Teaching 411 Blog“Students hate to be taught, but they love to learn.”

The second element in the process of teaching is the learner or student and the proper training of the learner is found in the acquisition, elaboration, and application of knowledge and skills.

The first goal of teaching is to stimulate a love for learning in the student, and to help the learner build habits that will lead to independent study. However, this will not happen if the teacher doesn’t gain and keep the attention of the learner.

A teacher should never try to teach without the attention of the learner. It’s a waste of time.

The first element in the teaching process is the teacher. The teacher must be prepared, confident and a good example.

Being prepared is being able to explain, illustrate, and apply the material. A teacher’s ready and evident knowledge will give the student needed confidence.

The unprepared and ignorant teacher is a slave to the textbook. She will lack confidence, appear weak and be boring.

However, the prepared and knowledgeable teacher is liberated from the textbook. Thus, free to concentrate on the lesson and the progress of the student.

The process of teaching can be broken down into seven elements.

1. the teacher
2. the learner
3. the communication
4. the lesson
5. the work
6. the review
7. the accountability

Each of these elements are necessary in some form in order for the teaching process to be successful.  So, over the next few weeks I will discuss each element as it applies to teaching.

“If a memory isn’t created, there is no teaching.”

Creating a memory is an absolute must to being a successful teacher. It is not enough just to know your material. You must be able to present the subject matter in such a way that it sticks with the learner. However, this is not as easy as it might sound. In today’s world, you have to compete with television, movies, and video games that are readily accessible to just about everyone.

So, what can you do to compete? Well, get creative and find a …

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