With August here, I wonder how your lessons are going. A few beginners courses finished? Others classes underway? New members for the club?

With such progresss in mind, let me tell you about the Continuing Professional Development Days the ABF (with NSWBA)  is now offering (free) to support your teaching initiatives. It's all part of the move towards Accreditaion.  2014 Dates and Venues:

(1) NSW (Sydney): Peninsula Bridge Club. Contact Cath Whiddon, Bridge Education PBC, cwhiddon@live.com

Sun Sept 21. 10 - 4.00 (I am giving a workshop on Sat 20 - Doubles - and then there's a duplicate at the club. Join us for dinner too.  If you'd like to make a fun weekend of it, contact Cath).

Read the flyer: click here

(2) Vic (Melbourne): Waverley BC Sat 11 Oct

(3) Vic (Ballarat) Ballarat BC Sun 12 Oct

(4) Qld (Brisbane) Toowong BC Sun 23 Nov 

(Contacts and details for these will be advertised soon).

I wiill be running each of these 6 hour days, and they will focus on content and presentation methods for Intermediate and Advanced classes.  Attendance will be worth 10 points towards ABF Teacher Accreditation. See the ABF website for Teacher Accreditation details. Anyone may attend, but to accrue points, you must have completed a TTP.

Also, please send to me via (alanamowbray@hotmail.com) any student feedback forms, and reports on your teachign activities. This information will also help you accrue points. 

Your attendance at the Celebrity Speakers at Coffs Harbour  Congress (see the website) in August, 12 - 17 will also be a way to gain points.

 

One of the most courageous teachers in the bridge world was Frank Power, who died in July after a long battle with cancer. He was responsible for successfully introducting bridge to nine of ten schools in the Gippsland area of Victoria, ERBA. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Frank in March this year, when I ran an ABF Professional Development programme for teachers. Everyone admired Frank's drive, and although he knew his days were numbered, nothing stopped him from being involved, and supporting new initiatives. I personally will never forget the way Frank publicly endorsed my ABF programme, and urged all teachers to adopt the methods and ideas. Frank was unforgettable. (Frank is far right in the photo)

 

I have  completed six videos (2 - 3 minutes each) to match "Play Bridge 2: A Workbook for Help with Play". They are now on youtube and my website, joanbuttsbridge.com.

Click Here To View Video

The videos, along with a summary of each chapter of the book, and the twenty-four hands of the book, are available now. To actually play the hands online, students need to join up to joanbuttsbridge.com.

I am adding more hands, lessons and videos  regularly,  and suggest that teachers follow a standardised curriculum from beginner to advanced. Essential courses (to be covered in Pro Development Days and on my web site) are:

Competitive Bidding (Overcalls, Doubles)

Introduction to Conventions (Stayman, Blackwood, Transfers)

Major Suit Raises (all types, and in competition)

Openings Other Than One Bids (Game Force Hands, Weak 2's and other Preempts)

Card Play (Teahcniques of Declarer Play)

Defence (Opening Leads, Signals, Communication with Partner) 

Cheers

Joan Butts