A teacher who shows you something physical or manual can be helpful, to give you an idea of what to aim for.
I had huge admiration for this lady, who got children involved in ancient crafts at the Crannog centre on Loch Tay. In the case above she didn't even demo, she just got them doing it. She was kind and clear and patient and fun.
If you are up on Loch Tay with children Biscuit of Wee Adventures has a great reputation and a famously upbeat. He gets children doing adventurous stuff outdoors.
Making fire without matches or a lighter is something else that is usefully demonstrated first. There are various ways and they all have a knack to them.
In this example from Callendar House near Falkirk, the guy in charge heated the liquid metal and poured it into the cuttlefish casts. But the children shaped the casts and blew on the bellows and saw the whole process. It was a big day of exploring involving an adventure by train and bike to get there, a flying fox, art art exhibition and hot chocolate in the cafe.
Dance demos in class go much further and are not as useful. They become a spotlight for the teacher to show off. For a big fish in a small pond it is like a mini performance, feeding the ego, marvellously. It consolidate power and lends authority.
A demo is not helpful if from that you are supposed to break down the mechanics of something, unless you have the kind of mind that can just figure it out, You have to do it through trial and error or the teacher doing it directly with you.
Delightful and confusing in a mentor was surety combined with a lack of ego. Surety needs self-awareness, to avoid complacency.
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