Special Instruction

“The most important object in Boy Scout training is to educate, not instruct.” - Lord Baden Powell

Special Skills Instruction/Training Activities

There are SO Many Skills that can be taught at a Troop Meeting.  Some of these skills are best taught by local experts.  That said, most can by taught by the Senior Youth Leadership. 

Now, instruction can be fun and full of awe and instruction and be boring and just downright miserable.  The former is preferred.  

Topics

Topics are endless.  They include special skills taught by local experts and also include basic skills taught by Scouts.

Instructional Method

There are better ways to instruct.  First and foremost, Scouting is NOT School.  Sure, there are rank requirements that are important and things that must be learned to better participate in outdoor activities, but a didactic program modeled after school is the wrong approach. 

Much of the following is based on Clarke Green's musings on The Scouting Instructional Technique

About The Instructional Methods for Scouts

Consider the goals of instruction by Scouting's founder Sir Baden Powell:

"When it is applied with understanding and consideration the advancement program fosters encouragement and ambition regardless of an individual boy’s abilities.

It is for this reason that the standard of proficiency is purposely left undefined.

Our standard is not the attainment of a certain level of quality of knowledge or skill, but the amount of effort the boy has put into acquiring such knowledge or skill. This brings the most inept to an equal footing with his more capable brother.

Evaluation for Badges is not competitive. The Scoutmaster judge each individual case on its merits, and discriminating where to be generous and where to tighten up. Some are inclined to insist that their Scouts should be expert before they can get a Badge. That is very right, in theory; you get a few boys pretty proficient in this way but our object is to get all the boys interested. The Scoutmaster who rewards effort as opposed to expertise develops confidence and enthusiasm, whereas a demanding standard of performance makes boys reluctant and hesitant.

The other extreme is almost giving away the Badges on very slight knowledge of the subjects. Scoutmasters should use their sense and discretion, keeping the main aim in view. There is always the danger of Badge-hunting supplanting Badge-earning. Our aim is to encourage initiative and self confidence, instead of showy, self-indulgence. The Scoutmaster must be on the alert to check Badge-hunting and to realize which is the Badge-hunter is and which is the eager and earnest worker. The success of the Advancement Program depends very largely on the Scoutmaster himself and his individual handling of it."

Scout aged youth, particularly boys, learn out of curiosity.  If you can get them interested in a topic, they will be eager to learn more about it.  If you rather show them a list of requirements to advance, most will be uninterested in the topics at hand, even those wishing to check off the requirements in a timely manner. 

"IT IS, IN FACT, NOTHING short of a miracle that the modern methods of education have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty. To the contrary, I believe that it would be possible to rob even a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness, if it were possible, with the aid of a whip, to force the beast to devour continuously, even when not hungry, especially if the food, handed out under such coercion, were to be selected accordingly. "   -- Albert Einstein

Per Clarke Green, true learning happens when we apply the following principles to instructing youth: 

• Scouts are eager to learn

• Instructional methods must be tailored to match a pupil's age and ability

• Active discovery beats passive learning

• Good learning requires freedom of inquiry

• Scouts thrive on challenge

The conventional classroom approach to instruction is a poor model for instruction in the Scouting environment.  It just sucks the life out of Scouts, is ineffective and hurts the overall Scouting program.   Per Sir Baden Powell:

"If once we make Scouting into a formal scheme of serious instruction and efficiency, we miss the whole point and value of Scout training, and imitate the work of schools without the trained experts for carrying it out.

We want to get all our boys along through affirmative self-development from within and not through the imposition of formal instruction from without. The advancement program stimulates enthusiasm on the part of any boy to do things that can be helpful in forming his character or developing his skill."

Per Clarke Green, the model for Scouting Instruction should follow these principles: 

• No lectures lasting more than about 2 minutes

• (a lecture, for our purposes, is defined as pupils passively listening to an instructor speak)

• No preprinted written tests or evaluations

• No handouts over 1 page long (back and front)

• No extensive note taking

• No 'homework'

Who Instructs in Scouting?

Adult Leaders are, for the most part, excellent instructors.  Many have years of experience in the topics being taught and you may even have professional instructors available to you as we do in Troop 60.  

For Council Level courses, such as Wilderness First Aid and NRA firearms training, our instructors are trained professional adults with teaching certifications for the subjects they teach.  These classes are designed to deliver large amounts of information and teach skills to adults responsible for the safety on outings and at special events.  Anything less than a professional level program is unacceptable.  These courses tend to take an entire weekend and are filled with intense didactic and and hands-on training.  These courses are very different than the courses taught at the Troop Level.

At the Troop Level, instruction isn't about turning Scouts into experts in the topic at hand.  A more realistic and practical goal is to enable Scout to get a basic understanding of the topic.  Scouts can and will later develop skills and knowledge at subsequent training sessions, special events, follow up games and challenges and with practical use of skills and knowledge on outings.  

Instruction at the Troop Level doesn't need to, nor should, be styled after college level lectures or even Council Level Instructional Programs.  Instructors also don't need to be subject matter experts.  Peer instructors with a basic knowledge of the topic at hand will make excellent instructors.  Simple and fun classes are easy to digest and are enjoyable. 

It is also important to know that one of the best ways to learn about a topics is by teaching the topic yourself.  Scouts who teach will develop a good understanding of the topic at hand while they prepare for and teach a class.  Scout instructors will also benefit by developing skills related to teaching, such as how to plan for an activity, how to better communicate with others and how to lead an event. 

On occasion, instruction from an adult guest speaker is fantastic.  But for the most part, instruction should be delivered by Scouts.  

Our Adults are here to guide our Scouts as needed and to stay out of their way when not. 

Round Robins

The Round Robin is a classic teaching technique for Scouts.  Instead of teaching a large class multiple topics or subtopics, you break up instruction into multiple groups.

The smaller groups will only need to hear 10-15 minutes of instruction at each station and can focus on hands-on work or other activity. 

Example - the Tote'n Chip Round Robin

Instead of standing up in front of a group and presenting a 30 minute class on Knife, Axe and Saw skills, you break the group up into at least 3 groups.

• Group 1 - Knife Skills

• Group 2 - Axe Skills

• Group 3 - Saw Skills

At each station, brief instruction is given and Scouts get to work on skill associated with the station.  When they are done, they rotate to the next station.

Guided Discovery

The method of Guided Discovery uses questions to help guide Scouts to figure out for themselves how things work.  Instead of telling what to know or remember, they discover it for themselves.   They are more like to remember something they had to think throught than something spoken by another person.

Example - the Tote'n Chip Guided Discovery

Instructor has gear laid out for the specific skills.  When Scouts arrive, instructor asks the following questions:

• What do you see laid out here?

• What do we use this for?

• Why is it important to use these properly?

• How are these used?

• Where can we get more information about how to use them?

Hopefully someone will say the Scout Handbook as a place to find information about the tool at hand.  If not, guide them towards that answer.  Then the instructor asks the following:

• Where in the book is this information found?

• Can someone find it?

• Can someone read the paragraph about [insert topic]?

Guiding Scouts through the process will enhance understanding of the topic at hand, which is much more valuable then information presented in a class in hopes it will be remembered. 

Questions for Instructors shared Richard Paul, Foundation for Critical Thinking.  This list was originally found in Richard Paul's 1995 Critical Thinking: How to Prepare Students for a Rapidly Changing World.

Clarification Questions

• What do you mean by ______?

• How does ____ relate to ____?

• Could you put that another way?

• Let me see if I understand you; do you mean _____ or _____?

• Could you give me an example?

• Would this be an example: ____?

• Could you explain that further?

• Could you expand upon that?

• What are you assuming?

• You seem to be assuming ____. Do I understand you  correctly?

• Is it always the case?

Probing for reason or evidence:

• What would be an example?

• How do you know?

• Why do you think that is true?

• Do you have any evidence for that?

• What difference does that make?

• What are your reasons for saying that?

• What other information do we need?

• Why did you say that?

• What led you to that belief?

• How does that apply to this case?

• How could we find out whether that is true?

Probing for possible results:

• But if that happened, what else would happen as a result? Why?

• What effect would that have?

• Would that necessarily happen or only probably happen?

• What is an alternative?

Circle Up!

When possible avoid seated classes.  Sitting allows you to  relax and lose focus of what is going on around you. 

Circling up on your feet does several things.

• Standing requires that you are somewhat alert while sitting allows you to check out

• The instructor can see everyone's faces

• Scouts can all see instructor

• Everyone can see each other - allowing everyone to participate with each other, not just with the instructor

• Everyone is at an equal level - instructor can work as a facilitator

• There are less distractions compared to sitting and distractions are easily identified and addressed

According to Clarke Green, once your Troop gets used to doing this style of instruction, they get in the mindset that circling up mean it's instruction time.  Having the proper mindset is a good thing. 

Coach and Pupil Method

This is a method taught by the NRA to teach instructors how to instruct students learning shooting fundamentals.  

In this method/technique, you pair up students (Scouts) so that one is a coach and the other is pupil.  The coach talks the pupil through the steps of skill and makes corrections.  This develops leadership and communication skills while helping the students really focus on the task at hand.  Looking at a skill through the eyes of a coach really helps you learn the skill.  When the skill lesson has been completed, the coach and pupil switch roles. 

This technique also allows more Scouts to participate when resources are limited. Two Scouts can learn a skill with resources for a single user.  They also get to experience the skill twice - once as a student and once as a coach. 

The instructor is there to make major corrections to skill performance as needed. 

Instruction Through Games and Competition 

Many lesions can be taught by doing.  A brief demo can be giving and then Scout are asked to put their skills to the test through games and competition.  Learning is done through hands on trial and error.  Scouts are likely to fail some of these skills while rushing through them, and in this case - Scouts learn through failure.  Many times, learning what not to do is just as important as learning what to do. 

Whenever possible, try to find a game or fun activity for your class.  The activity will more likely be remembered than your oral instruction. 

See our Games Section for game ideas. 

Kim's Game and Variations

Kim by Rudyard Kipling is about a boy Kimball O'Hara living in India during British rule in the late 1800s.  Kim's father was a former Irish soldier and his mother was an Irish nanny, and both die in poverty leaving Kim orphaned in India.  He is trained for espionage for the "Great Game," a rivalry between Great Britain and Russia over control of Asia.  As part of his training, he must look at a tray of mixed objects and identify what has been removed.  The idea of the game to to help one focus and memorize details.  This game has long been called "Kim's Game" and is one the many games used by Sir Baden Powel early in Scouting. 

Kim's Game is often played with 24 items on a table, covered by a cloth.  The cloth is removed for a minute to allow the observer time to review items on the table.  After a minute, the cloth is replaced.  The observer then writes down everything they saw.  

Kim's Game can be used as a teaching tool.

Variations:

• Plants

• Animals

• First Aid supplies - have them know what supply is used for

• Tracks

• Scout Ranks

Our troop teaches at our Council's Wilderness First Aid, Winter Skill Adventure Program and other Courses with significant content.  These classes often use PowerPoint to maximize delivery of content during lectures.  When used properly, this is an excellent tool for professional courses.  That said, this is generally reserved for courses where the audience is mostly composed of adult leaders. 

Preparing for Instruction

Preparation is huge and sometimes challenging to do.  Help your Scout Instructor succeed: 

• Give Scout Instructors clear goals

• When will it be taught

• How much time do we have to teach it

• What needs to be taught and how to do teach it in a way that is engaging and ideally fun

Scout Preparation:

• Being prepared means you get a chance to learn the material - the best way to learn it is to teach it

• Preparation should include a written plan with a list of supplies and gear needed

• Preparation makes for a much better presentation

  • Things won't go as planned, but it is easy to adjust if you already have a plan in place

  • Scouts can tell if you aren't prepared 

    • You may not know what to talk about or what you are talking about

    • Those that tend to ramble on will digress and go way off topic and will need to be reeled in

• After you become accustomed to planning before instruction, the process may only take minutes to prep for class you are familiar with