Originally made for: Skyguard
Aspects of it which will thusly not apply to other games Mentions of morrigan and Luchienne. Mentions of banshees, and other skyguard specific creatures. Probably a lot of the more advanced military application stuff, but that may be applicable to some games even if they aren't a military sub-weyr like morrigan is. If it doesn't apply, you'll know- otherwise, feel free to use.
Original Link: Link!
Meat of the article!
These are just an outline of basics for candidate lessons at Morrigan weyr. Any lesson plan made by the standing candidate master takes precedence. This has ideas for lesson topics, private lessons, etc. It can be added to at anyone's leisure. People can pick and choose.
Awlm's
AWLM's and ACM's are great, because they can host lessons while the WLM/CM is busy/away, or just themselves for the hell of it. Ideally, each AWLM/ACM hosts at least one cycle as needed, but that's really up to the individual masters and AWLM's. The strongest point about having multiple AWLM's/ACM's is that if one gets busy, there are at least two others who are hopefully around to post too. :3 We all get busy,
Masters! Please use your Assistants! Let them host one lesson, etc, if you want a break. There's no stigma, and so that everyone gets a time to host a lesson, I recommend that you ask each of your assistants if they'd like to run one lesson, and which. Also, there's no stigma for missing lessons. There is a reason that candidate and weyrlingmasters don't last long OOC on sites. Even the best player is going to get burned out eventually, and as kind of nature of the beast, lessons are repetitive. We want to prevent burnout! So please, take breaks when you need to, or even when you just want to.
Assistants. If you want to host a lesson, by all means, do so! Please just run it by somebody, probably the master in charge, so that you know you're not stepping on their toes. If they haven't been active for awhile, ask the admin in charge of the area.
[u]General Suggestions[/u]
Remember, these are general suggestions, not end-all-be-all-how-to-do-things. ^^ Deviating from these is not the end of the world- it's not even always bad.
Get into the meat of the lesson.
Lessons frequently go for one post and then taper off, after everyone arrives. To solve that, try to jump into at least a little bit of the meat of the lesson in the first post. Of course, call everyone- that's a given. But because you can expect at least one post from most of your students, make sure they do something for that first post besides just show up. Ask them a question- either for an introduction, or ask a homework question. If your lesson is lecture heavy, post at least part of the lecture in the beginning. Just so that there's something to respond to.
Break up lectures/have things to respond to.
Lectures are boring, kind of by the nature of the beast. They're also a lot of work for us masters to write. So, it's really nice to see your students playing out some effort too, after you just spent an hour or more typing up that really awesome lecture you just used. After all, a good student's really only going to be taking notes, which is one line of roleplay at most. Thus, break up the lecture with activity, or, if nothing else, with questions. You can direct questions at specific people, or at the whole class. It's best to make the questions broad so that everyone has a chance to respond. Students— please have questions and use them to interrupt lectures! Also, teachers, please rewrite your lectures every time you give them- don't just copypasta the same lecture you've used ten times before? Why? Because while all the characters are different, your players have probably done this lesson before. It's nice to have something new to read. To an extent, there's only so much things you can do to make something we've all done at least 10 times before interesting, but every little bit helps.
Activities!
Try to plan interactive activities. Get individual riders or your assistants in on the thing. Stage a false threadfall. Get the firelizards of the weyr [semi]organized to play an elaborate game of hide and seek with the candidates to sharpen their eyes. Have your weyrlings stage skits with their dragons. Corny or not, do it! Activities make lessons less boring and make people interact with one another. Try to make the activies something can do in groups [and group your active people together, since not everyone wants to do more then post once in a lesson to prove that they were there, and that's fine], or try to make your activity engage everyone present. For example, if you're running a false threadfall, stage a thread-event for every player who posted last round to respond to, even if that's 10 mini-events in one thread.
Hold extra lessons
On this game we do have mandatory lessons. People with LOA's are typically excused, but mandatory lessons can be a drag for people who've done it hundreds of times before, or for people who are busy. After all, our characters are new to this, but the players behind them aren't and have to deal with school/work/RL. Thus, hold extra lessons. The minimums on skyguard for lessons are as follows: candidates must attend 3 lessons, and the touching counts as one of them; Weyrlings must attend 6 lessons + a final test. So, in addition to making it interesting, hold more lessons then you need to. That way, people can miss a lesson without shooting them in the foot. NEed to hold six? Great, the main master can host the six, and then each of the AWLM's can host two more. That's 10 opportunities to get the required six lessons that the weyrlings need. This is very much dependent on time and energy- after all, if someone's away for weeks [as often happens for school] it's not gonna matter quite that much. Extra lessons are usually good to be funner, lighter activities, and posted near school/vacation breaks.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are great because the move faster and encourage development. If someone can't be around for the main lessons, then maybe they can do a bunch or private lessons [time/energy permitting— it's not always possible, and I do understand that]. Private lessons can also be done with anyone. AWLM's, WLM, CM, random rider, even a knowledgeable crafter/lower caverns person. Please don't hesitate to ask for a private lesson, students, and please don't hesitate to offer them, riders! Use them as make-up for lessons you missed, use them as extra practice (oh no, character A is uncomfortable flying in the air- better get over that come hatching time, with the help of some adult riders willing to give some joyrides!), or totally separate/unique lessons or activities themselves.
Lesson plan/topics- feel free to mix and match. This is meant to be extensive and excessive. Some of these are designed to be repeated, or stacked. if it's not on here, feel free to do it anyway, or add it. If it's a new thing, by all means [i]do it[/i]. Run it by an admins if you're worried that it stretches canon, but new ideas are good ideas!
Weyrling Lesson Basic Lesson Plan
- Literacy training cont, if needed
- Basic dragonet care- feeding, oiling, filing claws, cleaning up after, etc.
- Treatment of basic minor injuries at early stage of life [hurt wing, basic wound, colds, etc]
- Introductions to fellow weyrling class, weyr hierarchy quick runthrough (Brief because you probably should've learned that before)
- Dragonriding equipment and how to take care of it. NOT how to make straps version 1.
- Expectations: of being a weyrling, rules for being a weyrling, expectations of an adult rider
- The bond and you- cautions, advantages, effects on both lifemates, how to use it effectively, how to use it detrimentally
- Swimming lessons for dragonets! [and humans, if needed]
- Basic Combat 2 [more combat techniques, buildng on what was learned at candidacy.]
- Basic Medic 2 [more medic training based on what was learned at candidacy]
- Ground drills [doing drills and formations walking on the ground]
- Ground mounted [Rider mounts up on dragonet for the first time, on ground, so dragonet is used to carrying the weight]
- All about firestone
- How to use a flamethrower.
- Flight and flag signs. [if using flagriders for signal flags]
- Mounted Combat 1 [practiced on the ground. Ranged weapons if any weapons.]
- Basic leatherwork. Learn how to make and repair dragon harness.
- Dragonhealing 1
- Craft lectures— guest lectures held by local craftsmen, weyrling may or may not learn basic chore,s but should learn the importance of that craft to the weyr and to the riders.
- Into the air- dragonets/bansheelings take to the air the first time, without their riders. From here on out their expected to practice flying regularly, in and outside of class.
- Geography and the dangers of the wild.
- Hunting: inside AND outside of the feeding pens. Aka, learn how to feed yourself if you have to.
- Survival in the wild two- now with a dragonet!
- Threadfall basics- theory. Maybe a few chars of mock threadfall.
- Mock threadfall on the ground.
- Threadscore-specific first aid, and more advanced dragonhealing injuries.
- History lesson
- More dragonkin lectures— dragonet AND rider now meet a wher, or a banshee, etc. good private option.
- Specific Skill training. Hopefully the weyrlings filled out the skill sheet in the profiles section. Good private lesson option/option for a non-WLM/AWLM. After all, the WLM's won't have all the skills their students do.
- Dragon nutrition [beyond basics]
- First flights with rider. Practice is assumed outside of class, in increments.
- Air formation drilling. good for multiple lessons
- Trust exercises- - between dragon and rider, and especially between wingmembers. Learn how to work together as one cohesive unit.
- Clean out the weyr you're going to be occupying
- Firestone in midair! Drills
- Mock threadfall
- Shadow a rider for a day- good private lesson. This time, dragon and rider shadow!
- Trick-flying and more advanced maneuvers.
- Sex Ed
- Dragonrider public behavior and politics outside the weyr
- Leadership training [everyone gets it, not everyone uses it. Weyrleader hopefuls are now singled out. Queenies now get special training.]
- Point-recognition and between theory
- Between horror stories- aka, the proper respect.
- Betweening lessons
- Flaming in the air training: First aid, cautions, at targets, flaming effectively in a wing. Acid training for banshees, and how to keep that acid out of range of friends. Those can all be seperate lessons.
- Air-combat training [Range weapons and theory)
- Air-raiding training. (range weapons, swoop maneuvers, "bombs" - greek fire, acid, and minor explosives.)
- Final hand to hand combat
- Final Field medic
- Ethics
- Progress interview with Luchienne, WLM, AWLM, or the queenriders- private lesson.
- Emergency Rescue training- how to evacuate civies, how to keep civies calm. Attempts to catch falling riders, if needed (rare feat). How to control an out of control dragon.
- Flying in [i]weather[/i]— basically, flying in rain, wind, sleet, etc.
- Tests as needed throughout weyrlinghood, + Final test
- Games/contests amongst weyrlings- aerial races, aerial stunt contests, bag tossing, flame contests, air "jousting" (midair combat harmless sparring) contests, precision bomb drop/ranged weapon contest. can continue into adulthood/wings.
