Be Prepared
Preparation is important when it comes to teaching anything, and there are a number of ways to prepare for teaching knots. Many of the considerations mentioned in Chapter 3 will aid you here. And, of course, the more practiced you are and the better you know your knotting, the easier it will be to pass on your knowledge and skills to others.
Practice Teaching
Practice tying the knots you will be teaching and watch how you hold the partially completed knots — this step will be an important teaching tool as you show how to tie the knot step by step. You may be so practiced with a particular knot that it is necessary to stop and think about how you tie it.
Also note the look of the knots when they are completed and tightened down correctly. Knowing exactly what the final knot is supposed to look like will help you to judge when your student has tied the knot correctly.
ALERT!
Some knots have more than one way of being tied and some people prefer one method over another, or find one method easier to remember or tie than another. As long as they reach the same end result, their method isn't any less right than yours.
Choose the Right Location
Of course, a good place to teach is important. It should be free of distractions and have adequate space. If you are teaching a class, it will help to know in advance how many students you will have in order to make sure you have the sufficient materials. When you prepare what you will be covering, you may find that it will take more time to cover than you thought. Enlisting the aid of some of the more practiced students can help you to work with more people, checking to see that they are correctly following along with you.
