Your tutor (or some of the class students) will teach you 4 practical skills in 4 different ways.

Watch and participate in the lessons and decide which is the most effective method. Suggest reasons for this.

Read summary sheet B4, Teaching practical skills.

In your groups, suggest difficulties in teaching skills in the way suggested in summary sheet B4.

Read summary sheet B5, Difficulties in teaching skills in the way suggested.

In order to teach a skill you need to understand the skill thoroughly yourself.

Before you teach a skill it is useful to do a skills analysis.

The form below will help you to do this. Part of an analysis has been given on the form as an example. Your tutor will give you an example, then try it for yourself. Choose any skill which you know well and is important in your subject. It is easier if you can get someone to help you as long as they know the same skill. They will demonstrate a skill and you analyse it, then you change roles. But you can also do it on your own, as you may have to in your RTC.

The stages are:

1. Choose and name the skill.

2. List the tools or machines required.

3. List the materials required.

4. Carry out the whole skill, then repeat and break it into stages. Each stage may involve a different action, tool or part of a machine.

5. List each stage, describing it in a short phrase. Use a verb to describe the action and a noun to say what the action is done to e.g. threading the needle; removing the spark plug; marking the timber.

6. Use the form to write a description of each stage in more detail, saying exactly what you do and how you do it.

Think of:

• How you are standing or sitting: at a bench or table or standing free; facing which way; legs and arms in what positions?

• Where are tools and equipment: on bench or table; on the floor?

• What tools you are using.

• How you are holding it; in which hand; which way round; firmly or gently?

• What action you do with it and how you do the action e.g. push forward strongly; ease it out gently.

• Any special senses used e.g. listen until the engine gets faster; taste for sweetness.

• The result of the action and how you know when to finish it e.g. the plug can be pulled out; the mixture is smooth with no lumps.

N.B. People are right or left-handed. Describe the hand you use, but remember some students may use the opposite one.

7. Note any special points of safety or ways you might go wrong e.g. do not chop too close to your fingers; make sure the guiding line has not been cut away.

8. Note any knowledge you must have in order to do the actions e.g. proportions of water and flour; names of relevant parts of a pig. In some cases no special knowledge may be needed.

9. Repeat the skill again to check.

Using this skills analysis, teach the skill to other students in the class or a class at St. Dominic’s.

Did the analysis help you to teach the skill?

Later we will look at how to use skills analysis in preparing lessons.