Sorry if there exists some horrid grammar, I’m sick and my dysgraphia comes out in full force when I have head colds.
So I have a knack for teaching, I figured this out a long while ago. While I’m not pursuing a teaching job as it isn’t necessarily something I love doing I don’t shrink from opportunity to educate when I can about subjects I’m knowledgeable about. Though if there are any points I’ve found to be most important both as a teacher and as a student it is the following two.
First try to keep things tangible and as retentive as possible. If your teaching a general course avoid specific examples unless your sure they characterize the vast majority of cases. Obviously rule of cool may intercede, but don’t be surprised if your student mistake all cases for the cool case. So you know be careful. As you move into specific fields it’s still important to follow this rule however obviously as your move further in you get more time to focus so can use more and more specific examples.
The second important lesson I’ve learned is to explain things in multiple ways. This can be extremely difficult and can some times feel repetitive, but if it’s a important point which your students need to remember it does them the greatest service if you can explain the point in 2-3 different ways. “Another way to look at it…” and a good way of avoiding that repetitive feel. Try to hit too major learning types (visual, hands on, logic/math, verbal…) picking the best explanations over hitting all of them.
Withteeth
hessianwithteeth 
September 19th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
My favorite teaching adage: Lazy teacher, active student. I learned that while getting my TESOL certification. In that context, the students are encouraged to interact with each other and engage in the problem rather than sit back and listen to the teacher lecture…they called it “teacher talk,” needless explanation that encourages students to sit back and listen. From my experience, students aren’t really listening anyway. They’re sitting there thinking, “Whew! I don’t have to talk.”
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September 19th, 2014 at 9:26 am
Hope you feel better soon Withteeth – I agree entirely with what you say and would like to add one thing to it – encourage students to not just accept things at face value. Reasoning it out and exploring so they reach the solution themselves helps them retain it, understand it and apply it in the future. The best teacher I ahd at school used to look at us and say ‘what’s the matter with you – you haven’t asked ‘why’!’
I’ve been up all night with the referendum on independence so pleaseexcuse unspotted mistakes in tryping amd grammr
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September 18th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
“avoid specific examples unless your sure they characterize the vast majority of cases”
But it’s a really good idea to give a specific example that characterizes the best majority of cases because that draws the learner in and helps them to understand.
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September 19th, 2014 at 3:47 am
I think you miss read what I said since you seem to be agreeing with me. :). All I was saying is that you should only use specific example if they cover the majority of cases,which you yourself seem to be saying.
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September 18th, 2014 at 1:59 pm
I hope you get well soon, Withteeth!
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September 18th, 2014 at 10:21 am
Reblogged this on Dear Beloveds and commented:
So I’m sick so I am thinking… about… Remember one thing, what ever people tells about you, it’s only sometimes correct!… most of other times, it’s like looking in a mirror. (your eyes) now they judge about (themselves) without they’re knowledge. (suggest: don’t care)
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September 18th, 2014 at 5:08 am
Cheese. Cheese is the only solution. Other than GOD, naturally. God I love cheese. On the first day He said: “God thought- bollocks to everything! We need cheese!”. Lo, there were cheeses. Remember this.
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