As a teacher I believe we stand in a classroom willing to share the knowledge we have with the bright students in front of us. But the question is, how. How will I be able to facilitate the needed content in an interesting way?
Well, let me tell you that is not easy. It doesn’t matter if you have been teaching a couple years or if you are close to retiring, sharing knowledge takes a lot from the speaker. Some might think teaching is opening a book, explaining, giving exercises and answering questions. What do you think? I can tell you it takes more than that.
If you want students to learn, you have to spark the light of curiosity amongst them. Yes, I mean it! Students will be interested in learning if they find the topic interesting for them. Most of all, it will stay in their long-term memory. Here are some ideas that might help you to improve learning.
- Activate previous knowledge
- Propose unexpected context
Curiosity and surprise enhances memory. It is well known that children at a young age are curious by nature, they want to know, they want to find out and they are willing to explore. Finding out the reason for things brings a sense of accomplishment in them. In education, curiosity is a major motivation for scientific knowledge, as well as for long-term academic performance.
When kids express curiosity during childhood, they will have positive effects on learning and memory. Here is where the teacher comes in. It is our job to tailor the educational approach to optimally harness curiosity development and the opportunity to motivate the drive to learn and the satisfaction this brings from acquiring the desired knowledge.
In other words, students will learn if they are curious about the topic. So, let’s spark the inquisitive minds!
Solange
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