Those of us who teach the trade

[Badger]

   I don't do a lot of teaching but usually once or twice a year I will have someone that wants to learn and will usually start comming over to the house and build themselves a couple of bows. I actually prefer to work alone but I have gotten so much out of this craft that I feel priveledged to be able to pass it on now and then.

       In most cases I like to walk them through at least one self bow and one hard backed bow, It usually works out to be about a 1/2 dozen bows before I kick them out of the nest. I have made a couple of really good friends doing this and consider teacihing a win, win situation. I have also learned a lot teaching, it never fails that one of my students will have been watching buildalongs here at PA and they tell me so and so does it this way. My first impulse when I hear that is to tell them if you like the way so and so does it then why don't you go find so and so and have him teach you how to make a bow. I fight my first impulse and hear them out and I will be dammed if I don't learn something every time.

      As a bow builder I realize I have strong points and weak points. I have put the bulk of my energy into studying the behavior of the wood and designs and not enough energy into learning and practicing tecniques. As a teacher I realize my students are going to scrutinize everything I do, very aggravating but at the same time I know I have to be ready to step up to the plate when I put myself in that position. I have learned to go visit some of the buildalongs a day or two ahead of a student comming by if I know I will be buiding something outside my normal builds. You guys make me look good!

     One of my favorite parts about teaching that goes hand in hand with my method of building is to be able to explain or at a very minimum offer a theory as to why we take all the steps we take or why we do things certain ways. There have been several occassions where I would be teaching a student something and realized I couldn't explain why I was doing something a certain way, it was just from experience. These are great teaching moments! I might spend the entire week, or until our next session figuring out how to explain the logic behind an action. Without fail I get more out of this than the student, it always deepens my own understanding and leaves me with that fresh feeling of accomplishment that got me into bow building in the first place.

     I know a lot of you guys here teach, what are your thoughts on it?

   

[blackhawk]

My two favorite types of guys to teach are the ones who want you to do all the work for them, and the ones that just dont listen no matter how many times you repeat yourself and tell them the same thing over n over....my best students have been women....go figure 

Other than those grievances yeah..i agree...teaching can be fun,exciting,and just as learning if not more for the one teaching....

One of my weaknesses in teaching is patience and understanding that they dont have the knowledge base i have,and that there just naive of the facts that we think as simple common know how...if ya wanna lose lots of hair come down to the classic at pappys and teach several at once amidst a crowd of other bow loving makers n beginners..lol.

[Badger]

    I will never teach another girl. I was trying to teach a lady how to use the spokeshave and she wasn't getting it. So I sat behind her on the bench and guided here hands over the wood. Tha got real awkward quick, she kept telling me to show her again LOL>

[rps3]

I have only taught  two other people how to make bows. One of them is my son in law, and now he teaches and helps me as well. I'm a lucky guy for sure.

[dragonman]

 Some years ago I approached our local coucil who runs adult education classes to see if they where interested in me running bow making classes. To my suprise they where, they inteviewed me ..and more to my suprise once they met me, they took me serious and the classes quickly started up with great enthusiasm, in the woodwork department of the local high school....( it was weird to go back to that school though). At first there where too many applicants and we had to run  extra classes... It was a very intense but rewarding experience.....Those classes ran for nearly 5 years...they even did articles in the local paper.
  I agree with everything you said Badger..it was very rewarding , especialy when we went out for the day after the course was finnished to test out the bows... It was amazing to see how happy they where to shoot the bows they had made....Grown men reverted back to childhood and had the time of their lives running around with their freshly made bows... This was very satisfying and as you said I never failed to learn as much or more as they did.
  Our small local county here in Wales must have over a thousand self bows in circulation that wouldnt have existed without these classes...That is also a satisfying thing for me to know. .I know a lot of those guys went on to keep making and shooting bows..

.A lot of the inspiration and knowledge to make all that happen definnately came from all you Primive Archer bowyers...!!! so thanks to all of you for that...
 

[JonW]

I usually do more instructing when I go to an event than working on my own stuff. I really enjoy getting people started. Sometimes I end up learning how to be patient.

[sleek]

    I will never teach another girl. I was trying to teach a lady how to use the spokeshave and she wasn't getting it. So I sat behind her on the bench and guided here hands over the wood. Tha got real awkward quick, she kept telling me to show her again LOL>

At least it wasnt a guy.

[sleek]

Dragonman, lucky for you, folks in Wales are not like they are here in the States. We could never get away with weapons in the school.

[Stick Bender]

I dont no any thing about teaching but I know a lot about being a student I know you can read every book watch every utube video out there , & ask every elementre question concievable & still not pull it togeather with out help from some of you guys but when you have some body guiding you , you learn more than all the books & vids I recently made my first sinew bow & if Brad2010 wasent guiding me I probably would have ended up with a bow with exsesive set & poor tiller but instead ended up with a sweet shooting hunting bow , I just wanted to let you guys know that students of the craft appreciate all the guidence.

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Dragonman, lucky for you, folks in Wales are not like they are here in the States. We could never get away with weapons in the school.

Don't be surprised about weapons in school. Here in Ky we started the NASP PROGRAM which is the fastest growing sport in schools in the U.S. I am talking about archery by the way. We broke the genius book of the largest in door archery tournament in the world 2 yrs ago in KY WITH OVER 9000 kids shooting arrows. That's a rush. A lot of colleges give these kids scolorships to shoot long bows and recurves  and now we received a invite to bring our son for tryouts in trap shooting so he is excited.

[Dances with squirrels]

I've taught this stuff to dozens of folks... had 10-15 guys at my place on many occasions. That's too many cuz all I get done is running from one guy to the next, putting out fires. 4 or 5 guys is better.

I learn a lot by teaching. It forces you to not only know how to do something, but you need to know and be able to explain exactly why.

I won't teach just anyone. They have to show some initiative. I like them to have at least read a book on bow making so they have a basic understanding of the idea and terms... and I have refused to help a few who wouldn't do so much as read a single paragraph. Some I've found want things handed to them, but they're the exception. Most guys do well.

It's rewarding to see those you taught teaching others.

[sleek]

Dragonman, lucky for you, folks in Wales are not like they are here in the States. We could never get away with weapons in the school.

Don't be surprised about weapons in school. Here in Ky we started the NASP PROGRAM which is the fastest growing sport in schools in the U.S. I am talking about archery by the way. We broke the genius book of the largest in door archery tournament in the world 2 yrs ago in KY WITH OVER 9000 kids shooting arrows. That's a rush. A lot of colleges give these kids scolorships to shoot long bows and recurves  and now we received a invite to bring our son for tryouts in trap shooting so he is excited.

Well maybe i should talk to my college.

[Steve Milbocker]

Steve,I wish you weren't so far away because I would love to spend some time with you making a bow or two.It's probably a good thing for you I'm not I'd probably drive you crazy The Osage you built me several years ago is one of the finest shooting bows I've ever owned,glass or wood. I could tell it was special after the first arrow. I study it quite a bit and I'd be scared to death trying to make one to the dimensions you have proven to work so well. It is one of my prized possessions.

[paulsemp]

A lot of primitive shoots I go to I always try to bring a bow that's almost finished or a blank that would just be underweight and find a kid who needs one. I enjoy helping kids because I had no help when I was one except for the few books and primitive Archer right when it came out in the beginning. For the most part always had great luck working with kids because they listen and they ask questions. Have not had many great experience with adults they seem to be more hard headed. I love having debates but hate having debates in the middle of someone asking me for help. There is also a big difference between someone who wants to make a bow and someone who wants to learn how to make bows. You can usually tell the difference right in the beginning

[MWirwicki]

I'm proud to say that I've taught a whole bunch of people how to make bows.  I've been offered money for classes but, wouldn't accept.  I have accepted a 6-pack of beer or two to share.    If you want to build a bow, just come find me.  I'll teach you.  Your wood or mine (which I do sell or trade), doesn't matter.  Gary Davis did that for me, well over twenty years ago.  I traveled to shoots with him way back when, teaching the craft.  We discovered quickly that we too learned a lot from the "students" whether they'd built a few previously or were new at the craft.  We learned from 8-year old Cub Scouts, we learned from women and from grown men.  Each A lot of years have passed, in a short amount of time.  A lot of bows were made; a lot of smiles on faces.

Like anything, there are some that are more challenging than others but the rewards are priceless in the end.  I'm not certain who originally coined the phrase, "Passing it On" but for me, that's what it is and has been for quite a while.

Still Learnin'....