How to Teach Students Effectively- Simplifying Concepts

How to Teach Students Effectively – Simplifying Concepts

When you are involved in teaching, there will come a moment that will leave you stumped. You may come across a concept that you simply have no idea how to explain to your students. Complex ideas and concepts are intricate and detailed, but that does not mean they cannot be simplified. Learning how to teach students effectively is an art in itself, and it is a skill that needs to be honed constantly if you are an educator. Complex concepts need to be taught regardless, and you as a teacher need to find insightful and diplomatic ways to tackle that obstacle.

Children have different ways they understand concepts, different learning styles and analytical skills, which makes explaining one concept in just way singular way ineffective. You have to adapt your teachings to each child’s needs and improvise accordingly. This may seem like an overwhelming endeavour, but there are always some helpful tips and tricks you can utilize to learn how to teach your students effectively. Let’s discuss some of them:

Tips on How to Teach Your Students Effectively:

Try to Simplify the Subject

Sometimes you have to break down complex ideas into smaller, more digestible chunks of information so that your students can absorb it faster. It may be overwhelming to digest when you present an intricate idea, but if you teach it in smaller parts and employ techniques like microlearning, your students are bound to understand.

Use Stories or Build a Narrative

You can use stories or build a narrative around the concept you are teaching. Create characters, and plot points, build dialogues and immerse your learners into the idea, by helping them visualize it by taking flights of fantasy. Who said learning had to be boring?

Use Age-Appropriate Language

Children have different levels of language development and comprehension abilities. Try to use language that is appropriate for the child’s age and cognitive level. When describing a subject to an older kid, you can use more technical terms and abstract principles, but when teaching the same concept to a younger child, you may need to use simpler language and more specific examples.

Use Technology that Helps People Better Understand

You do not have to always undertake the teaching process alone. Using technology in class can help make the process easier and more accessible, not just for the students, but for the teacher as well. Using online microlearning tools or a digital board for teaching can help make lessons more interactive, and engaging and help increase learner retention. In today’s modern world, you don’t need to wonder how to teach students effectively, as smart solutions are available to aid your efforts.

Use Analogies

An effective method to learn how to teach your students effectively is to use analogies. When you relate new concepts with older ideas and lessons the students are familiar with or link them to a topic that they have prior knowledge about, the parallelism in the topics will help the child analyze and understand better, and it will efficiently help them absorb information better.

Use the Feynmann Technique

The Feynmann technique was a method of teaching developed by renowned Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynmann, also popularly known as ‘The Great Explainer’. It involves teaching a concept you’re learning to someone else, even if that someone is imaginary. The process helps you identify areas where your understanding is shaky and forces you to explain complex ideas in simple terms.

The process involves conducting research and understanding the topic, breaking down the information into simple data, building on any gaps in your knowledge, and then using further analogies and explanations to make the data more comprehensible. This is an efficient method to impart knowledge, no matter how complicated.

Repeat a Few Times

Repetition is the easiest method to teach students effectively. Children often retain information better and more permanently when important keywords and topics related to the lesson are repeated at different intervals, to increase their ability to recall information.

Children may face difficulty understanding a concept in one go, but when it is repeated at timed intervals as a recap session or as a review assignment, they will have an easier time comprehending the idea and be able to reproduce it.

All in all, understanding how to effectively teach students is a constant journey where you, as an educator, have to constantly keep learning new techniques of imparting knowledge and improving your skills so that you can help the children grow and develop. Whether you use methods like microlearning or are using technology in class to improve learner engagement, staying dedicated to the task and understanding that each student learns at their own pace, in their own way, is essential. Incorporating techniques catering to different learning styles and interests into your teaching methods is the best way to grow.

Also Read: How to Prepare Yourself for the IELTS Exam?