Overview
Whether you’re preparing to be a DTD Teaching Assistant (TA) who will be at least partially responsible for conducting Armed Exhibition teaching or you’re just looking to level up your understanding of this facet of our activity, this short course of study is designed to get you ready!
Our model should allow you to bring your existing skill and ability into our system of approaching Armed Exhibition and all we need from you is an open mind and some time to prepare yourself!
When you are ready, submit the test at the bottom of the page and we will be in touch via your private Discord channel!
Teaching Armed Exhibition
First, open THIS PRESENTATION so you can follow along with the video briefings below!
Objectives & Beliefs
Teaching Strategies
Situations & Preparation
As you watch this video, feel free to take notes and jot down any questions you might have! Send your questions to us via your private Discord channel and we’ll be happy to help!
Don’t feel like you have to do the entire presentation in one sitting. We recommend perhaps typing out your responses to the test questions below as you go and then copying/pasting them in when you’re ready to submit! We know your schedules are busy and it’s a lot of information all at once!
Planning Documents
On Drillpedia.net, hover over Account then click “View My Account.” Select Downloads and download the following PDFs:
Armed Exhibition Sequence Planner
Use this document to plan complete pieces of choreography!
TMT Planner: Armed Exhibition
Use this document to break down and teach individual skills!
These documents have additional supplemental information about our TMT process. If you have any questions, please feel free to send them to us in your personal Discord channel!
Teaching Example(s)
In the video(s) below, you’ll see the concepts discussed above in action! Seeing the teaching in action utilizing the TMT process, Small Groups, Words/Rep, etc. should help bring to life some of the concepts discussed above!
Teaching a New Piece of Choreography
Cleaning an Existing Sequence
Activities Toolbox
Looking for an activity to make training go smoother? This list of possibilities may give you some inspiration! All activities rely on the same core principles so feel free to mix-and-match as needed!
Coaching Pairs
Best For: Basically Anything
How It Works:
Have each cadet partner with another with whom they are comfortable enough to be in physical contact. You might consider pairing a more experienced cadet with a less experienced one. Each pair of students will have ONE (1) drill rifle between them with the other easily accessible but safely aside. Give instruction and emphasize that cadets should NOT physically manipulate their rifles during the instruction but instead LISTEN carefully and WATCH closely. Once a chunk of instruction has been delivered, the cadet with the rifle becomes the “doer” while the other becomes the “coach.” Give cadets the minimum adequate time to work through the first chunk of instruction between checking in with the “doers” en masse. If satisfied, cadets switch roles. This activity is great because it minimizes physical exertion, allows cadets to attack the task both physically and mentally, and gives everyone ownership over the skill or choreography!
Single-File Clean-Up
Best For: Cleaning
How It Works:
Arrange cadets from shortest to tallest in a single-file line with adequate spacing front to rear. Work through the skill or piece of choreography one piece at a time focusing on both the precision (technique) as well as the movements (mechanics). Because cadets are arranged in a single file line, any inconsistencies in either should be glaringly obvious. Consider excluding the cadet commander as the coach or even rotate cadets out one-by-one to help coach so everyone gets a chance to observe and see from the outside!
Reverse Coaching
Best For: Solidifying a New Piece of Choreography
How It Works:
After teaching a new piece of choreography in small groups, arrange cadets in a horseshoe formation at double arm interval. Place each group’s leader in front of the group in a smaller horseshoe. Instruct group members to carefully observe their group leaders. Before doing Words/Rep with the ENTIRE team, have JUST the group leaders sound off the words then execute the movements. Have the group members critique their group leader before having the ENTIRE group Words/Rep the choreo together!
Armed Exhibition TA Preparation Certification Test
Complete the test below. A portion of this test requires you to film and upload a video of yourself performing movements for critique. We recommend using YouTube and selecting “Unlisted” as the video privacy.