Demonstrate first and show the student where they will be in five minutes, then explain the skill and why it matters. The demonstration sets the target; the explanation is what makes them want to reach it.

What the instructor says

• Show the target first. “This is where we want to be, this is what you should be doing in five minutes.” Demonstrate, then explain the skill and why it matters; the lesson format is in the FFI CI study guide.
• Make the horse thirsty. A good teacher does not drag a kid to the fountain of knowledge and shove water down their throat — a good teacher makes the horse thirsty. Explain why the skill matters and how it continues what they have already done: “you’ve already done a paintbrush, that’s step four.”
• They can learn without the ball. In the free-throw study, about 2,000–3,000 students were split into two groups for six weeks, and the group that only visualized with no ball improved more than the group that actually practiced — because they never made an error.

Putting it to work

1. Cast it once before you speak.
2. Say what they will be doing in five minutes.
3. Explain why it matters.
4. On a guide day, teach the minimum that catches fish: a roll cast and a water mend.

Source

From the FFI CI walkthrough series by Dayle Mazzarella (Chapter 3 — FFI Casting Instructor Certification Tasks, Fly Fishing Coach International), lesson 15 part 2, 00:00:10, 00:03:32 and 00:03:47, and lesson 15 part 1, 00:03:18. See the video library for the series and the CI exam section for the teaching tasks; terms follow the FFI Fly Casting Definitions.