--- title: A lesson about teaching description: a lesson about teaching, from kids image: https://northamptonkarate.com/hubfs/20211023_095451-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/a-lesson-about-teaching#main-content) [![Matsubayashi Ryu Shorin Ryu kanji](https://northamptonkarate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NK%20Logo%20high%20res%20photo.jpg?width=50&height=101&name=NK%20Logo%20high%20res%20photo.jpg)](https://northamptonkarate.com/) - [Home](https://northamptonkarate.com/) - [Classes](https://northamptonkarate.com/classes) Show submenu for Classes - [Adults](https://northamptonkarate.com/adult-classes) - [Teens](https://northamptonkarate.com/teen-class) - [Children](https://northamptonkarate.com/kids-class) - [Instructors](https://northamptonkarate.com/classes-0) - [Understanding Karate](https://northamptonkarate.com/guidelines-for-practice) - [Blog](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog) - [Plan Your Visit](https://northamptonkarate.com/visit-us) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Home](https://northamptonkarate.com/) - [Classes](https://northamptonkarate.com/classes) Show submenu for Classes - [Adults](https://northamptonkarate.com/adult-classes) - [Teens](https://northamptonkarate.com/teen-class) - [Children](https://northamptonkarate.com/kids-class) - [Instructors](https://northamptonkarate.com/classes-0) - [Understanding Karate](https://northamptonkarate.com/guidelines-for-practice) - [Blog](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog) - [Plan Your Visit](https://northamptonkarate.com/visit-us) Apr 7, 2026 8:12:33 AM # A lesson about teaching [Anna-Maria Goossens](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/author/anna-maria-goossens) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/a-lesson-about-teaching) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/a-lesson-about-teaching) [Share this page on Facebook](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/a-lesson-about-teaching) Sometimes, good teaching is about knowing when to stop teaching.   Recently, I watched one of our kids class students who's been with us for about a year teach a brand new student how to do walking punches across the deck, with a turn at the end to go back the other way.   Senior Kid knows how to position your hands, to step before launching the punch, how to turn so you don't throw yourself off balance, etc. He was sharing it all with the new kid. New Kid was doing a good job of following along until the turn. Utter confusion. Senior Kid tried again. Chaos.   Senior Kid took a moment, and then refocused on the hand position and the timing of the step. He stopped talking about the turn.   Senior Kid saw that New Kid was too overwhelmed to absorb information about the turn. He recognized that he didn't have the skills to reframe the information in a way New Kid could understand.   Senior Kid knew it was time to let it go and instead focus on supporting the parts of the technique where he WAS able to help New Kid improve. Instead of frustrating them both, Senior Kid created a moment where he and New Kid could both feel success.   These kids, by the way, are both 8 years old.   I'm trying to take a lesson from their example. ## Related posts [![](https://northamptonkarate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_0170.jpeg?height=200&name=IMG_0170.jpeg)](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/practice-in-art-and-karate) ## [Practice in art and karate](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/practice-in-art-and-karate) [Jan Šabach](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/author/jan-%C5%A1abach) Oct 23, 2024 4:08:24 PM Karate concepts in my life I think about karate a lot. Definitely more than 5 years ago when I... [Read more](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/practice-in-art-and-karate) [![](https://northamptonkarate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_3486.jpeg?height=200&name=IMG_3486.jpeg)](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/working-together) ## [Working together](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/working-together) [Anna-Maria Goossens](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/author/anna-maria-goossens) Oct 23, 2024 4:07:41 PM Have you ever stopped to think why, in all of our classes, we have multiple ranks mixed together? [Read more](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/working-together) [![](https://northamptonkarate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_3637.jpeg?height=200&name=IMG_3637.jpeg)](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/keeping-an-open-mind) ## [Keeping an open mind](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/keeping-an-open-mind) [Anna-Maria Goossens](https://northamptonkarate.com/blog/author/anna-maria-goossens) Oct 23, 2024 4:07:24 PM What is shoshin? 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