Knowing Is Not As Important As Doing

The purpose of a weekend Amateur Radio licensing class is to get people licensed and excited to learn more about our great hobby

Today's active lifestyles are making free time a rare commodity, yet people still want to get involved in activities such as Amateur Radio.

Some of these potential hams are looking to serve their community in times of emergency or are looking to enhance their technical skills or perhaps they simply wish to meet new people and experience the camaraderie that ham radio offers.

Whatever the motivation is to get an Amateur Radio license, the majority of the knowledge required to become a good ham is learned after one is licensed.

The three major components to a successful weekend class are:

1. Pre-study. Students must get familiar with the material beforehand.

2. Enthusiastic and energetic instructors. Instructors are there to motivate the students and positively reinforce the goals of the class.

3. Follow up and mentoring. New hams should not be allowed to fade away. Including these new operators in club activities and exposing them to experienced and knowledgeable people will help them develop good operating skills.

These suggestions come from instructors and clubs that have conducted successful classes. We hope that you find the experience of others helpful to you and your group. Please send any feedback or suggestions to club@arrl.org

Thank you to all instructors, mentors and examiners who volunteer their time in order to introduce new hams to the exciting world of Amateur Radio.

Before The Class

Location and Facilities

• The location for a weekend class should be easy to get to. If it is off the beaten path then use markers on the main roads similar to those used for hamfests or yard sales. Provide a simple map and clear directions.
• People will be spending a long time at the class. Make sure that lavatory facilities are made available. This may require notifying the building supervisor to make sure that facilities are unlocked and accessible.

• Clean up after yourself. Your staff and your students will most likely have beverages and perhaps a bag lunch. Please police the area before you leave so that you will not have any problems in obtaining future use of the facilities.

• If you will be using projectors or other teaching aids, verify that you will have access to electrical outlets. If your facility has projectors, black (white) boards, etc. be sure to get permission to use them for your class.

• Don't assume anything. Be very clear with the facility management as to what areas of the building you will be using and what is off limits.

Pre-registration

• By having students pre-register you will have a good idea on how large your class will be. In order to become familiar with the material, students should be provided with a schedule, class syllabus and a study manual at this time.

• Have a contact person that is available to take calls from prospective students. Make sure that your point of contact has all of the information about the class and is prepared to answer any questions.

Draft Your Team

• Dividing the course material among several instructors will keep things fresh for both the students and instructors.

• Instructors need to be energetic and lively. No matter how well a person knows the material, if it can't be delivered with enthusiasm then the point will be lost.

• Be specific about what is expected of your volunteers. Let them know that their contribution is important and how it will benefit the class.

• Take the class seriously. Always be positive about the class. Don't joke about being "railroaded."

• Know who your VE team will be. Make sure that there are extra examiners in case someone can't fill the commitment.

• Have your VE team arrive early enough to set up and introduce themselves to the class. Again, positive reinforcement is needed by the VE team. "Don't be nervous. You can do this."

• It is a good idea to have a VE team separate from the instructors to administer the exams. Not only does it eliminate the appearance of any impropriety but it also relieves the instructors who have just given a full day's work.

• The entire team should be prepared to remain after the scheduled end of the class and exam in case there are any loose ends to be addressed. It is easier to obtain a missed signature or answer questions if all are still present.

Prepare The Material

• The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual and the companion Instructors Manual offer complete material for teaching the Technician license.

• Make sure that everyone who will be teaching is familiar with all of the material. It is a good idea to have a backup plan if one of your instructors can't make the class.

• Break down your presentation of the material into easily digested segments that will fit into the "50 minute hour".

• Stay on schedule. It is important that you don't deviate from your scheduled lesson plan. The goal is to pass the exam and then learn more in areas the students enjoy.

• If you will be using teaching aids such as slides or handouts make sure that you have enough on hand and that the projector is working properly.

• Keep demonstrations short as time is of the essence.

The Class

Begin On Time

• By starting the class on time you are showing respect for everyone's time and you will set the pace for the class and establish control.

Set The Mood

• If the instructors are positive and upbeat then the class will be the same way.

Introductions

• Take the time to introduce everyone on your team and then have the students introduce themselves. This is a good way to break the ice and make everyone feel comfortable.

Set The Goal

• The goal is to pass the exam and learn more afterwards. Let your class know that they are here to pass the Technician Class Amateur Radio exam in order to enjoy ham radio. Reinforce this goal throughout the class and emphasize the fun that everyone will have while doing so, as well as after they have their ticket.

• Be Positive. Use phrases like "When you get your license..." Avoid negatives like "If you don't pass..."

• Instructors are motivators.

Establish Ground Rules

• This is where you let the students know how long the periods are and when breaks will be. This is also where you let them know what areas of the building, if any, are off limits and where the washrooms are.

• How are you going to handle questions? Shout them out or raise a hand?

• You are not going to be the police but if you let people know what is expected of them then they will behave accordingly. Remember that students have a lot of ground to cover but will have fun doing it.

Have A "Parking Lot"

• Use a corner of the chalkboard or hang a piece of paper that will be the "parking lot" for question that are not directly related to the topic but will be addressed at the end of the period or class.

Pre-test

• By giving a practice exam at the beginning of the class you will be able to gauge the students' level of knowledge and what areas need to be emphasized. Be sure to explain the purpose of the pre-test so that they don't become worried. If the students are aware of the test format it will help to ease any jitters that they may have.

50 minute hour

• Breakdown your class into 50 minute sessions, allowing 10 minute breaks between sessions.

• Provide a one hour lunch break for the class. Be exact on the time that class will resume

• Some clubs tell the students to bring a bag lunch so that the class can begin on time after the break. Make sure that everyone cleans up and disposes of refuse properly.

• Give the class a good 15 minute break before the VE team administers the exam.

Mentoring and Follow Up

Have a plan

• Have a plan for mentoring the new hams that you have just graduated. As newly licensed hams, they will have a thousand questions and it is up to us, the experienced hams, to welcome them to Amateur Radio and help them become good active operators.

• Be sure to provide a point of contact for those who were not successful this time. These people will eventually pass the exam with a little help. Be positive and don't discourage them.

• Suggestion: Some clubs offer a free one year membership to new hams that come from their licensing classes.

The Four I s

• Invite
• Inform
• Inspire
• Involve

Invite

• Invite everyone, the new hams and those who have not yet received their CSCE, to attend the next club meeting where the program will be based on things that the new ham will need to know.

• Invitations should be in the form of hard copy with day, date and time. Hand an invitation to each student personally at the end of the class or mail the invitations to everyone that attended the class. A big shout out to come to the next meeting lacks sincerity.

Inform

• Provide a packet of information that has contact information for people who can help the new ham get on the air.

• It's also a good idea to provide club information as well as some operating aids like a list of local repeaters and how to access them.

Inspire

• Congratulate your new hams and remind them that they have just completed the first step toward a life long journey of learning and fun.

• Encourage those who were not successful this time around to keep trying because the reward is worth the effort.

Involve

• Welcome new members to your club and to the world of Amateur radio.

• Encourage the new hams to participate in club functions and on the air activities. Make sure that they know they are welcome to join the next on the air net, fox hunt or other club activity.

Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment. -- Stephen Covey --