Kids don't want to be taught, but they love to learn.
If your goal is to be a better teacher, then the first thing
you must realize is that students don't want to be taught. But, students do
want to learn and it is your responsibility to get their attention. So, if you
are going to capture your students attention you must:
know your audience
create a memory
craft your presentation
anchor the memory
Know the Learner
In order to prepare a lesson that will be remembered, it is
important that you know your audience. You must take the time to learn about
the likes and dislikes of your students. The more you know about them the
better you can serve them.
"How do I find out about them?", you ask. Well,
you ask them!!
Ask your students questions that require more than a yes or
no answer. You will be surprised how much they will reveal to you once they
realize you care. Then use this information to build a relationship with your
students. People don't care what you know, till they know how much you care.
Create a Memory
Your lessons must create memories. You can create these
memories by attaching the desired information to actions. Possible actions
could be a rhyme, a song, or a silly story. Humor is always a surefire way to
create a memory. Remember, if a memory hasn't been created then learning
hasn't taken place.
Craft the Presentation
A very important element of the lesson is how you present
the lesson. Your presentation should be professional, entertaining and
informative.
Determine the information you want to present and narrow it
down to an appropriate amount for your class to absorb. Then arrange the
information into three points, if you have more than three points you might
consider creating more than one presentation from this material. Three points
are usually the limit when you consider that you will need time for reflection
and review.
Now practice how you will deliver the material. Practice
your tone of voice, your gestures and your movement on stage. That's right, I
said stage. You should be working to give your students a performance not a
lecture. So, give them a performance and you'll have them eating out of your
hand.
Anchor the memory
Once a memory has been created and presented it needs to be
anchored. When you anchor a lesson it can be recalled over and over whenever
needed and that's real learning. One of the best methods for anchoring a memory
is use a story that can be associated with the information being presented.
People loves stories and a good story can keep your audience on the edge of
their seats.
You can incorporate your points into one long story or you
can use a different story for each point. But be absolutely sure that your
stories are full of action and color. Actions and color are like the cement for
your anchor.