Teaching Marching

[Armed Drill Addict]

I have been working with the freshmen in my platoon for a couple of weeks now, and it seems like none of them have the ability to stay on step.

Do you have any advice on how I can help them correct this error, or should I just beat them? Kidding on that last part, but sometimes I just have that urge.

[AirForceAlways]

Don't expect them to be perfect the first few times. A few tips that might help are adding a clap to every step on the left foot, working with the platoon in smaller groups and then bringing it back together as a larger group, heck, even bringing in an electronic metronome has even proven to work with some of my cadets. Get creative, be helpful, but overall be patient with them.

[Armed Drill Addict]

Thank you, i'm going to try and break them up into smaller groups today at practice. The comments about beating them were just playful; I understand that the learning process is more complicted for some. Hopefully within the next week or so I will see some improvement.

[TruBlu]

A very simple way to help them out is to teach them what cadence and calling it is. Sometimes cadets don't know what it means when you are calling left, right, left... If you haven't taught them how to do that, you should, and I'm sure it will help, because they will have that auditory que like the hand clap, only a little more military lol.

[navytrooper]

I'm not sure if you are allowed to do this in JROTC (I'm in the USNSCC), but perhaps it would help if the freshmen could see your feet as they march? When I first joined the NSCC, I picked up marching right away from looking at my LPO marching next to us, not the "left, right, left."

[TruBlu]

I'm not sure if you are allowed to do this in JROTC (I'm in the USNSCC), but perhaps it would help if the freshmen could see your feet as they march? When I first joined the NSCC, I picked up marching right away from looking at my LPO marching next to us, not the "left, right, left."

That could work also, I was just taking it from the auditory stand point, but visual cues are better for some, if not most, people. But they shouldn't make a habit of it. They shouldn't have to look after a few times or however long it takes them to get it down.

[flyBoy2010]

If you find a song with a good beat that can help initially. But after that they need to learn the cadence and the best way to do that is to call it.

[Delta Charlie]

When teaching drill to our C/ABs, we do something a little diferrent.

Get your cadets in groups of five or so, in a single column, then tie them together at the ankles. Start off with them taking a single step together, then build up slowly from there. Within a hour I had brand new cadets marching on step.

Make sure you do it on a soft surface though, if someone trips, everyone trips...

It sounds a little wierd, but it works.

[Armed Drill Addict]

Well I split them into squads yesterday, and that seemed to help the situation, but I really like the idea of tying the rope around their ankles. I think its also a good way to get them to take the same size steps. Did you use shoe string or something thicker?

[Billyd]

Please, do NOT tie cadets together. That is a good way for someone to get injured. That is a can of worms that you do not want to open.

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

I love the metronome method... that's what we used on my drill team last year so we could keep our rifle movements together... it worked very, very well.

As for keeping in step:

What I would do is split the platoon up into small groups, as well as clapping on the left foot (as stated above). On drill team (exhibition), we would stop on the second time the left foot strikes the ground. Bascially, Stomp, 2, 3, 4, stomp, 2, 3, 4, stomp, etc.

However, after a while, they just get it.

[C.A.P. Flight Officer]

In my unit, for the first year cadets, we split them up into teams of five cadets. Each team learns how to stay at the same speed, and how to call cadence. First, in each team, they are lined up one behind the other. After and only after they have mastered that, they are lined up side by side and master the skill of staying in step and at the same speed. :mp:

[StormCrow]

A very simple way to help them out is to teach them what cadence and calling it is. Sometimes cadets don't know what it means when you are calling left, right, left... If you haven't taught them how to do that, you should, and I'm sure it will help, because they will have that auditory que like the hand clap, only a little more military lol.

Yes teach them but also have them call it. Get them in the habit of when you say forward march they start off with Left, then Left, left, left, right, right, right, left.

They can then hear what they are supposed to be doing.

Storm

[TruBlu]

Yes teach them but also have them call it. Get them in the habit of when you say forward march they start off with Left, then Left, left, left, right, right, right, left.

They can then hear what they are supposed to be doing.

Storm

Oh yeah, they should definitely be calling it together when the commander isn't or just doesn't want to, because then it gets in their head multiple ways: they hear it, they see it, and the are doing it.

[StormCrow]

Now if they are having problems with Dress and CoverThen you make them march with their dress and cover arms up...hehehe...I'm so evil.

Storm

[Armed Drill Addict]

We've done the marching like that, the problem is most of them don't have the physical abilities to keep their arms up for extended periods.

[StormCrow]

Hey,

Strength training...builds character.

Storm

[C/Major Black]

Hey,

Strength training...builds character.

Storm

I totally agree.......except when you have a bunch of football jocks, and wannabe "gangstas" in your flight. It's my responsibilty this year to train my flight in marching, and to perform the infamous 30 step drill routine, to be performed in front of the Air Force Colonel for Unit Inspection.

And my sad conclusion is, THESE KIDS JUST DONT GET IT!!!.
So what I did yesterday, was split the class down between senior cadets and first year cadets; or just plainly put, the ones that can march, and the ones that couldn't. And that seemed to work, except for the diaster that happned after we mixed them back in, after teaching it to them for 55 MINUTES.

[StormCrow]

Guess what,

In order to be on the Football team, the cadet must...hehe...participate in ALL classes, not just the ones that matter. So If they keep it up, you write down there names and give it to your ASI then the ASI,...hehe...has a nice conversation with the Coach. They either step up in JROTC or Bench out on the field.

There choice...

Storm

[flyBoy2010]

Anyone who has a "D" or "F" in any class is on probation and they cannot play sports or go on trips until they bring the grades up. If your school has a similar policy, then if any of them start failing JROTC have your ASI give their names to the football coach.

[StormCrow]

Please note,

That cadet participation should play a big role in the grading system for cadets.

Storm

[flyBoy2010]

Cadet participation, along with wearing the uniform, are the biggest grades in JROTC. While you can't make cadets join drill teams or color guard, they still need to participate in class.

[StormCrow]

Well since the topic of this thread is to teach drill,

For those jocks participating should play a big role in the participation...

Storm

[WitchyPsycho2]

You know the best way i know to teach is teach them one on one. Take all the experienced people and have them show then exlpain and finally have them individually try it. It works prettywell.;):M249SAW:

[AFCougar]

I have been working with the freshmen in my platoon for a couple of weeks now, and it seems like none of them have the ability to stay on step.

Do you have any advice on how I can help them correct this error, or should I just beat them? Kidding on that last part, but sometimes I just have that urge.

Hmm, I'd demonstrate it a few times to them. Then, have one of the cadets that has a problem staying on step march with you. Then just start adding to the number of cadets in the formation. Also, some cadets don't think about doing this, but tell them that when you aren't calling cadence, have them say cadence in their head.

"You do not lead people by hitting them over the head. That is assault, not leadership." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower.
That was the quote of the week last week for our Weekly Announcements. :afgarrison:

[Armed Drill Addict]

Yeah, the beating the cadets was just me playing around. For the most part I have seen a vast improvement in all of the cadet's marching.

[wukong]

http://yeknee.blogsome.com/2006/06/26/the-lesson-of-the-concubines/

There is a lesson in this story that is valuable for leaders.

[flyBoy2010]

Just don't go beheading your leaders to set an example. LOL!:devil:

[TruBlu]

http://yeknee.blogsome.com/2006/06/26/the-lesson-of-the-concubines/

There is a lesson in this story that is valuable for leaders.

I like it! Applying this, not beheading that's just not cool, idea is good in that if you shift failure not to who ACTUALLY failed, but who is responsible for them, usually those who ACTUALLY failed will feel bad about someone else taking the heat. Usually they will shape up, I've seen it before. On the contrary, I've seen it in reverse where people actually screw up on purpose to see others get chewed out, not cool!

[mrkltmn]

I have been working with the freshmen in my platoon for a couple of weeks now, and it seems like none of them have the ability to stay on step.

Do you have any advice on how I can help them correct this error, or should I just beat them? Kidding on that last part, but sometimes I just have that urge.

The way they did it in our Orientation was to simply call cadence, but also to have us use ditties. For instance for Left Face the Peremptory Command (Left!) was given and we responded with "To the Left!" and then when the Executing Command (Face!) was given we would yell, "Cock and Drive!" as we did the actions. But that was just for the facing movements. For marching we had other ditties. For instance when the detailers yelled "A T and T" we would yell "Reach out and touch somebody!" and then we would reach forward to touch the person in front of us to get the proper distance. When the detailers yelled "Tight Rope!" (as in "Walk that Tight Rope!" or "I love that Tight Rope!") we would yell "Tight, Tight, Tight!" It helped us get the rhythm of marching down, and we practiced form. We looked sharp after the first few hours and almost none of us had drill experience.

[AllenRodger]

Some of the problems with these helpful ideas is the following.

1) Breaking them down into small groups is a good idea in theory. Only if you have other experienced Cadets around to teach these new cadets. Or else you have three different groups getting taught three different sets "of music".

2) Little "ditties" work half the time. For most cadets they have more trouble remembering what to say. Instead of focusing on the movement there executing.

Teach them as a platoon/flight. Make them march as a platoon/flight and then pull out the cadets who are the most jacked up. Get your senior cadets to fix them and put them back in the group.

Last point I would like to make is. Before teaching Forward march why not teach mark time march? They are stuck in one spot, they learn the idea of cadence, arm swing, cover and alignment.

[Drill for life]

Dude you are two months late. Mods can we please lock this thread?

[armysc_25b]

Why? Just because a subject hasn't been posted to in a couple months doesn't make the subject dead. What the new user did is good, he contributed his ideas to an already existing thread instead of making a new thread with the same discussion as a prior existing post.

People commonly have the same questions on the same topics. There's no need to have 15 threads discussing ways to teach marching. One thread is more than enough, even if there are gaps of a couple months between posts.

[Drill for life]

But the question has been answered numerous times(with great answers, I have to say). I am just saying that this can be dealt in PM's. THat is all I am saying, we have had great contributions though.

[armysc_25b]

So what you are saying is that the user should PM his response to the OP since the thread is old? People have different methods to get to the same conclusion.

Suppose we had a boot shining thread, where 10 or 15 people made contributions and the thread went inactive for a couple months then someone new to the board added something useful. Would you reply the same way there as you have here? Or what if you had an idea that hadn't been presented here and the thread was "aged". Would you not post your idea just because the thread is old?

We're on a PUBLIC discussion board, and the user was adding to the discussion.

[Drill for life]

Okay I see your point. I am sorry I just thought that we should lock the thread. I will butt out until I feel the need to post in this thread:o or my input is needed.

[Froe]

Well I am a big person on drill and correcting. Normally teaching the cadets in our unit doesn't work if they aren't motivated. Try to motivate them. Also, I find that consrtructive critisicm works greatly and pointing a particular mistake of someone out to the platoon works also. I get my platoon commanders to constantly work on movements for example: If marching and working on by the right flank: By the right flank, march by the left flank, march by the right flank, march by the left flank march and repeat.

[Billyd]

Well I am a big person on drill and correcting. Normally teaching the cadets in our unit doesn't work if they aren't motivated. Try to motivate them. Also, I find that consrtructive critisicm works greatly and pointing a particular mistake of someone out to the platoon works also. I get my platoon commanders to constantly work on movements for example: If marching and working on by the right flank: By the right flank, march by the left flank, march by the right flank, march by the left flank march and repeat.

Please complete your profile so that we have some idea as to what experience you are bringing to the table.

[MEA XpLiciT]

Teach them what the cadence means. Chances are, before they joined the corps, that they have no idea what it means when you are saying "Left, left, left, right, left" Make sure that they know that when you say left, their left foot should be hitting the ground. Also, teach them change step. Nobody is perfect. If they know how to correct it themselves then you shouldnt have a problem.