John Hedge Hall | Teaching Beginners →

Published March 6, 2019  ·  All posts on Mar 6

On Castbox.fm — John Hedge Hall | Teaching Beginners

What is the balance between explicit instruction and fostering natural play in effective teaching methods?

Examining the contrasts between structured education and natural play in learning.

The takeaway I want to give to people and the question I want them to ask themselves is, which parts of my class are actually effective? And which parts of my class am I doing out of habit?

~ John ‘Hedge’ Hall (6:50)

The conversation centers on teaching methods, particularly in the context of Parkour coaching. Two critiques of education are explored: a Neo-Marxist view, which critiques traditional teaching as overly authoritative and facts-based, and a libertarian perspective emphasizing the importance of natural play and minimizing intervention. These frameworks guide a discussion about creating self-aware, critical thinkers while respecting the natural role of play in learning.

The surprising discovery is that explicit instruction, often seen as unappealing or overly rigid, is highly effective for establishing foundational understanding. This enables learners to engage in problem-solving and develop complex skills more effectively. The dialogue also addresses how nervousness in new students impacts learning and the importance of clear, actionable cues during instruction.

Takeaways

Explicit instruction — Foundational teaching through clear and structured guidance significantly enhances student learning outcomes.

Natural play — Recognizing play as a natural and critical form of education, especially for children, and balancing it with structured instruction.

First-class experiences — Highlighting the importance of designing initial learning experiences to build confidence and engagement.

Critical awareness — Fostering self-critical thinking and the ability to question systems as key educational goals.

Rote learning — Revisiting rote learning as a misunderstood but powerful tool for building essential skills.

Habitual teaching — Questioning and assessing habitual teaching practices to ensure their effectiveness.

Intervention limits — Exploring when and how much intervention is beneficial in the learning process.

Resources

Access Parkour — A Parkour coaching organization focused on accessible training programs.

Art of Retreat

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Perspective on life →

Published March 6, 2019  ·  All posts on Mar 6  ·  

You can’t just live in a comfortable little suburban neighborhood and get your education from movies and television and have any perspective on life.

~ J. Craig Venter

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Why do you? →

Published March 5, 2019  ·  All posts on Mar 5  ·  

Theoretically, if you know what you love, then every time you make a decision you’ll have a pretty damn clear idea if it’s taking you closer or further away from what you love. You’ll know the right thing to do. So self-love is a moral issue. It consists of doing the right thing, and nothing else.

~ David Cain from, Why do you do what you don’t love?

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Ouch.

If you put it that way, that would mean that all of my problems are my responsibility. There is, after all, nothing in my power beyond my reasoned choices.

Nothing.

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What’s a dog for? →

Published March 4, 2019  ·  All posts on Mar 4

In a chapter on reconciling the inevitable pain we invite into our lives when we commit to love a being biologically destined to die before we do and the boundless joy of choosing to love anyway, Homans cites John Updike’s heartbreaking poem “Another Dog’s Death”

~ Maria Papova from, What’s a Dog For

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I’m definitely a dog-person.

Updike’s poem is totes-amazeballs.

(Weren’t expecting that where you?)

My little town used to have a Barkery. That’s not a typo. Someone came up with a bunch of super-healthy and super-tasty recipes. She couldn’t sell them for human consumption, but I’ll just say that the dogs didn’t get every treat I bought there. Suuper tasty and no sugar. Her peanut butter ones—made with peanuts from scratch I think—were da’ bomb.

Anytime I was going somewhere where the dog had an owner I wanted to visit, I’d put those peanut butter dog treats from the Barkery . . . randomly in a few pockets. Dogs ‘d be like, “oh *sniff* hello there *sniff* *sniff* new huma—*sniff* *sniff* *sniff* excuse me sir, but are you aware THAT YOU SMELL LIKE PEANUTBUTTERHOLYSHITBESTDAYEVAAAAAR!”

I am actually going to make a point here.

You know what’s more awesome than dogs? Getting to be immersed in the sheer joy that dog’s experience. No complications. No todo lists. No stress nor worry. Just, best. day. EVAR!

Now, go read Maria’s post.

We are all going to die →

Published March 3, 2019  ·  All posts on Mar 3  ·  

Life is a solo trip, but you’ll have lots of visitors. I say this a lot and always will. Your life is one long unbroken experience, and you’re the only one who’s there the whole time. Visitors will come in and out of your experience. Most of them are short-term and you won’t notice when they’ve made their last appearance.

~ David Cain, from You and your friends are all going to die, and that’s beautiful

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I’ve had this idea myself. That I won’t notice when this instance—this experience right here, right now, with this person—is going to be the last experience with this “visitor.”

You might think, as I once did, that this state of uncertainty must always be the situation. Because, how would you know for sure if this moment right here was the last moment with this visitor?

Have you, perhaps, figured out that answer?

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Keeping a notebook →

Published March 2, 2019  ·  All posts on Mar 2  ·  

This entry is part 70 of 72 in the series My Journey
This entry is part 70 of 72 in the series My Journey

I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not. Otherwise they turn up unannounced and surprise us, come hammering on the mind’s door at 4 a.m. of a bad night and demand to know who deserted them, who betrayed them, who is going to make amends. We forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget. We forget the loves and the betrayals alike, forget what we whispered and what we screamed, forget who we were.

~ Joan Didion

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I have no idea who my 16-or-so-year-old self was. I recently found myself telling a long sequence of stories from that era. Who was that person? What were they thinking? …I have no idea.

And I don’t mean that looking at the facts, things don’t make sense. As in, “why would someone do that, in that situation.”

I mean: I have no recollection of what it felt like to be that person. That person—those experiences—don’t even feel real. It’s like there’s not even the least certainty that those memories aren’t just something loaded into my brain before it was booted up a few years ago.

Going back ten years—maaaybe 15 at most—I feel like that is still me. It’s like there’s a horizon and once an experience disappears over the horizon, all that’s left is a story.

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Walk only in really pleasant company →

Published March 1, 2019  ·  All posts on Mar 1  ·  

Smoke like a chimney, work like a horse, eat without thinking, go for a walk only in really pleasant company.

~ Albert Einstein

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Don Beeson | Wilderness Survival and Evasion →

Published February 27, 2019  ·  All posts on Feb 27

On Castbox.fm — Don Beeson | Wilderness Survival and Evasion

What skills and experiences are gained when parkour practitioners apply principles of stealth, teamwork, and adaptation in unconventional environments?

Adapting to dynamic challenges creates opportunities for growth in unconventional environments.

I wanted to present a framework for civilians, who don’t normally have access to training that you would see with military personnel, to get a little bit of that hands-on, but in a fun way.

~ Don Beeson (0:54)

The conversation revolves around a unique training experience blending parkour with stealth and survival techniques, conducted during a leadership and education retreat in the Cascade Mountains. Participants engaged in skill sessions that introduced military-inspired strategies for stealth and evasion, culminating in night missions designed to apply these lessons in practice. These activities challenged attendees to slow down, communicate non-verbally, and adapt to unfamiliar environments.

The discussion also highlights specific moments from the night missions, such as encounters with a “monster” in a ghillie suit and the use of distraction tactics. Participants demonstrated creativity and teamwork, employing methods taught earlier in the day to achieve objectives. The experience underscored the value of applying parkour principles in new contexts, encouraging practitioners to explore stealth and adaptability beyond their usual environments.

Takeaways

The value of slowing down — Participants learned how deliberate, slow movement can be more effective in certain contexts than speed.

Stealth as a skill — Techniques for evasion and camouflage were introduced, demonstrating their practical and creative applications.

Non-verbal communication — The exercises emphasized teamwork through silent coordination, fostering new ways of interaction.

Adapting parkour to unconventional settings — Participants explored how parkour skills can extend beyond urban environments into stealth and evasion scenarios.

Confidence through mastery — Success in the missions built participants’ confidence in applying new techniques effectively.

Integration of fantasy and strategy — Incorporating creative elements like riddles and challenges enhanced engagement and problem-solving.

Resources

Parkour Leadership and Education Retreat — Annual event fostering skill development and community among parkour practitioners.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Merry →

Published February 25, 2019  ·  All posts on Feb 25  ·  

Merry

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No pull-quote. You’ll have to click.

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Genius →

Published February 24, 2019  ·  All posts on Feb 24  ·  

Talent is like the marksman who hits a target which others cannot reach; Genius is like the marksman who hits a target… which others cannot even see.

~ Arthur Schopenhauer

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