Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Hi Rafael,
How did you develop your style and how would you describe it? What are some ways you can learn about other instructional styles?
Gary

Nancy Cheek

Hi Rafael
Demonstrations are something I do quite often to teach my students the manual skills of pattern making. I start them out with a hard copy of an outline that is the order of steps to follow to complete the pattern. Each step is very brief; and they take notes as we go next to each step. The notes may be review information for a step they may have already learned in a prior course, or notes on a step that may be new to them. They use this outline as they view my demonstration, in which I follow the exact order of the handout. I do each step in front of them, using all the tools they should be using, until the demonstration is complete. I then take the completed pattern and hang it on the board for reference. They are instructed to go back to their own work stations and do the following: use the handout, any of their own notes, and the actual finished example on the board to recall all they have seen and heard to complete their own pattern. I then walk around the room as they work, to answer any individual questions (which always come up once they are doing it themselves) and provide positive feedback on all the skills they have absorbed.