Even seasoned learners tense up when asked to switch from snips to a knife. In my Tuesday fundamentals class, I cue the thumb-push and 45° stem cut using a 1000/6000 whetstone prep and an orange as a practice stem, but I’m still refining the script — what drills or tools have helped your students gain confidence and consistency?
It’s great that you’re using oranges for practice! I found that having students practice on various textures helps a lot. For example, switching to softer stems like zucchini after oranges can really build their confidence.