Creative Teaching Techniques – Should you be using them?
When you're teaching, do you ever feel like your learners aren't really getting the information you're trying to give them? Sure, they are physically present, but their expressions and lack of participation tell you that they're not absorbing what you are teaching. This may be the time to pull out some creative training methods that more actively involve the learner. But before you start using all kinds of innovative techniques, let's establish the pros of creative teaching and outline the preparation necessary to ensure success.
Pros of Creative Teaching
+ Active Involvement
Many creative teaching strategies allow you to involve the learner in the process of learning. Adult learners like to actively participate. Participation helps them stay focused on the task at hand and often results in greater learning with longer retention.
+ Sensory Enhancement
Creative teaching situations involve more of the senses in the learning process. It has been said that after two days learners remember 20% of what is heard, but when something is heard, seen and done, 80% is remembered. Those statistics alone make a strong case for active involvement in learning.
+ Involvement is Fun
Creative teaching can be entertaining for both the learner and the instructor. Who doesn't want to have a good time? It makes the learner more open to the current training and builds enthusiasm for future training situations.
Be Prepared - Making Creative Teaching a Success
Before you rush out and start using creative teaching methods, there are a few precautions you should take to avoid common pitfalls.
Define Your Goal
First, clearly define your goal for the training session. In other words, when the learners leave your session, what do you want them to remember? Defining your goal is important because it ensures that the desired learning does not get lost in the method. The learners may have a great time in the training session, but if what they talk about and remember afterwards is the technique used and not the substance of the training, you have not reached your training goal.
For instance, say you attempt to teach the principles of infection control using actors dressed up as germs and superheroes who wipe out the germs. Learners may talk about the hilarious costumes later, but if when asked, they can't tell you the principles of infection control, the desired learning got lost in the method.
Plan Ahead
It often takes extra time to make creative teaching techniques successful. You must plan, prepare, practice and pilot the training for it to work well. Just because you read it in a book or saw it somewhere else does not mean that it will work effectively for you! Take the time in advance to make sure everything you plan will work in your training situation.
For example, let's say that you want to demonstrate how confusing it can be to exit a burning building in the dark. You decide ahead of time that in the training, students will be blindfolded and asked to crawl out of the room. However, when you arrive at the training site, you find yourself in a theater style room with stairs and immoveable furniture. Your activity may not be practical or safe here. A little research into your training location ahead of time can prevent this from happening.
Be Ready for Factors Out of Your Control
The success of the teaching method you use is not always something you can control completely. What will work in one setting with one group of people may not work in another. A lot depends upon the people involved, the size of the group and the arrangement of the setting. You can't always control these factors. However, recognizing that these factors are likely to change will enable you to react positively and make changes as problems arise.
So, are creative teaching techniques worth the work?
Remember the statistics about retention of learning when you involve seeing, hearing and doing? As effective trainers, we can increase retention of knowledge by as much as 60% by actively involving our learners. Well developed and carefully planned creative teaching techniques can be a unique and entertaining way to greatly enhance learning.
Ellen Hierl, BS Ed.
Training Instructor
Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc.
About Ellen
Top
Did Ellen's article on creative teaching above get you thinking about some of your own unique teaching methods? If so, we want to hear about them and share them in the next issue of SIDELINES.
Bethesda is pleased to introduce the
SIDELINES Mail Bag - a place to share your staff education experiences and tips with other readers, ask questions, or suggest topics for future articles.
This Month in the Mail Bag:
Share your best and worst creative teaching experiences
This month we pose the question: What have been your best and worst experiences using creative teaching techniques, and what did you learn from them?
To get the discussion started, Ellen has agreed to share her own worst and best creative teaching moments, so keep reading.
Ellen's Worst Creative Teaching Moment
While teaching Fire Safety class, I wanted students to experience how difficult it can be to exit a room in a fire. Students were blindfolded and given a partner to assist them. They were then instructed to crawl out of the room. Their partner was to let them know if they were in any danger. One of the ladies in the group decided to abruptly stand up, and in the process, she hit a table edge and needed stitches. I still use the drill but give the partners very specific instructions on how to protect their buddy.
Ellen's Best Creative Teaching Moment
To emphasize the importance of good observation skills, I asked everyone to choose a partner. They were then instructed to stand back to back. While in this position I told them to change three things about their appearance. Then I had them turn and face one another and identify what was changed. I had them repeat the drill several times. It was amazing how much more observant people became with each repetition.
Share Your Story
We want to hear from you! Visit the SIDELINES Mail Bag to share your creative teaching stories.
Watch next month's issue of SIDELINES for replies from your colleagues in the field of staff education.
Top
Save on Staff Development Videos from Bethesda's NCRC
Now, for a limited time, when you purchase five video titles at full price from Bethesda's Staff Development Catalog, you'll receive a sixth title of equal or lesser value for FREE!
This includes our new releases,
Confidentiality: The HIPAA Privacy Rule and
Basics of Safe Lifting.
This offer is only available through November 28, 2003. To redeem this offer, call, fax or e-mail Bethesda and identify yourself as a SIDELINES subscriber. (Sorry, this discount is not available for online ordering.) To place an order, or if you have questions, please contact customer service at 1.800.369.4636, ext. 3541, e-mail ncrc@blhs.org, or fax 920.262.6513.
Top
In addition to staff development videos and scheduled workshops, Bethesda also offers individualized workshops on a variety of topics per your agency's request. Training can be done on-site by Bethesda's Education and Resources staff and is structured to fit your audience.
Some of the workshops offered include:
- Building Support for People with Challenging Behaviors
- Medication and Medication Administration Update
- Person-Centered Planning
- Training Staff in the Field of Developmental Disabilities
- Wisconsin CBRF Training
- Illinois Direct Support Person (DSP) Training
For more information and descriptions of the workshops offered, visit
www.blhs.org/resources/developStaff/workshops/ or use the contact information below.
Top
Subscribers to SIDELINES are automatically entered in a monthly drawing for a FREE single videotape of their choice. If you receive an e-mail from SIDELINES with subject, "SIDELINES Videotape Drawing," all you have to do is reply within one week and the video of your choice from
Bethesda's Staff Development Catalog is free!
Congratulations to last issue's winner, Linda Waldie of Texas! Linda chose
Confidentiality: The HIPAA Privacy Rule as her free videotape.
Do you have friends who would be interested in receiving SIDELINES and being entered into our monthly drawing? Just forward your copy of this e-mail to your friends. All they have to do is use the information at the end of this e-mail to sign up.
Top
Your comments are encouraged.
Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc.
Attn: National Christian Resource Center (NCRC)
600 Hoffmann Dr.
Watertown, WI 53094
ncrc@blhs.org
1.800.369.4636, ext. 4449
920.262.6513 (fax)
www.blhs.org
Top
If this e-mail has been forwarded to you and you would like to receive future editions of SIDELINES, visit
http://www.blhs.org/e/go.asp?sm=sidelines to sign up.
To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to
providers-signoff-request@listserv.blhs.org
Do not use the Reply button; just click on this link and send the message. This will remove you from the active subscriber list.Top
© 2003 Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc.
