Critical Teaching Concepts

Think of something you know how to do.

How do you teach it to somebody else? It doesn't matter if you are a, “real teacher,” or just somebody trying to help a friend learn something.

There are definitely two things that should not be done in passing along what you know, as both are likely to make the learner give up and walk away. They are related, and taken together are a formula for failure.

Let's take an example. I have 30 years of experience in Karate, and suppose you want me to show you how to punch. How much do I know about punching gained in all of those years?

Problem number one can perhaps be called barfing your knowledge all over the student. Suppose I started talking and demonstrating about punching, and didn't shut up until I'd told you every single thing that I know. How much will you retain? When the talking is finished will you be able to punch at all? I don't think so. Why not?

There is just too much for you to retain in too little time. Learning doesn't work that way. It might be cool to be able to download everything about physics in a few minutes, but humans aren't built that way. We have no USB ports. If you want to know physics, you'll have to start at the beginning, and take it a little bit at a time. You'll need to study Science in school, and then tack on four years getting a university bachelor’s degree, and that would only get you part way to your goal. You'd still have to tack on a Masters degree, and a few PhD degrees, and even then you wouldn't know it all.

Don't puke knowledge on your students.

The second way to overwhelm a person is by over-correction.

Back to the punching example. Let's say I show you a basic straight punch, and give you five points to focus on while you perform the movement. You've watched intently, and are reasonably ready to start.

You start to move your arm, and I stop you, telling you that you were doing something incorrectly. You start again, and get a little further, but I stop you again, and point out something else you are doing wrong. You start again, and I catch you making the first mistake again. This continues for an hour.

In effect, I took a small, manageable amount of information about the subject, and then proved to you how horrible you are at it. Even if I repeatedly put in encouraging phrases, (“Good,” “Much better,” “Your arm was much straighter that time,”) it won't help. Actions speak louder than words. Your student will leave knowing that they suck at what they were trying to learn. They will be discouraged.

Don't nitpick your students.

Now, put these two failings together; what have you got? There will be a student, overloaded with directions, trying to perform the actions, being constantly corrected. and having more details piled on top.

They will leave totally bewildered, overwhelmed, and knowing that the activity isn't for them. Should they return, it is a testament to that particular student's determination to succeed that they continue in spite of your teaching methodology. Most likely, they'll stay home and watch TV, and you'll never see them again.

Now let's see how well you've learned this lesson. Can you see what I have done to get my point across?

Did I explain everything that I know about teaching, picked up though 5 years of university training, 30 years as a Karate instructor, and a career as a high school teacher?

No. I gave you two simple, clear points.

Am I going to put an electric shock collar on you, and give you a zap every time that you barf on your students, or nitpick them?

No, I'm going to let you go out into the world to think about these ideas, and to apply them on your own without correction.

Pretty good methodology, I'd say.