Perspectives On How To Teach

Listen to Dr. Renee Weber speak on some perspectives about how to teach and the communications process.  An audio recording posted in the media library of the Theosophical Society of America’s website notes some successful and motivational strategies used and promoted by Dr. Weber about the art of teaching.

1)  You must know your material; be prepared; anticipate questions and problems.

2)  Know your audience. Teaching should be approached and conducted with strong considerations about the receiving audience. Adaptation to the audience, but also keeping true to the material so that the imparted knowledge is kept pure.

3)  Teaching is an interaction. However, inspiring the audience is a by-product and not the main objective. The activity is not led through selling or promoting but in helping make connections to the material. Instructor eye contact with every member of the audience matters.

4)  A good teacher is inspired by the material being imparted. Enthusiasm is contagious and is easily interpreted by an audience, and the lack thereof is also prone to deflate an audience’s motivation to learn.

5)  The philosophy of a good teacher is not contained in the idea of “Tabula rasa” but rather in the idea that every individual has something from the start that can be “turned on” and lead to learning.

Reference: Renee Weber, July 1, 1985. Renee Weber, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of philosophy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

Teaching Methods Video

The Art of Teaching

The Art of Teaching

View more presentations from tarannau20