Techniques of Teaching: Why do we need Techniques of Teaching?

From a simple perspective, teaching is not difficult at all. Just standing in front of the class and speaking is a form of teaching! Even if you're not comfortable facing a live audience, speaking in front of a camera can be another form of teaching. So as long as you have the confidence, ability, and deliver the content effectively, teaching is not as challenging as it seems.

While teaching itself may not be difficult, teaching a course exceptionally well does come with some challenges. Think about the various courses we have taken throughout our lives, including those during our school days, professional training after entering the workforce, or even personal development courses we pursued externally. Take a moment to reflect: which courses did you find to be great, engaging, and left a lasting impression on you? Were there more exciting or dull courses? Consider the proportion of these outstanding courses in your memory.

Teaching Equals Telling?

Upon closer reflection, you will realize that our conventional notion of "teaching" is essentially synonymous with "telling." It involves a teacher standing in front of the class, imparting knowledge, explaining concepts, sharing ideas, philosophies, methodologies, and new information through spoken words. A class could last 50 minutes, 2-3 hours, or even an entire day. This is the teaching approach that most people are familiar with.

However, if teaching is merely a one-way transfer of knowledge, with the teacher speaking and the students listening, then in this era of the internet, aren't there plenty of alternatives available? We can search on Google, watch YouTube videos, or even enroll in online courses. If it's just a matter of transmitting knowledge, students can simply seek and access information themselves. Why would we still need teaching?

Looking at it from another perspective, renowned companies invest heavily in hiring external consultants or professional trainers to deliver courses for their employees. The purpose is certainly not just to have someone reiterate knowledge. The primary goal is for employees to genuinely learn, enhance their skills, and apply the knowledge in practical situations after leaving the classroom. However, these professional trainers typically have only half a day to a full day to achieve significant learning outcomes. How do they manage to accomplish such impactful teaching within such a short period? One thing is for sure: companies cannot accept trainers who merely stand on stage and recite information or skills. Enterprises expect faster, more comprehensive, and practical results. So, how do these professional trainers, who play a crucial role in teaching, go about their instruction?

This is the main topic of our book. Let's explore what techniques professional trainers utilize in "The Art of Teaching" tailored specifically for their profession.

 Who need Techniques of Teaching

You may wonder: I am not a school teacher, why did I need Techniques of Teaching? According to my experience from the past, there are three types of people that need " Techniques of Teaching".

First type: company executives, senior staff, or professionals.

If you are a company executive, an experienced professional, or an expert in a particular field, you will soon find yourself in a teaching role. Your boss might say to you, "You're doing a great job, and your experience is valuable. Can you share your knowledge with your colleagues or mentor the new hires?" You may start teaching topics like "business development techniques,""sales skills,""administrative management skills,""company product introductions," or more specialized subjects such as "project management,""production processes," or "quality management." As a company executive or senior staff member, there will always be new hires or existing employees in need of training. Apart from hiring external consultants, it is common to invite internal colleagues to share their expertise.

In addition to teaching within the company, many professionals and executives are invited to schools to teach courses or collaborate with school teachers as industry professionals. This collaborative teaching approach is known as "industrial mentorship." Teaching techniques become crucial in such scenarios.

The second type: school teachers

 Naturally, teaching is the primary responsibility of school teachers, whether in universities or high schools. However, teaching in schools has become increasingly challenging. It is not only the students' motivation that poses a problem but also the teaching methods that challenge teachers more than ever before. How can teaching be more efficient? How can teachers apply techniques to capture students' attention and engagement? These are common questions that teachers often face.

The third type: professional speakers or amateur lecturers.

There is a group of professionals who specialize in delivering lectures to major corporations as their full-time occupation. They earn hourly wages ranging from thousands to tens of thousands (yes, you read that correctly—renowned speakers can earn the equivalent of some people's daily, weekly, or even monthly salaries in just one hour). These speakers were previously known as management consultants, but a more accurate term for them is professional speakers. Most professional speakers are former corporate executives or professionals who transitioned into this role. However, there are also speakers who have other primary occupations but deliver courses or speeches during their free time. We can refer to them as amateur lecturers.

For amateur or professional speakers, having expertise in a particular field is essential. However, the key lies in utilizing teaching techniques to transform this expertise into valuable knowledge that can be absorbed and applied by corporate learners. Additionally, capturing and maintaining the participants' attention is a valuable skill that many professionals possess but seldom openly share. It is also the subtle difference between amateur and professional speakers.

Conclusion

If there is good teachers, good student and good enviroment, there can be no techniques for teaching. But if we really want to teach a course well, we should consider what different methods are available. What sets apart mere lecturing from videos on the internet, audiobooks on our phones, or knowledge we can find on Google? As teachers, whether we are teaching in a corporate setting, at school, or aspiring to become professional speakers, how can we maximize the value of teaching? How can we ensure that the impact of in-person courses far surpasses that of simply listening to a book or a lecture? It poses a significant challenge in terms of teaching techniques to enable students to truly understand, excel, and master the material.

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