Personality Of Teaching

There is a common myth that all of society seems to be entrapped by. It is perhaps one of the reasons a lot of us get so nervous to teach anything to anyone. People believe that the ability to teach is a gift, you either have the gift or you don’t. The fact of the matter is that teaching is skill and so just like any other skill you can learn it. People aren’t born knowing how to carve, or play the piano, or sew. We learn those skills because that is what interests us. Our level of interest is often what drives our skill level.

If you have minimal interest then it only makes sense that you will have minimal skill level. We have to understand though that interest is more then just a desire it is a force that pushes us to action. Action is what ultimately takes you to great skill levels. You can learn to be an excellent teacher. Teaching is a skill and just like learning to carve or sew there are things you can study to become an expert teacher. So lets put that myth to rest and start now studying to be a teacher that students are effected by. People are not born great teachers they are driven by interest to that greatness.

I’ve compiled a list of skills (in no particular order) that every teacher must research, understand and then implement. There are 5 skills and my plan is to write a post about each one over the next couple of weeks. 5 skills, one post every three days or so, discussing: why it is so important, the impact it can have and where to go to find out more information. Here is a brief summary of each post to come.

Post 1- Content is King- If you are standing up in front of room full of people spouting off things everyone either already knows, or doesn’t care about, your teaching will be as effective as a Kamikaze pilot’s helmet. Formulate lessons that have content worth your listeners’ time.

Post 2- Gaining Attentive Attention- Dry is something that should describe the action of your towel or the Sahara desert but NEVER your teaching style. Touching your students’ emotions takes practice but once you can do that you will be effective and memorable every time you teach, no matter what your subject matter. There are tricks and techniques you can develop to do just that.

Post 3- Keeping Your Personality- To quote a corny refrigerator magnet ‘you are the best you, so be you’. Your teaching will always come across better if you are you, rather then being distract by trying to channel someone else’s personality. That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t study great teachers just learn how to adapt their skills to your personality.

Post 4- Many Examples- “Professors known as great lectures do two things; they use a simple plan and many examples.” Taking simple life experiences and turning them into teaching tools is an art worth learning.

Post 5- The Words You Use- If we were to track what word is most often used in our English language I think it would be a close tie between ‘Um..’ and ‘And-a’. The way you speak and how you tell your stories and express your points of emphasis all add or detract from your presentation. If someone has to filter through filler words, dull tones of voice and lengthy explanations of simple ideas then odds are they’ll become so distracted with sifting that they won’t hear your real message.

I am excited for these posts, they are on great topics that can have great results if studied and implemented. Hope you find them interesting and intriguing too.