A story for teachers,

Have you ever tried listening to a lecture that was conveyed in complete code language? Difficult terminology and jargon that just went way above your head? Sitting in this demotivating setting of 30 co-students listening to a teacher who has no real skill in communicating his craft with others?

If so, then you might come to the same conclusion that the art of teaching is not so much found in the content but more so in the presentation. The pathos or presentation of the story might be more important then the actual logos or content. A lecture should not only be scientifically correct, but also emotional appealing in order to extend the attention span of the students. Without attention, there is no learning, without learning there is no growth.

You can only teach others quickly by having them learn based on what they already know. By using known elements you can increase their creativity by building on top of that knowledge. By not using this simple principle, you can be annoyed and arrogant as a teacher, but foolish in seeing the obvious. You simply don’t speak Chinese when the audience only understand English. So why bother that the student is not at the same level of jargon as you are? Drop your ego, and start talking on their level. The ability to meld and synchronise with your audience is paramount for interaction.

To prevent annoyance, confusion, boredom and lack of attention, you might want to consider the use of metaphors. This requires a creative flair of the teacher in order to communicate complex concepts into known elements by the use of metaphors. Metaphors are like the bridge that brings two cities together. Without the bridge, the cities would by unable to interchange people, resources, work and harmony.

We need metaphors and above all, teachers who know how to use them, in order to help each other into new realms of insights, knowledge and experience.

All the best,

Kees