I like this, and I have several comments as a frequent teacher of origami, and participant in other folder's teaching sessions.
One thing is you can never satisfy everybody in your audience. Dianne's example of order of folding modulars is good: Normally I carefully fold and explain one full module and maybe another one, and then go on to help those individuals who have trouble whereas the quick folders can advance on their own. However, some students have trouble remembering more than one fold at a time, and so clearly prefer we make the same, single fold on all modules before advancing to the next. When I'm the student I much prefer the first as that provides me more flexibility on how I use my time. Now imagine having me and that other student when teaching a session with 16 modules. Another is teaching contexts. As Wanderer said, there is a huge difference between the non-interactive video and the live folding sessions. That does not preclude that attitude is important in videos. All the important landmarks and moves must be visible and clear, and as Lorenzo said, this goes for the simple steps as well. Different viewers may stumble over different steps. Obviously the opposite is worse: being slow and clear with the initial steps, and then hurry through the later, usually more complex steps - whether because the teacher don't comprehend the steps fully themselves, or they wish to finish fast. As Lorenzo says attitude is something beyond the technical craft of teaching. You can find several guides (including the extended guide from CfC by Ilan et al. I referred to), but you also have to actually understand the model yourself, know what happens and how in each step so that you can explain it, and know how you can explain it. A third is preparation. I usually practice teaching by slowly explaining every aspect of every step in words. Said out loud as merely thinking the words is bound to deceive you into believing you know what to say when in reality you don't. In other words: know the model and know what to say. A fourth is that you don't always have the luxury of feedback, even during interactive, live sessions. I once taught 400 participants having a time limit of 420 seconds and surely not I had no time for feedback and not everybody can be expected to understand what happened (my estimate is that 10-20 % succeeded; obviously it was a performance more than a lesson - https://papirfoldning.dk/da/pechakucha/index.html). Joseph Wu once taught a complex heron (I think) and started by warning that if we were not exeperienced folders, we were in the wrong class as he would not have time to show things slowly or multiple times - he did a really good job of teaching, and I think 90 % had a reasonable or better heron at the end. In online sessions, often you are on a time limit and with 10-15-20-40 participants. That also puts a limit on how much you can iterate and help individuals. A fifth is that it is useful to observe exemplary teachers. Happy folding (Sara Adams) has already been mentioned. A couple of other channels I value and recommend: Jeremy Shafer for action models. He has a lot of young folders in his audience, despite many models looking advanced such as the impressive flapping seagull https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA_hTJFt4NI, but characteristically I could fold along only rewinding 5 s once. Origami spirit by Leyla Torres with lots of ideas on how to utilise and combine models. Paper Kawaii by Chrissy/Australia with exquisite folding. Not online videos, but if you ever get the chance to see Monika Kessler teach, do it. The above teachers and origami video instructors have very different styles and likely audiences. However, they have a few important things in common. They sound really kind (and are, if you meet or interact with them). They teach patiently. Sufficiently slow. At each step they know why they do it and explain why and how, pointing out the important aspects of every move. Also, they are highly skilled. See, e.g., this example from Jeremy's live streams: https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxeGaVAlCCdD1cq76Q4UyEvzIPsjrKtTcu.These models look a bit rough? They were invented on the spot by requests from the audience! A sixth is on not showing the fold to different people one at a time. In very specific circumstances I do that, and stand by that as the best choice. I often do "open workshops" where people come and go as they please, maybe they speak different languages, and they may end up sitting and standing in non-optimal configurations around me. In these situations not everybody can see from the same angle, and for more complex steps on small details it may be necessary show the step multiple times to different students; maybe even repeating the instructions in multiple languages (Danish, English, German, mime). A final and most important point: If in doubt, just teach. We are here to have fun, and it IS more important that you teach a model you like and convey your enthusiasm and knowledge, than every aspect being picture perfect :-D Best regards, Hans Hans Dybkjær http://papirfoldning.dk Society: http://foldning.dk > Den 5. okt. 2025 kl. 03.34 skrev wanderer via Origami > <[email protected]>: > > > Hello Lorenzo - your last note made me realize that as much as the teacher > needs to be prepared and aware and clear with directions etc, the student too > has some responsibility. In most classes I’ve taken, and definitely where > I’ve taught, teacher has and I’ve always said that chiming in at any point, > to ask a question or clarification, is totally okay. Obviously those rude > comments in person would not be okay but we can say, “hold on, can you show > me that move again from 2d to 3d?” Or “can you slow down?” Or “please repeat > that move?” Or whatever. If someone doesn’t understand something and doesn’t > say it, and the teacher misses it because there are 25 ppl in class, that’s a > shame. But we can all definitely learn how to say something critical - and to > improve a situation kindly - without being a rude troll like in those > internet comments. > > Beyond that, being in a class where it’s too complex for where one is at in > origami is also something a student should be aware of —- and in the past, in > those situations, I’ve offered to teach the person solo after the class —- > just so the class could continue and complete the model. > > Laura —- what you said about precision in folding and how assembly line > method gives you that —- i have no argument there. That’s a great point —- & > What one does at home is not at issue. But in a class, where we’re learning > model for the first time, following sequence of folding with teacher really > helps. > This could be related to paper size —- maybe a note to start with 8” or 6” > squares before attempting 2” squares. > Following teacher re: whether kami or foil or heavily patterned paper makes > sense or not. Sometimes creases marks or guide creases aren’t visible on > patterned paper etc. if a new student ignores such notes, they might not be > successful in folding model. > I’ve also drawn attention to handedness when we fold certain modulars —- it’s > not a big deal to go clockwise when the teacher is showing counter clockwise > but if you’re easily confused by seeing something that would be mirror image > to what you’re folding, then fold per the teacher and go counter clockwise. > I also sometimes don’t use shortcuts like “fold a waterbomb base” — firstly > some may not know the terminology and/or the fold & secondly, more > importantly, there are different ways of getting there and maybe in this > model, not all creases are needed etc, —- so even if students thinks they > know how to fold a particular step, following the teacher would help. > > (Many of my student notes are from my experience where i didn’t follow the > teacher exactly… haha!!!) > > This makes me think about yoga class where let’s say, we’re practicing sun > salutations or warrior pose or something that we’ve done before and so we > think we know how to do it. And then when the teacher says something slightly > different than what we’ve learned before, sometimes ppl don’t follow the > teachers instructions but do the pose the way they’ve learned it before. I’m > glad a teacher once pointed that out and instructed us to follow the > instructions —- even if they were different to what we had learned before. > (Of course I’m not talking about situations where you might be unable to do a > move or you’re in pain…) this is more about being present and following > instructions… > > Michael —- thank you for sharing more videos and I’m gonna watch. I think i > know what that secret folding trick Yami taught might be but I’m definitely > curious and will watch! > > > Best, > Vishakha > . > > > On Oct 5, 2025, at 06:26, Lorenzo via Origami > <[email protected]> wrote: > > In her presentation at the 50th BOS anniversary, Sarah Adams said that she > received some fairly negative feedback on YouTube: > > > > We usually don't expect that in person during a workshop, but that doesn't > mean people don't think that. I myself have sometimes had pretty bad > experiences and thought bad things about the teacher 😀 > > Lorenzo
