Hunter Safety Blog

Refuse to be a Frog!!

November 9, 2010


I was out scouting for signs of deer one warm fall afternoon; the leaves had just begun to turn into the vibrant color palette marking the change to a new season. While sitting and taking a break by a small pond, I noticed a small frog making his way to the water’s edge. The small frog encountered a barrier that impeded his forward travel. As I watched the little fella, he continued to jump forward only to run into the barrier and bounce off, only to try again and again, with the same result. From my observations, the frog could only jump in a forward direction. This behavior reminded me of when I first started teaching.

If the frog wanted to reach his goal, he would have to slowly turn one-step at a time, move forward, turn himself, and move forward until he navigated himself around the barrier. After going around the barrier, he then can continue in a new forward direction.

The question we must ask ourselves; Have we ever displayed the same behavior of the frog while teaching?

We have all been in situations where our teaching methods fall short of our objectives, yet we continue in the same direction producing the same results. When this happens, it leads to confusion for the students and ourselves. This should be a signal to change direction!

Positive steps to Change:

  1. Write down the most important points of the lesson the students need to know.
  2. Come up with a short explanation of the topic.
  3. Design one or more hands-on exercises that challenge the students.
  4. Gather all supplies needed, rehearse and practice the exercise before class time.
  5. Introduce the lesson to the students and have them participate in the hands-on exercise.
  6. After the class, sit down and evaluate the lesson with your teaching team. Make changes as needed.

Refusing to be a frog gives the instructor an opportunity to create an atmosphere where the students are active participants in the learning process. This will provide a meaningful learning experience for you and your students will love it.

Michael