By Cameron Stien
What is it that makes a teacher a good one? Perhaps it’s that they care about their students or maybe it is expertise in the field they are teaching. Maybe it’s the dedication required to devote their time to study groups and maintaining office hours 24/7.
I’m going to go with ‘yes’. On all counts. Although as someone who learned Chemistry from a brilliant chemist who should never have been allowed anywhere near inexperienced students, I will tell you that expertise isn’t the only thing that makes a good teacher. You can be the most qualified person in your field, to do what it is you do, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to being the most qualified person to teach other people how to do it. To do that, you need to have some understanding of how people learn.
Learning Styles
Everyone learns a little bit differently. You yourself already know how you learn best. If you’re going to teach other people, however, you’re going to have to understand how they learn too. That’s why it’s essential that before you step up to shape impressionable minds in any way, shape or form, you have some kind of basic understanding about the way people learn.
The 4 Main Types of Learners:
1. The Visual Learners. Once these people feast their eyes on you doing something once, they have it forever. These students are at their best following you around and watching you do the things you are teaching them how to do.
2. Those Who Learn Audibly. Some people listen once and get it. Once something is verbally explained to these types, they are off and running. For these students, a clear, concise, simple explanation in its most basic form will have them well on their way to being informed.
3. The Reading Learners. If you always throw out the instruction book and just plunge ahead, you are not one of these learning types. However, there are many learners who depend almost completely on the written word to understand the material at hand. For these people, the teacher needs to provide clearly written directions and examples to ensure successful learning.
4. Those Who Learn by Doing. This type of learner must actually do it to learn it. This includes everything from steam cleaning the carpet to assembling a computer to finding one’s way from home to the beach and back home again without going too far astray.
Most people learn best by using some combination of these strategies. Maybe they watch you do it, then they do it themselves. Maybe they have the instruction book in one hand and the screwdriver in the other. Maybe they’re listening with one ear while skimming through the directions. Whatever the case, everyone learns a little bit differently, and understanding how to capitalize on these different types of learning styles is the real secret to effective teaching.
If you, as a teacher, are able to identify and cater to these different types of learners, you will find a lot of success in your craft.
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