In martial arts instruction, effective teaching requires ensuring that students provide complete answers to questions rather than rescuing them by providing the answers yourself. Here’s how to avoid the common pitfall of "rescuing" and promote genuine understanding among your students:

1. Know the Minimum Acceptable Answer

Before asking a question, be clear on what constitutes a complete and acceptable answer. This ensures that you have a standard against which you can measure student responses.

Example Scenario:

Instructor: “What is integrity? Sally.”

Sally: “Ummmm. Integrity is when you do something good…”

Instructor (Rescuing): “Right…when you do something good whether or not someone is watching. Good job!”

Analysis: In this scenario, the instructor provides the complete answer for Sally and praises her for a partial response. This approach does not effectively teach the student and may lead to a misunderstanding of the concept.

2. Avoid Providing Answers for Students

Allow students to answer questions in full, even if they struggle. If a student provides a partial or incomplete answer, guide them towards the correct answer rather than supplying it yourself.

Effective Approach:

Instructor: “Sally, you mentioned that integrity involves doing something good. What else is important about integrity?”

Sally: “Ummm, it’s about doing the right thing even when no one is watching.”

Instructor: “Exactly. Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Great job!”

3. Teach and Reinforce the Exact Answer

Ensure that students learn the complete answer by teaching it explicitly and repeating it often. This helps students grasp the concept fully and prevents incomplete answers.

Teaching Technique:

  • Introduce the Concept: Clearly explain what integrity is and why it’s important.
  • Provide Complete Answers: State the exact definition or answer you expect.
  • Repeat and Reinforce: Regularly revisit and reinforce the concept to ensure students understand and remember it.

4. Encourage Full Participation

Encourage students to provide complete answers by asking follow-up questions and prompting them to elaborate. This helps students engage more deeply with the material.

Encouragement Technique:

  • Ask Probing Questions: “Can you tell me more about that?”
  • Encourage Elaboration: “What does that mean in practice?”

5. Address Misunderstandings Immediately

If a student provides an incorrect or incomplete answer, address it right away. Provide additional explanation and ask the student to repeat the correct answer.

Correction Technique:

  • Clarify Misunderstandings: “Actually, integrity is about doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Let’s practice saying that together.”
  • Reinforce Learning: Have students repeat the correct answer to reinforce their understanding.

By avoiding the practice of rescuing students and ensuring they provide complete answers, you foster a more effective learning environment. This approach helps students develop a deeper understanding of the material and encourages them to engage fully with the concepts being taught.