I thought I would write an update about how the apprenticeship is going.
Being on the apprenticeship is, without doubt, a lot of effort. But is it worth it? Am I enjoying it and how is it for my children? What are we getting out of it as a family and is it worth all that I put in?
These are the questions I ask myself regularly, along with other questions. Questions that arise as I have dealt with self-doubts and learning to feel confident as an apprentice. One thing is for certain that becoming an instructor pushes me out of my comfort zone in a way that allows me to grow and develop my skills at a speed that I hadn’t realised was possible. And that is very exciting!
All the apprentices come to Woodland Ways with a different set of skills both practical and the soft skills. We are encouraged to find our own style as we deliver course content that is detailed and comprehensive for the session we are running.
There are so many skills involved in running sessions. There is of course the ability to do the practical skill that you are teaching to a level that whatever problem or challenge that may arise that you can identify what it is and know how to solve it. There is a general ethos that we teach at 20% of our knowledge and this only comes with plenty of dirt time.
Learning all the information that goes into a session that you need to share with additional background, knowledge so you can cater to the different levels and additional interests that participants arrive with. Additional information includes, though not limited to, history, folklore and drawn from personal experience.
Once the basic practical skills are established along with personal experience, knowing the session and having wider knowledge to teach from, then comes the skill of instructing. Sounds simple right?
Well, this is where the magic starts. Reading the group, making sure how you’re teaching is relatable. Having the confidence to correct people to ensure they are working safely. Being inclusive. Having a sense of humour. Managing time, navigating questions and at the same time keeping your flow and the flow of the session integrated within the whole course.
We all find our way to becoming an instructor in different ways. One of my challenges has been that as a dyslexic I find it very hard to remember the sequences that things come in and without this, how do I find flow in the sessions I am running? I tried remembering different points on my fingers…. I just got myself tied in knots. I tried saturating myself with information on the subject… that just caused more overwhelm. Eventually I drew on my storytelling experience and created a story map for each of my sessions so I can stay focused on the information I need to impart and still keep flow within the sessions.
Another of my challenges has been how to work with a group of keen to learn adults. I know, I know you are all the perfect outdoor students (grin) but that is where the challenge sets in. How to create connection within the group and respect people’s natural preferences to connect. Know when to explore exciting questions and ideas and still keep focused so you get all you have come for. When I worked in outdoor sports in the past it was always groups of children or teens. If the group included adults, it was in ones or twos or as part of a family.
Some of the challenges to overcome have come from internal self doubts, for example imparting all the information in a useful way. Some from physical challenges like working through different techniques to compensate for less strength. There is of course on going learning but it is not an industry that you come expecting, nor are expected, to know everything.
After the first weekend out with Woodland Ways as a trial apprentice I was blown away. I was blown away by the transformation of the customers after just one weekend in the woods. I was blown away by the teams cohesion. But mostly I couldn’t believe the amount of information that was crammed in such a short space of time with smoothness, ease and mirth. In any course there is extensive ‘course admin’ which is all the things that go on in the background to ensure a seamless experience for the customer which on top of a vast level of bushcraft knowledge is a whole other level of learning and teamwork. It is what I believe makes Woodland Ways so special and the team becomes like extended family, communication with each other is the key.
The first course I came back on a high but exhausted. The next two courses I came back so exhausted that I didn’t know how I was going to manage doing this long term. I loved every minute of my time in the woods but the exhaustion afterwards was quite considerable. For quite a few weeks afterwards I had some serious doubts. Was I just too weak as a fairly small woman to manage this job? Is this something myself and anyone who believes that a woman can do anything they want to but is fooling themselves? I so badly didn’t want this to be true. I loved being there. By Sunday each time I was ending up with a bad headache. If it wasn’t because I was a woman, was I just to old? Was I too unfit?
My first answer came when I found I had a medical issue that had been causing me considerable discomfort and I sought treatment. I wondered how long it would take me to recover? Was I being realistic pushing myself? I decided that I had the winter to get strong and time to reassess myself in the spring. Barry, who is Head of Courses, seemed to believe that I could do this and I trusted him. Over the next several months I slowly built my strength up. I physically struggled somewhat through the next couple of courses, but it was so great to be out in the woods again that I felt quite elated despite my struggles. Weekend on weekend I could see my strength build. I am no longer exhausted at the end of the weekend. My strength training has paid off, not only making me stronger but surprisingly, to me, increasing my stamina.
Am I strong enough as a woman to be a bushcraft instructor? Yes, and I know this for sure. Often I have to pay attention to technique rather than just using brute strength and that has it’s own positives. But I am strong enough.
Am I too old and is this forever going to be a level of exhaustion where things stop being enjoyable? No, not at all. I am younger than many of my male counterparts in the industry. And I have found a way to increase my strength and stamina that is benefiting the whole of my life.
Is this too much to learn for a dyslexic? No. I have had to come up with creative solutions to remember all of the content of the sessions every time and especially if some of the information needs to be shared in a specific sequence.
How has all this made me grow as a person? I am physically getting stronger and fitter and this has made a difference to all of my life and increased my energy levels.
I am much more confident than before in many ways. I am confident in my physical ability, my level of self-reliance. I am also confident in my knowledge and knowing my level of competence.
As a family, it has been an absolute joy to be out together learning skills, watching my children grow in competence and confidence. It has given us all opportunities that might not otherwise be available. It has also given us focus and skill sharing as there are some areas that my children’s skill already surpasses mine and they are as passionate about bushcraft as I am and this positively informs and influences many aspects of our lives. They are able to assess risk accurately, learn to use tools, think outside of the box to solve problems and be proud of their accomplishments.
And I think the most important thing to me; is we have found our people and we belong. A community of people who are supportive and caring at the same time as encouraging personal growth and a growth mindset.