Feedback

It is important to give feedback to learners soon after each activity. Positive feedback is just as important as negative feedback. However, giving feedback itself is a tricky subject. You need to know the learner well enough to give feedback at a level that they understand. I have heard some brilliant feedback in my time but the person it was given to had no idea what had just been said to them. The other thing to bear in mind is the experience of the learner, if it is their first time ringing plain hunt then being super critical on their striking probably isn’t appropriate, if it is their umpteenth course of bob doubles then criticising the dodges that had been crashed through would be wholly appropriate. The key thing though is for it to be constructive, criticising dropped backstrokes at the leads is one thing, explaining what they have done and how to correct it and why they should is something else, the first just criticises, the second is constructive feedback.

Feedback can also be given during a piece of ringing. However, remember that your band is made up of individuals who will respond to feedback given in different ways. Shouting at someone that they are crashing their handstrokes in may in the short term improve them, but may undermine the confidence of the ringer, some may have no issue with faults being announced across the circle. Others would prefer this information to be given whispered in the ear by someone standing behind them.

Feedback can also be very useful in helping you plan the practice and for the individual. While talking to the learner about the feedback you can explain what you are trying to get them to do, how to do it and why they are trying to do so. It would also be important at that time to discuss with them about what they feel they are doing, how they think it is coming along and what they think they are heading towards. Hopefully, these will be in line with each other and if they are not this can then be aligned. It can also be used to identify any requirement for consolidation exercises.

Consolidation and Stretch Exercises

I tend to classify the work for my learners into three types:

1.       Revision of previous works

2.       Current Work

3.       Additional Work

The revision is either the same work that the learner did last week, or the step before. This should be a good solid piece of ringing which does not need to be prime, but should put the learner into the mind-set that they are here and ready to ring, this should be the first thing that a learner does. A good piece should give the learner confidence in doing something “easy” well. This then helps to build them up so they can do the next work.

For example:

A learner is currently putting both strokes together, not their first time of doing so. The first time they ring this practice night get them to do some backstrokes and handstrokes singularly so they relax.

Current work is what you have planned for them to ring this evening. This would usually be the prime ring and should make up the majority of the time on the end of the rope.

Additional work is either Consolidation or Stretch.

Stretch is for when the current work has been rung well and consistently throughout and gives the learner an opportunity to ring the skill that they have just learnt but in a different context. This could well form the basis for what will be current work next practice.

For example:

A learner has rang Bob Doubles without problems striking well and then as a stretch ring an unaffected touch. This way they continue to ring their plain course but with the bells around them in different positions.

Consolidation is for when the current work is not good enough to progress but it has not improved over a period, or there is a specific aspect which needs addressing,  these pieces of work either re-visit a skill that has been learnt previously or apply it in a different sense.

For example:

A learner has rang Bob Doubles but keeps making mistakes while making 2nds. There are many opportunities to practise this but based on the learner’s confidence as to whether to do Mexican waves with them on the treble or two so they lead make 2nds lead or a method where the treble just hunts to 2nds like Bastow Little Bob Doubles.
 

In a lot of ways the consolidation and stretch excercises may very well be the same thing but used in different contexts. 

Planning for the Individual

When deciding what each person will ring requires four questions to be answered:

·         What is the learner’s long term goal?

       ·         What is the learner’s short term goal?
       ·         What did the learner do last time?

·         How well did the learner do last time?

In the early stages of ringing quite often the long term goal isn’t applicable, after all if you are handling the next goal is rounds, planning further ahead might be a bit excessive. But if you are ringing plain hunt, the longer term goal could be trebling to a method.

The questions really need to be answered in reverse order, how well did they do last time?

·         Got it! (Time to move on; do the short and long term goals need to be changed?)

·         Almost there (Some more of the same until they get it)

·         Still a little way off (What is it that they are not getting, are there intermediary steps that can be brought in?)

·         Nowhere near (Is what they did last time appropriate? are there intermediary steps that can be brought in? Has the exercise been explained to them in a way they understand?)

Then based on how well they did you can then decide what they should be doing this time. Some people can remember what people did and how well they did easily and so they are very easily able to plan for the next thing for others this is quite difficult. Do not be afraid of making notes about what people are doing and where they are supposed to be going, that way you can easily see what is being done and alert you if someone has been at “Almost there” for the same task for the last 6 weeks; maybe that is a sign that there is something fundamental about the task which they are just not able to grasp.

The other thing to consider is making sure that the learner is not bored at doing the same thing each time. It might be possible for them to learn the same skill in another way, for instance using Mexican waves to help with moving their bell into the right place instead of just called changes.

Planning a Practice

It seems that we are all living increasingly busy lives, and because of that we are all trying to get the most out of everything that we do. It is a frustration of mine when at the end of a touch or piece of ringing there is a 10 minute discussion about what to ring next. That time could be filled with a quick touch of something, or ringing something else for someone. The key to make the most out of your practice night is to plan in advance, like the old phrase says “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. It doesn’t need to be down to the detail of band placement for each thing rang, but it could do.  However, there should be an overall plan and structure to the night. Some ringing masters make this seem effortless and seem to be able to do this on the fly; others will have it all written down.
In its simplest form it is a list of who you have coming to practice and what you want them to ring that evening, that way everything will have a purpose and you have identified what you want as your prime rings.

Ringer	Prime Ring
Dave	Rounds with call changes
Eric	Plain hunt on 5 from the treble
Fran	Touch of Bob Minor
Etc.	Etc.

TIP:

To help you plan your practice, consider having a sign-up sheet, that way you know who to expect and what to plan to ring. After all there is no point planning to ring surprise major if you know you won’t have enough ringers. Similiarly, there is no point in planning to ring Plain Hunt for another learner if they are on holiday.

This sign-up sheet can also be used so you know who is available for Sunday Service ringing, that way if you are going to be short you know about it in advance and can either cancel ringing or call round to get one or two extra ringers.