Teachers often ask me for a plan for their students; courses to run, content., how long. My advice is to offer regular courses, and give students clear steps to follow on the road to becoming a better player. They will appreciate it. Here are some suggestions:

(1) Beginners. Four (or six) lessons, fundamentals only. A very basic introduction to one-level  Bidding, No Trumps, Suit Openings, Responding. Material: Play Bridge: A Workbook for the Absolute Beginner, (six chapters) Summary, “A Guide by your Side”.  For reinforcement: 4 Videos and hands to play.

(2) Help with Play sessions. (a few weeks, or maybe months, depending on the group) Play Bridge 2: A Workbook for Help with Play, (six chapters), or redo all the hands from book 1. No new bidding theory. For reinforcement: 6 videos and hands to play.

(3) The Next Step (after beginners and help with play)
Courses of three or four lessons, eg 
Competitive Bidding: Audrey Grant. (Preempts, Overcalls, Doubles,  ). For reinforcement: 6 videos and hands to play. 

Popular Conventions  (Stayman, Blackwood, Weak 2's, Strong 2's) Audrey Grant  

Declarer Play: Play Bridge 2: A Workbook for Help with Play Joan Butts. (Winners and losers, Promotion, Length, Finesse, Trumping, Discarding losers) 

For reinforcement: 6 Videos and hands to play 

Defense: Heart Series Audrey Grant (Opening Leads, Signals, Communicating) 

For a more advanced  curriculum, and what comes next, see my December Teachers newsletter.  also, visit my website (joanbuttsbridge.com) for all videos, notes and hands. 

The final Teacher Training Programme for 2014 was completed in Brisbane in October. Here are the happy graduates. I will be continuing these for 2015, and have a number booked now. If your region would be interested in hosting one of these, contact me. (joan@joanbuttsbridge.com)

Plans for 2015 TTP's Bowral (NSW) Feb 7,8: Contact Rob Ward (rob@robward.com.au) 

Adelaide (SA) March 7,8: Contact Margaret Walters (margaret.walters@bigpond.com)

 Melbourne (Vic) March (TBA)  

Perth (WA) July (TBA): Contact Noel Daniel (noel25@iinet.net.au)

 

20 people came along for Phase 2 of the ABF programme for teachers,  and received 10 points towards Accreditation in the process. 

You're invited to an award ceremony for the first ABF Accreditated Teachers at the SFOB in Canberra on 17 Jan 2015. I'm expecting four teachers  to receive their certificates. Come and congratulate them.

The final CPD day will be in Brisbane at Toowong Bridge Club, on Sunday 23 November. Contact Sandra Mulcahy sandraamulcahy@bigpond.com

CPD Days for 2015 

Canberra (ACT):  January (TBA) 

Kiama (NSW) Feb 15: Contact Ann Blue (annblue50@hotmail.com)

Melbourne (Vic) March: (TBA)

Perth (WA) July: (TBA) Contact Noel Daniel (noel25@iinet.net.au)
 

The way we're taught anything, (bridge included) is crucial to our enjoyment of, and later competence at, that particular pursuit.  The following are more excerpts from Josh Waitzkin’s “The Art of Learning” (on chess and marital arts), and John Medina’s “Brain Rules”. They are easily applicable to modern bridge students.

(1) “Student’s attention increases from the beginning of a lecture to ten minutes into it, then decreases. If the teacher has not made an impact before then, students will have mentally checked out”. (John Medina)

Impact for bridge teachers: Have your bridge students PLAY a hand before the first 10 minutes of every lesson, don’t overdo the talking 

(2) “People will forget 90% of what they learn in a class within 30 days, and most of the forgetting occurs early on”. (John Medina)
Impact for bridge teachers: Offer a variety of reinforcements for learning bridge, eg playing hands online.

(4)“Repetition is the answer for this, but the timing of the repetition is a big component, needing to be at spaced intervals” (John Medina)

Impact for bridge teachers: Offer practice hands that match a lesson, maybe a week after the lesson, or in Help with Play sessions.

Teachers, I sense a wonderful energy and enthusiasm to try new ideas in the teaching ranks these days. Hurrah!

Keep up the good work. The ABF are right behind you!

Cheers

Joan Butts