Inventory

Map what skills exist in your community:

1. Survey community members about their skills
2. Create a skills directory (who knows what)
3. Identify gaps (what skills are missing?)
4. Connect teachers with learners
5. Update regularly as skills are learned

Drill: Teach Someone a Skill

1. Pick a skill you know well
2. Prepare a 15-minute teaching session
3. Teach it to someone
4. Have them perform the skill without help
5. Debrief: What worked? What didn't?

Drill: Create a Reference Card

1. Pick a skill you or others perform
2. Distill it to essential steps on one page
3. Have someone try to use your card
4. Refine based on their feedback
5. Laminate or protect for field use