I think we've all been there. Perhaps not with regard to a lesson. But (in my world) missed an opportunity, maybe misread a clients needs, got into the weeds on a subject that doesn't interest the customer.... what ever. I think the important thing is that you recognized it. AND early enough where you still had a chance at correcting it. I think the follow up with the guy will be important and I'm sure he'll appreciate the effort. 

The fact that you are continually critiquing yourself is a good sign. You still like the job well enough that you are not just going through the motions. I wise man once said "Life is too long to do a job you do not enjoy." 

Props to you for being that focused on not what you teach but on teaching itself.

The fact you posted this and recognized this says a lot about you not only as an instructor but as a person. Kudos Erik. Should be more like you. 😀

Interesting. In Harvey Penick's "Little Red Book", there's a section about him teaching Betsy Rawls, who is in the LPGA Hall of Fame. At one lesson he was trying to teach her 2 or 3 things at once, and she balked. She told him to concentrate on one or two things at a time and save the third for later! 

Betsy Rawls was a Phi Beta Kappa student in physics, which means she was a pretty smart cookie! Penick realized that if a person as smart as she was couldn't absorb everything he was trying to tell her, he should slow down!

It's hard to be a teacher. Very hard. You have to "know your students" (at any level, any age, any subject). What works for Tom, doesn't for Tim. I have been doing it for years and no matter how good you think you are, something or someone will come along and remind you of how much further you need to go.

I can only imagine what it's like.

I know that when I go out for a practice session, with perhaps 1 single thought in mind (start arms down before should turn thru target, or stop hands with shoulders) it is amazing how many other "brilliant ideas" try to insert themselves into the process. Especially once I start making crisp contact.

That with myself.  Controlling the flow of information and thoughts with a receipient must me 10x harder; trying to preempt those other distractions and guide them to concentrate on only 1 or 3 things.  Specific things.

I'd likely have to ask myself, 'why did he ask that specific question at that specific time'?  Was it truly a digression?  or did he need the info to cement what you might have been working on?  or......was he not understanding the focus of the lesson so much that this seemingly out of place question come up due to misunderstanding?  In all cases, I need to figure out why he's not on the same page as me and fix it.

I teach high level competitors another sport and handle these things this way:

1 - reset - I remind the student of the focus of the specific lesson.

2 - understand their input - Then I ask them why they asked this specific question while noting (I belive) it's not really related to today's goal.  (is he just interested? does he think it relates to today (and maybe it might for this specific student and I didn't know)? does he think we're doing something else?)

3 - placate - I'll give them something on the question no matter what so they don't fixate on not getting an answer. 

4 - respond and focus - If it's a true digression, they get the short answer and commit to go into detail when we reach that topic (and maybe it's time for a little break).  If it indicates they don't understand the current topic clearly, then I use the detour to fix my presentation to be more clear and we continue.

I absolutely love coaching.  You can see the types that also feel that way.  I wish it could be my full time job frankly.  You learn more teaching something, IMO, than when being taught.  So exchanging techniques and examples with others that are really good at it is a big win for me any time I get it.  Thanks for sharing.

And, you know, sometimes, the best of us just need to brain dump.  It IS your passion.

and as for "needing that info as it 'gnaws' at them" - you can guess which student I am...  😀  After a taste of the extra stuff, you can't just cut a person off.

As a teacher, I understand exactly where you're coming from.  It's called "reflection."  The fact that you are reflecting on what you did, and how to do it better, means that you are better than the vast majority out there.  I can't tell you how many times I've thought, "ooh... that would have been so much better if you'd done it this way" or "well... it's a good thing admin didn't walk in during that."