Feb 3, 2018

 Another post for the virtual relay race in which I participate. Challenge yourself week. The Musher becomes the Flagger. I received my Traffic Control Supervisor and Flagger Instruction certifications late last year. K&D's instruction program consists of two parts; Flagger Certification,preparing the student to take a Washington state flagger certification exam and Flagger 101, where we teach how to do it, by running the new, zero hour flagger through a series of scenarios. I assisted in the latter for several months, and the Cert class for less than a month. Tuesday, I taught the Cert class, by myself, for the first time. The supervisor was in the room, but it was all me. Teaching for a state exam, is a huge mental challenge. Teaching is not new to me. I have been teaching all my life, early on as a Girl Scout, on how to use a knife or build a fire. I was about 10 or 11 then.I have taught Astrology, Tarot, Mushing 101, and other miscellaneous subjects throughout my life. I am confident in standing in front of an audience and sharing what I know. The trick is to be able to teach foreign material to people with a extreme variation in backgrounds. Flaggers are an interesting lot, like Mushers, fiercely independent, required to make instant decisions, think on their feet, respond immediately to an emergency, responsible for the safety of many others, and in addition to this, play nice and be part of a team.Good communication skills are a plus. In public view, at all times, and subject to both criticism and praise. I feel proud that K& D asked me to be their south end instructor and look forward to turning out those future guardians of SAFE traffic management.