3 minute read
Telling is Not Teaching
by Mike Thompson
What is the key to effective teaching? The key is a relationship between the learner and the teacher. A concerted conscious effort is required by the learner in order to deeply understand and apply any given content. Any learner engaged in this process will spend their time much more effectively and efficiently if they have a relationship with a trusted teacher guiding them.
As humans we must consider the time and effort that it takes to really learn something in depth. Compared to a computer which is simply swipe, click, download, click again, and you’re done, all in a matter of seconds; deep learning for humans does not happen in an instant. The human brain does not function like a computer. To inform our human mind with a depth of knowledge takes time and effort. This effort is hard work. This time consuming and effortful process of learning is much more efficient when guided by someone the learner can respect and trust. A learner will respect and trust this person because the two of them have built a relationship.
The ever increasing use of electronic media over the past few decades sometimes leads to the mistaken notion that learning should be just as instantaneous as the media that supports it. Because we use electronic media so often, we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking that learning can simply be an instant update. It is important to remind ourselves from time to time
that the human brain learns in much the same way that it has for centuries. Just because technology has made more information available instantaneously, it does not follow that the brain learns faster just because we use faster technology.
Effective flight instructors are ones who build relationships with the learners and take the time to focus on where the learner is and what the learner needs in order to become a safe and competent pilot. A focus on the learner and what they already know combined with what they need yet to learn leads learning to a place where that pilot can meet or exceed expectations. If you would like to explore this idea of teaching as a relationship, and the idea that simply telling a student something does not constitute teaching; and if you would like to explore each of the 9 chapters of the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook from the perspective of teaching rather than from simply telling then you will be interested in the book Telling Is Not Teaching – The Flight Instructors’ Handbook. In Telling Is Not Teaching – The Flight Instructors’ Handbook, you will find a parallel to the nine chapters found in the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook. This parallel assists flight instructors in expanding upon the learning theory provided by the FAA and connects those theories to the importance of building relationships with learners to foster both effective teaching and effective learning.
Telling Is Not Teaching – The Flight Instructors’ Handbook, can be found in hardcopy, on Audible or in Kindle. Simply go to amazon.com and type in “Telling Is Not Teaching – The Flight Instructors Handbook” and you’ll find this book that will take you on a thought provoking journey into the key to effective teaching and learning.
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