The journey from a good to great teacher needs you to be able to relate your content to your student’s life
More often than not, as teachers, we do a good job talking about stuff that needs to be taught. We dramatize, we voice modulate, we animate – but we forget to connect our content with the lives of students. That is the key magic behind transforming from a Good to a Great Teacher.
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Why should a teacher relate her content with the lives of students?
As adults, it is a simple matter of fact that things around us catch out attention only if that impacts our lives in some manner or if it is truly something out of the ordinary.
If we walk into a supermarket, we just go to the shelves we are accustomed to and pick up items that we need. Our attention isn’t swayed by other things unless it is hyped up, prominently placed or repeatedly shows up trying to grab our attention. If not for advertising, the only other reason you will actively search for an item is that it plays a prominent role in your life.
This holds true even if you just go to the market. You ordinarily visit the shops you frequent to buy the things that have significance in your lives. However, you will only venture into a new shop if it has advertised itself prominently or has something totally exotic to offer. The one other reason you might venture into it is that it has something to offer that plays a role in your everyday life.
Why should this behaviour be any different for students?
A lecturer aspiring to make the leap from a good to great teacher must exploit this behaviour to spice up their classes. Students come to your class, they know what to expect and go through the motions. As you teach, their mind picks up things that seem
- interesting
- new and fresh
- seem to have a role in their lives
You can make things interesting by dramatizing, animating and score of other tricks up your sleeve. You can spice up your lecture with 1-2 new or fresh stuff to grab their eyeballs and mind space. However, the most important thing is to make student feel that there is something I need to learn because it plays a role in my life.
This also opens up the path of transformation of yourself from a good to a great teacher. You need to learn the art of relating content in your teachings to the lives of your students.
How do I relate the content in my lessons to the lives of my students?
Relating content to your students’ lives need not be rocket science. All subjects lend themselves well to this approach provided you know where to look.
- A Physics teacher talking about centrifugal and centripetal forces can talk about how a person in a car is thrown outwards when the car negotiates a curve.
- A Chemistry lecturer can talk about real-life indicators like turmeric to detect the pH level of everyday items.
- A Math lecturer can relate differentiation that is the basis of FPS (First Person Shooter) games. Differentiation is used to ensure that the bullet you shoot goes to the place where the enemy will be the next moment and not where the enemy is now.
- A Biology lecturer can talk about inflorescence by asking all students to come to class with two unique flowers from their home gardens. This will generate unique interest among students.
If you are still short of ideas, open Google Search and type “<Your Topic>” + “real life application”. This should give you a ton of ideas.
Ex: Thermal properties of matter + real life application
How will connecting my content with students’ lives help me transform from good to great teacher?
While all this may seem taxing to practise remember that the journey from a good to great teacher is not something that is achieved overnight.. Keep trying because the benefits are manifold.
- Students will celebrate your lectures due to their relatability to their everyday lives
- You will be adding enormous value over and above the textbook content
- You become harder to replace because of your uniqueness. No textbook or replacement lecturer will be able to fill your shoes.
- Your ability to weave stories around your lesson content works magic on your students
More Reading Material : How to make your teaching relevant to students
