Multi-Sport Principles of teaching

Pierre Steynberg’s career has been focused around teaching, developing and coaching children in a fun, yet demanding atmosphere. Pierre Steynberg’s career has spanned in excess of 30 years, and has gained experience teaching in a number of different countries and cultures. Mr Steynberg is also the Managing Director of Multi-Sport Ltd based in Asia. Below he shares some key advice to help become a successful and flexible teacher.

Multi-Sport Ltd has a team of Physical Education teachers that have earned a reputation for the outstanding quality of education and professional care it provides. Extensive in house training is given to all teachers. With the company’s focus on developing pre-school children in an array of sports and activities including, Gym for Tots, Gymnastics, Swimming, Soccer, Trampolining as well as our signature programme Junior Sports. Multi-Sport also offers programmes to adults such as the Masters swimming programme.

The highest possible standards of coaching have been maintained within the Multi-Sport organisation for nearly a quarter of a centaury. Regular staff seminars are held to discuss coaching techniques and staff keep abreast of current teaching methods. All staff are fully qualified coaches with all full time staff having Honours degrees in Physical Education.

Selling sport to juniors is perhaps the most demanding, exhausting yet rewarding work possible. Few teachers coach sport to infant and pre school ages because of the energy level required. Yet it can be an almost Zen experience when mastered and is immensely satisfying. Whether outstanding teachers like great salesmen are born or learn their trade through hard work can be debated deep into the night. Some teachers have a wonderful aura that children immediately notice and respond to. Like every motivational sales book you have read there are various fundamental principles of selling. Similarly every good teacher applies the same fundamental principles of teaching. Most fundamental selling skills and teaching skill are the same. After all both are striving to connect with a client on an emotional level before any selling or teaching can take place.

There are hundreds of motivational sales books yet very few worthwhile documents on motivational teaching have been produced. This article is aimed to address this need. Every aspiring teacher should read each principle a dozen times regularly so it becomes habitual.

Principle 1
Love Comfort and Reassurance
Love the children you teach. If you do not like children change your profession.. Love every child you teach. Love them for their trust and faith in you. Love them for their openness and honesty. Love them for their innocence and fertile minds. Love them for their eagerness to please. Love the less able children for they need you more. Love the problematic children and be their port in a storm. Love teaching pre-school children because you can make a profound influence on their lives.

Before any learning takes place a child’s physiological needs must be taken care of. And then children need to feel loved wanted and above all secure. Give them reassurance if needed. This is particularly important if you are teaching pre-schoolers to swim. Fear is a great learning inhibitor. Reassuring words such as, “Do not worry you don’t have to do anything you can’t do” or “Don’t worry I will take care of you,” or whatever works for you and your charges.

Any great sales person will tell you if you can get the client to laugh you have relaxed them and put them at ease and selling then becomes easier. The exact same truth applies to teaching tots.

Principle 2
Eye Contact.
This is vital in any human interaction and never more apparent than when teaching children. A great teacher will be able to make eye contact with every child even in large classes. Never start until all children are looking you in the eye. Teaching with sun glasses on does not work well as it prevents eye contact.

Principle 3
Voice Control
A great teacher conducts a class like an orchestra. Peripheral vision is always required. When children are overly excited and exuberant the teacher’s voice will drop to a whisper and the teacher will calm them.

Correct use of voice can arouse, stimulate or calm and soothe. Never talk down to children.

Principle 4
Smile
Greet the children with a smile and a hello. Your smile is your greatest teaching aid. Your smile and body language at the very minute you start the lesson will determine if the lesson is a success or a failure. A smile is a great source of comfort to any child. Do not underestimate the use of your body language and gesticulations when teaching.

Principle 5
Expectation
I will never forget a lecturer at college I had a great deal of respect for, Mr. Eastwood. He was the only lecturer to conduct a lesson to juniors for us to watch and analyse. His most valuable teaching advice to us was, “If you do not remember anything from college remember this- “Children do what is expected of them.” No point asking children to perform a task if you do not insist it is done properly. Expect them to do what you ask.

Principle 6
Story telling.
ntroduce any activity with a true story if possible. The use of story telling dates back to biblical times and was used to great effect to bring home the message of religion. The same stories are told today and will last through the generations of time. Stories appeal to the imagination of children and can be used with great effect to introduce an activity and inspire interest.

Principle 7
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is infectious. We crave to be around enthusiastic positive people. We draw inspiration from them. We are motivated by them. Without enthusiasm a teacher cannot teach effectively. Children have natural enthusiasm. It is this enthusiasm that makes it possible to give the same lesson hundred of times. Be enthusiastic in your voice, eyes and body language.

Principle 8
Praise and Encouragement
Praise and encouragement should be liberal yet deserving.

Principle 9
Knowledge of Results
Children should know how they performed. Feedback is essential.

Principle 10
Use of Names
You will neither sell nor teach nor succeed in any aspect of life involving people skills and human interaction if you cannot remember names. Good teachers know every name of every child and use each name liberally every lesson. Equally each child must know the name of the teacher and not be called coach or teacher. The sound of someone’s name is the sweetest word to any child or person. Each child’s name should be used liberally especially if it is connected with praise and encouragement.

Principle 11
Anticipation
Anticipation is better than realisation. Today we are going to learn a great game called…. Ready set (pause pause) go!

Children should be told what they are going to learn in next week’s lesson. This way they think about it and look forward to it.

Principle 12
Use of a Demonstration and Visual Aids
The is an old Chinese proverb… “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.” When performing a demonstration insist every one is watching. In swimming children should be sitting on the side to watch. Visual aids of excellent athletes performing drives home the teaching points made.

Principle 13
Success breeds success
Never put a child in a failure situation if at all possible. Start with easy tasks for success and gradually make them more challenging.

Principle 14
Routine
Children respond to routine. Start and finish the lesson the same way. Cross legged sitting and folded arms behind a line is an excellent habit to start a lesson with.

Principle 15
Positioning
When teaching never have your back turned to the class particularly in the gym and swimming pool. Move around to different areas of the pool or gym so that the children never know quite where you will be. Do not fall asleep at the wheel but ensure you are aware of what is going on in the class at all times. Do not perform a demonstration if the sun is in the eyes of the children.

Professional Studies In a Nutshell

	Fear inhibits performance. Put child at ease. Be in tune with the needs of the children.
	Eye Contact
	Smile, your greatest teaching aid
	Know your charges names
	They must know your name. Introduce yourself as you would to an adult.
	Children respond to routine.
		Routine – cross your legs and fold your arms.
		Always start and finish every lesson the same way
		Instructions. Give the instruction …. Pause…. Go!
		Ask a question … pause and choose a child to answer it.
	The children must know what to do after they finish the task. Ie Pass the ball ten times and then cross your legs and fold you arms
	Anticipation
	Imaginative stories
	Voice variation
	Positioning
		Ensure every child can see you. Stand back more if talking to a line of children
	Use of a demonstration. Ensure all are watching
	Start with easy tasks for success
	Expect and insist every child performs the task you set them adequately
	Be alert and aware of what is happening in the entire class.

If parents can teachers would like to add to this or comment on this article please email us.

Below is an appraisal form used for the teachers of Multi-Sport Ltd.