Step 6: Make the Most of Your Lessons

As everyone knows, we only remember a small percentage of what we hear. There are several things that you can do to retain more from your lessons. First, as you are listening to your instructors comments, repeat key points and ask questions on anything that is unclear to you. Repeating “out loud” key points will help you to commit them to memory. Asking questions will allow the instructor to elaborate on concepts that you may not understand.

Ask the instructor to demonstrate by walking through new elements. Seeing the actions that they are describing can also help you to understand and remember them. Some instructors will allow your parent to video your lesson, or the coach may video it themselves. By seeing your performance, you may be able to recognize certain mistakes that your coach is pointing out, but you can’t necessarily feel. If your coach videos the lesson they may also make important comments while you are performing the skill. These corrections you can listen to and see repeatedly.

Finally, take notes on the corrections that your coach gives you. If you can’t or don’t want to take the time during the lesson, be sure to take a few minutes immediately after the lesson to jot down important corrections. Writing these things down helps you to recall them, and allows you to refer to them at a later time. If you become a coach, these could be valuable tools to help you begin your teaching education.

• Marta Nilsen helps answer the Ask The Pros questions here at IceSkatingWorld.com. She is a master-rated coach teaching at the Lexington Ice and Recreation Center in Kentucky.