Despite what I said earlier, about demonstrating as being "Showing Off", I also agree with you. In fact I have often demonstrated how to do what I call a "backwards P" weave for a 5/16 inch fillet weld. However, I only do this to job applicants at a bridge shop. I didn't mean that I am not "hands on".
I acknowledge that I have been inspired by someone demonstrating vertical up and vertical down techniques to me. It was helpful, but only because of my teaching experience, which enabled me to analyze the demonstrater's movements and see where I was remiss. I have found that the instructors generally fell into four categories;
-Those who show off and talk down to you.
-Those who can weld, and rattle off the method of instruction, but cannot tell you what "you" are doing wrong, when you do it.
-Those who can demonstrate it to you and tell you what you are doing wrong as you are doing it. (The best type.)
-Those who can weld but cannot instruct at all. (This is the most prolific type of instructor out in the shop floor.)
There is also a subcategory of all four of the above types who do not want to teach you all that they know.
I never was a "Great Welder", so I had to demonstrate as seldom as possible, and then, only in the beginning. I often hold the hand of the student and guide his motion or correct a bad movement quirk. I use the old Army "Count off" method and make the student say if out loud. I also like to teach three students at a time. Two watch the one who is actually welding, then one of them gets a turn, and the original "Victim" gets to watch, then the third student gets to watch the second "Victim" and so-on. This technique is very beneficial, especially if the students are already welders of some sort. Now, when I tell the first victim to watch his drag angle, he is better able to recognize the error because he saw someone else do the same mistake. This is almost like he instructor doing the demonstrating. (I might be saying "arc length, arc length, arc length,arc length",, then switch over to "angle, angle, angle, angle, angle, then switch over to too fast, too fast, too fast, too fast, too fast)
I feel it is a better form of demonstrating, because by the time you become an instructor, you no longer make the types of mistakes that a new student would do automatically.. For you to make that type of mistake, it would look contrived. I also make students do a lot of "dry practice" (No Arc is lit) using the same technique. This is done to teach basic motion and to educate the muscles for those repetitive motions.
The important thing is to be able to analyze each individual's capabilities and to react to that student's tics & quirks. The other important thing is that you must be willing and able impart the knowledge skill and attitude, that each individual student needs to accomplish the desired training goal.
Finally, I said that I do not teach high school students. My hat is off to those Vo-Tech instructors who can put up with that kind of environment. They are often tasked with making chicken soup out of chickens**t. God bless them!