The Army Cadets is the perfect opportunity for young people curious about a future within the Army to learn about and experience it first-hand. When preparing for a Cadet Instructors Cadre, you need to plan your lesson as you would if you were teaching a class of students.

This is easier said than done, with specific lesson procedures producing better results. Your ultimate goal is to ensure that your Army cadets have taken the information provided to them on board in its entirety. Here are some top tips, provided by online surplus superstore Cadet Direct, that you can use to prepare your upcoming Army Cadet Lesson effectively.

Plan

The first stage of any lesson preparation procedure is to plan. Planning is absolutely essential t academic level to ensure a lesson runs smoothly, from the context of the lesson to time keeping.

Make sure that you read the training manual thoroughly beforehand, especially the section that covers the subject you are teaching. Make notes related to the fundamental points of the lesson and build around these.

The Workplace

Next you must consider the workplace and ensure that it is well equipped, comfortable and suitable for teaching a group of Army Cadets.

Move chairs and tables in accordance with expected attendance and consider the learning environment the cadets will be working in. This could involve having insightful/practical posters and images scattered throughout the room.

Rehearse

Your lesson plan should be completed at this stage, in which case you can rehearse your lesson. Time your lesson to see how long it lasts and consider which topics may require the most time. If changes need to be made, make sure you run through them in rehearsal before taking them into the classroom.

An Introduction

Make sure you tell the cadets what they will be learning about before the lesson starts. This allows them to digest information on the topic early on and take on a mind-set that will allow for optimal contribution to the lesson. After this, immediately cover the NSP’s (Normal Safety Precautions) and prelims.

Revise

To ensure the cadets are ready to progress with the following lesson, go through a revision task that focuses on the topics covered in the previous lesson. Depending on the success of the task, you can decide whether or not to cover a similar topic or move on.

Lesson Stages

Teach your lesson in stages with an introduction, an overview of the aims and objectives of the lesson, reasons why and an incentive. Confirm each stage to the cadets before moving on to another topic and provide them with the opportunity to ask any questions before progressing. The PPN rule (Pose Pause and Nominate) can be easily remembered and should come into effect at the end of any topic.

Final Test

Once you have answered any questions put to you by the cadets you can move on to a final practice. This can incorporate a mental/oral or practical test to see how much the cadets have learnt throughout. Depending on the results of the test you can cover a similar topic in the following lesson or move on.

NSP Drills

At the end of the lesson you should undertake NSP drills with the cadets. While this is in progress, summaries the lesson and cover the main points once again so that they are fresh in the memory before they leave. You can issue handouts if required, though this is recommended if you have been using text resources throughout the lesson.

Learning Incentive

Prior to dismissal, to further increase the cadets’ desire to learn, give them an idea of what you will be learning in the next lesson. An overview of the upcoming subject can inspire cadets to do home research so that they are prepared for the upcoming tasks.