Use the three teaching tips below to bring light to all students!
It’s a good thing Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Now whenever we get a good idea, we can shout, “Got it!” That instant jolt of illumination sounds better than “Stupid fire, why won’t you light?! Hold on, I think we have something… Nope, it went out. Oh, wait. It’s there. I can see a little flame!”
Not as catchy, huh? And it definitely wouldn’t make a good T-shirt. But in education, we cherish both the light bulb moments and the fire moments. As W.B. Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire.”
Having worked with teachers from preschool to high school, universities to seminaries, schools to churches, I see a common thread when I ask, “What is your greatest fulfillment as a teacher?” Across the board, the answer is, “When my students get it!”
Whether it’s helping them learn long division, showing them they can think for themselves and have capabilities they didn’t know were there, or deepening their understanding of themselves and the world, the goal of every teacher should be illumination.
When that light bulb goes on, the heart of a teacher glows with the eternal flame of encouragement. (Sure, I mixed metaphors, but I needed to keep both analogies going!)
A lot has to happen, of course, before that light bulb/fire moment can occur. And while my educational journey has taken a few twists and turns, my core convictions have remained consistent. Amid the myriad elements that unify the art of teaching and illumination, I have found three keys that consistently emerge as most important.
3 Teaching Tips To Illuminate Learners
1. Know your craft.
No matter where you teach, you can’t get around this one. If you don’t know your craft, you’ll be exposed and possibly fired. You’ll never light one fire or turn on one light bulb for even one student. All you’ll show them is how not to teach.
Knowing your craft goes far beyond getting a degree. The heart of education is a love for learning. Nothing is more contagious to students than a teacher who loves the subject, is always learning more about the field, and is genuinely excited to bring it to kids’ level so they can fully understand it. After all, it’s quite difficult to convince students to do something you don’t do yourself.
No matter their age, students can sniff out a fraud. Immediately. Week one, they already know if you have control of the class. They know if you care about them and if you know what you’re talking about. This doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement on the teacher’s part. But if you aren’t prepared to be a great teacher, you won’t be.
Some teachers, unfortunately, are okay with that. Nothing feels more vulnerable than standing in front of a class and trying to fill the time with meaningful activities and discussions while maintaining a climate conducive to learning. This process begins with knowing your craft.
Teachers have two crafts to master: the subject and the profession. It’s not enough to just know a lot about physics or how to teach reading. If you haven’t taken the time to learn the material yourself, anticipated all the questions, thoughtfully prepared your lesson plans, and come to class organized, you won’t reach your potential as an educator.
Regardless of your intellect, magnetic personality, or firm hand as a disciplinarian, you’ll fall short of your potential.
