Clean Run - May 2013 - 57

Ultimate Instructors

Lesson Planning & Foundation, Part 2
·
By Lauren Langman, photos by author except where noted

Lesson planning is fundamental to the success or the downfall of any instructor. As
someone who likes to live life a little on
the reckless side, lesson planning initially
seemed like an alien concept; however, with
over 30 children in a classroom attempting
to run circles around me, it became a way
of life. Lesson planning now holds a place
dear to my heart. So let’s start by building
this foundation lesson plan. Where on earth
do we start? Let us recap from last month.

·
·
·

Timing
Before you read the lesson plan below, it is worth noting that many of the dogs in my
classes have followed some of the online Ultimate Agility - Ultimate Foundation exercises as well as Susan Garrett’s Crate Games. Many of them use either a crate, raised
bed, or mat in the class to make the transition between play and work much easier so
eventually work = play. It makes my role as an instructor much easier.
For this one-hour lesson I aim to cover the following in order:

Outline Your Learning
Objectives
What is the topic of the
lesson? Foundation

What do I want them to take away from this particular lesson? The students understand
these behaviors need to be practiced on a regular basis in different environments.
They need both of these skills to be well schooled to have a balanced agility dog that
can read subtle shoulder rotation, but also power off and accelerate when needed.

MINUTES

EXERCISE

What do I want students
to learn? Circle work and
acceleration cues.

0-4
5-8
9-11

What do I want them to
understand and be able to
do at the end of class? We
would like the students
to understand how to
engage their dog and race
at speed to a motionless
toy to show clear straightline acceleration. We also
want to contrast this with
the dog reading shoulder
rotation, acceleration, and
deceleration. They can
teach this by varying their
speed during circle work.

12-15

Introduction to the lesson and topic.
Relationship building.
Racing to “dead” (motionless) toys in pairs to assess dog’s
head carriage, movement and intensity.
Recap the exercise, habitat, where and why it is useful, and get
students to record their own progress to develop for next time.
Discussion of circle work and what you as an instructor require
and are looking for.
Circle work in pairs. Outside circles at the handler’s best speed,
whatever that might be.
Analyze the circle work. Using a whiteboard, discuss the rate and placement
or reinforcement before sending students back out to repeat exercise.
Repeat exercise considering rate and placement of reinforcement
more carefully.
One quick restrained recall for all dogs in the group to keep them fresh
but also to test their ability to function while excited. Explain task quickly
and then go straight into it. Try to have all the dogs held on flat collars
and ready to go.
Explain fast transition circle work.

May 13

| Clean Run

16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-38

39-40

Clean Run - May 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - May 2013