Physical style exploration#

Exploring with the physical style involves finding ways to incorporate movement and touch into your training. Get up and move around while learning. Try walking around while reading or listening. Go further and get your hands on physical expressions of the topics you are learning. Use role-playing. Try using index cards to arrange topics physically, or tick off items as you read them. Here are those points in more depth:

• Walk about while reading or listening. If possible, get up and walk around while reading or listening to content. Stop and pause on important points, and keep walking when reading less important material. Another idea is to simulate procedures while walking around a room. For example, for flight training try “flying” circuits, forced landings, instrument approaches and other procedures by walking around your living room. If you are learning to sail, perhaps try tacking and docking in a similar way. Have your notes with you and read out what you are doing at the time.

• Get hands on. If you are learning about physical objects or topics, find ways to get your hands on them. For example, if you are learning about how an engine works, get outside and open the front of a car or aircraft. Touch each of the parts. Some schools also have old parts around so you can see the internal workings, so ask around. If you have an old engine, for example from a worn-out lawn mower or chain-saw, pull it apart. Note likenesses and differences between that engine and the engine you are studying.

Another example: If you are learning about the weather, keep your own weather station for a while. Observe and write down rainfall, cloud, wind, temperature, and barometric pressure daily.

• Use role-playing. If you are in a group, why not try some role-playing exercises that involve physical activity. Instead of reading about the rules controlling right of way when approaching another aircraft or boat, for example, get up and do a few examples with other students.

• Use index cards & Post-it notes. Write the key facts and ideas on index cards, and then physically sort them in different ways. Alternatively, write snippets of information on post-it notes and stick them to a wall according to relationships with other ideas. This is almost like physically building a mind map on the wall.

• Tick it off. While you read, tick off or mark each paragraph as you read and understand it. This helps you concentrate as well as involves movement.