I believe a good lesson, no matter the topic, has specific elements. And a good teacher transitions seamlessly from one to the next. I will try to incorporate as many of these elements as I can in my manner lessons.
1) Attention Getter- This is some way to capture the audience's attention; it gets them ready to absorb information. It is often simple and quick and focuses the learner on the subject being taught. Contrary to popular practice, any random joke at the beginning of a talk is not an attention getter. You may have your audience's attention but you did not bring them towards the topic as well. If your opener distracts from your message or takes you away from your subject you do not have a successful attention getter.
2) Objective- Clearly state what you are going to teach your audience and what you want them to learn from your lesson. Something as simple as "Tonight we are going to learn how to cut meat" is sufficient. Learners just want to know what you want them to learn and then they are more likely to learn it. This step is underrated.
3)Why?- Explore the why behind any topic. The why gives the audience a reason to listen to you. A wise man once said, "Tell me why something must be done, and I will move heaven and earth to do it".
4)Model- Show them how to do it; talk and walk them through it. Kids learn best from example but we can't expect them just to "pick up" on things. Direct teaching is important too.
5)Practice- Give kids time to practice and apply what they have learned.
6)Follow-Up- This could be an activity, field trip, or simple oral quiz; it could be formal or informal; basically it is a chance to show what they learned or extend what they have learned.
Not all of the manner lessons will follow this exact format or have all of these elements but I will do my best to include something extra.
