THREE: Make it
Interesting
Here's how you know
when a child or adult is bored...they LOOK bored! It's simple...no matter how
interested they might be in the topic before you started teaching, if they are
bored, you might as well forget about it.
There are some very
simple ways to make learning anything interesting. Here are a few:
1. Ask
Questions. Because questions hook the mind and keep us engaged, our brains stay
active thinking of the answers to questions and problems that are thrown our
way. Have them answer the questions out loud by raising their hands.
Two critical parts
of this type of instruction are often left out. First, make sure you
acknowledge the person for asking the question. Second, thank the person after
the question is answered. Asking for a round of applause also keeps the energy
high and makes the person feel great.
Tip: When someone
asks a question, before answering, ask the audience if someone knows the
answer. If they do, acknowledge that person by asking for a round of applause
or snaps (see Celebrating Section).
2. Ask, Don't Tell. Before 'teaching' anything,
find out if a member of the audience knows the information first. It's very
common for someone in the room to know the information you are teaching and
this will acknowledge them as well as involve the rest of the audience in the
conversation. It's great when the presentation isn't all about the presenter!
3. Use Stories and
Metaphor. Nothing is more
attention getting than a great story. Weave the information or lesson into a
story with a character they can relate to and you've got a winning combination.
Craft the character to be the same age as your audience, with similar
interests, concerns, likes and dislikes. Decide well in advance exactly what
the character will do in the story in order to learn whatever it is you want
your audience to learn.
FOUR: Make it
Active and Interactive
There is saying
that goes like this, "Everything is energy." If you've taught anyone
at all, you understand the importance of keeping the energy high in the room,
for yourself AND your learners. And this goes with any age...young to old.
Studies show that
most people learn better and remember more when they're moving in one way or
another. Incorporating the information into a physical activity helps make it
easer to learn and more fun to teach and keeps the energy high for those
involved.
In addition,
because human beings are relationship oriented, provide plenty of opportunity
for students to learn from each other and share their own experiences. This
type of educational environment helps kids know they are not alone. And sometimes
it's just more fun to learn things as a team.
One way of making
it interactive is to consider your programs 'conversations' instead of
lectures. When you have a conversation with someone, you talk, they talk, and
on and on.
A great way to do
this in a controlled way is to use CALLBACKS. A callback is when you say
something and then immediately ask them to repeat the information. An example
might look like this...
"So, one of
the most amazing ways you can invest for your future it to put money in the
stock market. WHERE can you put money?" And they say, "Stock
market."
or...
or...
"The three
assets most wealthy people invest in are real estate, the stock market and
businesses. WHAT are the three ways?" They say, "Real estate, stock
market and business."
You can also do it
this way...
"One of the
most important habits you can do with money is to Pay Yourself First." Say
that whole sentence with me. And they will repeat it.
It takes a bit of
practice but it's an powerful way to not only get them to remember what you're
teaching but to stay involved and engages.
One additional way
to keep the energy high in a learning environment is to be very aware of these
three states: physical, emotional and mental. If you sense that the energy in
the room is going down, all you have to do it change ONE state and you'll
change all three. Because learning is incredibly 'state dependent', learning to
recognize and change your learners states is one of the most valuable skills
you can learn and use.
For more
information on YOU can learn how to teach your financial literacy programs in
the most amazingly affective way, check out http://www.creativewealthintl.org/trainthetrainer.php
Elisabeth Donati is
the owner of Creative Wealth Intl., LLC and creator of Camp Millionaire, a
unique financial intelligence program for youth. She is an expert in teaching
the basic financial principles everyone needs in a way that is engaging,
empowering and fun.
She has a passion
for empowering women in her Creative Wealth for Women program and is the author
of The Ultimate Allowance and the weekly ezine, Financial Wisdom with a TWI$T.
For information, visit http://www.creativewealthintl.org
