Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 17 of 17

Thread: Instructorship and connection.

  1. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    West
    Quote Originally Posted by SouthNarc View Post
    The second reason I do it is because it forces an individual connection with every person.
    As a student (EWO), I noticed this. But I didn't realize it was intentional, which makes it even more effective.

    On a related note, I try hard to remember people names in day to day life, and I think it really helps develop rapport and relationships.

  2. #12
    Site Supporter Hambo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Behind the Photonic Curtain
    Quote Originally Posted by SouthNarc View Post
    ShivWorks Instructorship Hack Number One:

    Establishing Connection.

    Part of being a successful teacher is establishing connection with not only the class, but every single person in it. This can be difficult, and one tends to be on a constant bungee cord from the entire group at 10,000 feet, to the individual at ground zero.

    Years ago I started playing what I think of as the “Name Game”.

    I begin every class by asking each person to introduce themselves to me and the group, tell me a bit about their training pedigree, and then I ask what they want from the weekend. After they do that, I thank them for investing in me and the coursework for the weekend and I tell them that I will do my best to make sure their time and money will be well spent. This is when I start working on names. I begin recording names with faces. Sometimes the names are unusual and easy to remember. Other times the names are common and the person is average featured so it takes a while. In an ECQC class this begins on Friday night, and I have until the class ends on Sunday evening to have on average, twenty names. The reason for this is that I end every class by again going to each person, now calling them by their name, and asking them what they thought of the weekend.

    Usually this practice is mentioned by someone in their de-brief and they are stunned that I can remember twenty names and faces accurately.

    No one taught me how to do this. I didn’t learn it in an instructor development class. I figured it out.
    I went to a class (not shooting related), and the woman teaching it had us do an ice breaker (intro yourself to someone you do not know) and then that person introduced you. After all forty people had been introduced to the class, she went back through all forty names and something about each of us. She made the point that it can be done if you really listen. Ever since then, in any group, I do my best to get all names down immediately.
    "Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA

  3. #13
    Hokey / Ancient JAD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Kansas City
    I’m very intentional about note taking in meetings with customers. I try to put my notebook away and listen with my hands folded as much as I can, unless the customer is clearly dictating specifications. But at the beginning of the meeting I introduce myself and ask each person to tell me their name and function, and I carefully write it down. This is a little disruptive and I have to watch time management, but it’s necessary now that more often than not people don’t have business cards.
    Ignore Alien Orders

  4. #14
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Colorado
    Quote Originally Posted by SouthNarc View Post
    I know in my soul when I haven’t connected with someone in a class.
    That's such an uncomfortable feeling. I hate knowing I disappointed a guest, and that I could have done better. That shit hurts my soul.

  5. #15
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Erie County, NY
    The classic mnemonic device for remembering folks' name came from research on visual imagery. You train yourself to establish a visual image based on the name that incorporates the person's face with the image that clues the name. A simple example is Stanley Fish. You visualize his head on a fish. It turns out that since we are such visual animals, we recall visual images well. That is because:

    1. A large part of the primate visual brain is designate for vision. If you were just a monkey, it would be about 60%. It's less a percent with us as we added such large frontal areas that make us smart (haha) but we have the large processing areas. There are 20 or more specialized areas for all kinds of visual tasks, motion, color, depth, facial recognition - fascinating structures.

    2. The visual images thus are recalled better and faster with less interference that pure verbal tags.

    Used to do a week on visual imagery in Cognitive Psychology class. I could also tell how the large Texan psychologist who developed and refined the techniques accidentally broke down the door of a Japanese colleague after a night of imbiding. I'll skip the details.

    The use of visual imagery goes back to the Greeks (Method of Loci) but modern neuroscience and recordings figured out the basis.

  6. #16
    Site Supporter Hambo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Behind the Photonic Curtain
    Quote Originally Posted by Glenn E. Meyer View Post
    The classic mnemonic device for remembering folks' name came from research on visual imagery. You train yourself to establish a visual image based on the name that incorporates the person's face with the image that clues the name. A simple example is Stanley Fish. You visualize his head on a fish. It turns out that since we are such visual animals, we recall visual images well. That is because:

    1. A large part of the primate visual brain is designate for vision. If you were just a monkey, it would be about 60%. It's less a percent with us as we added such large frontal areas that make us smart (haha) but we have the large processing areas. There are 20 or more specialized areas for all kinds of visual tasks, motion, color, depth, facial recognition - fascinating structures.

    2. The visual images thus are recalled better and faster with less interference that pure verbal tags.

    Used to do a week on visual imagery in Cognitive Psychology class. I could also tell how the large Texan psychologist who developed and refined the techniques accidentally broke down the door of a Japanese colleague after a night of imbiding. I'll skip the details.

    The use of visual imagery goes back to the Greeks (Method of Loci) but modern neuroscience and recordings figured out the basis.
    Interesting. I suppose I do that in a way, although I relate what you do/like vs. seeing a fish. In my head it goes like this: looking at you, I note that Glenn likes (whatever you told me you like).
    "Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA

  7. #17
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Northern Virginia
    And there I was, thinking you knew my name because you really liked me. This is the most disappointing thing I've heard since the stripper incident.

    Kidding. Great tip.

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •