While preparing an outline, workbook, and PowerPoint slides for a workshop this month for the Center for Nonprofit Management I have been reminded about the four things I know about effective teaching.
Photo Credit: Learning Executive
Tag: communication
A couple of months ago I watched the movie Dead Poets Society which is filled with lessons about teaching.
Photo Credit: Touchstone Pictures
7 Lessons I Learned about Teaching from Dead Poets Society
1. John Keating (lovingly referred to as “Captain” by his students) was slightly obscure. He was always whistling to himself, walking in and out of the classroom at random times, and playing games with the students. In the beginning of the movie, it was clear that Captain did not fit the mold of the other straight-faced and curriculum-focused teachers. This contrast in teaching styles was clearest at the end of the movie when the principal of the school assumed Captain’s class and told the class to turn to the introduction of their textbook. The principal did not know that Captain had told his students to rip out the introduction. Furthermore, Captain had referred to the introduction of the book as “excrement” while the principal referred to the same essay as exceptional and profound.
In 2009 I endeavored my first attempt teaching a Bible study. It was for a men’s Bible study consisting of myself and three other men of various ages. I began leading us through the book of Nehemiah and then we spent half of a year looking at the fifteen years of David’s life before he became king.
Photo Credit: Mattea Photography
This experience teaching the Bible showed me two things:
- I loved teaching the Bible.
- I had to improve my ability to study and teach the Bible.
Recently I read the book, The Christian Educator’s Handbook on Teaching. It was a great book which outlined ten tips that can help you study and teach the Bible better.
1. Be a diligent Bible student (pp. 269-272).
Every teacher should carefully study the Bible because the Bible helps the teacher grow spiritually, it guides him, guards him against sin, and encourages the teacher to move toward spiritual maturity.
As a book that was written and compiled from 15th century B.C. until the 3rd century A.D., the Bible can be difficult to interpret and teach. Yet, the Bible is God’s inspired and authored Word. As the manual and rulebook for Christians to follow it must be taught effectively.
Photo Credit: The National Guard
I recently read the book, Effective Bible Teaching by Jim Wilhoit and Leland Ryken. It was a fantastic book written to help any Christian teach the Bible effectively. Here’s the ten things I found most helpful in the book.
10 Essential Tips for Effective Bible Teaching
1. Charisma does not always equal effective Bible teaching (p. 19).
Research shows that students are poor at assessing the effectiveness of Bible teaching. Students will sometimes rate a Bible teacher as effective even if the Bible teacher only entertains the audience instead of instructing. This is important because a Bible teacher’s job is to focus on teaching truth, not on how to be entertaining and charismatic.
I recently read the book, Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come Alive by Dr. Howard Hendricks.
Photo Credit: Thomas Galvez
In today’s post I share 10 of the most important principles Dr. Hendricks shares in his book as they relate to teaching to change lives.
- “If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow” (p. 17).
Leaders are teachers. Teaching is how leaders equip their team and prepare them for the work that needs to be done.
Flickr Photo Credit: mcholdnicki
However, teaching most be done often and it must be done correctly. While reading the book, Psychology of Learning for Instruction, I learned about Gagne’s Theory for Instruction. It has three lessons leaders can learn for better teaching.
Leaders must communicate and communicate well because the main way they can cast their vision, problem solve, and teach the people they lead is through communication.
Over the past four years, I have given over 100 talks a year. Most of these have been as part of my job at the United Way of Stanislaus County where I talk about our work and ask people to pledge money to support us. Some might argue that a request for donations talk is the most difficult to give, thus meaning I have had to become very skilled and tactful in my communication.
One of the main roles of a leader is to communicate.
Or, perhaps I should say that one of the main roles of a leader is to communicate exceptionally well. Because of the nature of leadership being about setting vision, guiding people to get there, and working through issues along the way, communication becomes a key part of that that process of leadership. Whether a leader primarily communicates in person to her team, by email, video, or even blog posts, the important thing is that a leader communicate well.
The past couple of years I have done a lot of public speaking. Last year I gave 108 talks and the year before gave 118.
Most of these were shorter talks from five to ten minutes, but they were talks where I needed to prepare a message and deliver it to an audience. Some of my audiences were as large as 120 people while others were as small as four people.
Along the way I’ve learned some key facts about communication that I’ve had to implement. And you, as my Learning Leadership readers get to read it first before anyone else.
1) Prepare Yourself
I never go to a talk that I haven’t prepared myself for. I need to make sure I’ve slept enough the night before, that I’m well groomed, and I have my outlined prepared.