When we are faculty, we think our job is to tell students what we know.
This is a recipe for disaster.
A studio owner recently spoke to me about the problem with this very issues: “One of our faculty – he’s so smart and experienced. But a student asks a question that’s off-topic, and suddenly everyone is going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole. The students don’t cover the material that they are supposed to, and they just get confused.”
That faculty member was undoubtedly trying to do a good (answer questions, give details, and share his knowledge). But in fact, he was making what I call, “The Great Mistake.”
The Great Mistake is when we focus on what we say to students, rather than focusing on what the students can actually do. It’s understandable that we would make this mistake. After all, in public yoga classes, our job is to be a “sage on the stage,” holding space and directing the show.
However, in teacher training, your skill often lies in what you don’t say.
Students know far less about your topic of expertise than you; if you inundate them with too much information, they will experience “cognitive overload” and fail to learn.
Here are five tips to keep you on task, and maximize your students’ ability to learn.
1. Know your learning objectives
Learning objective describe specific and measurable learning outcomes. What do you want students to be able to DO at the end of your time with them? Your learning objectives are your north star. Keep the end in mind in order to stay on track and avoid extraneous information.
2. Change your role from sage on the stage to “guide on the side”
Rather than see yourself as the expert, instead re-position your role to one of being a coach. Your work – rather than being about relaying the content that you are teaching, should be refocused on the skills your students can demonstrate. This shift in perspective will help to re-orient you to put the learner at the center. It will also take the pressure of you! With this shift, you don’t have to prove that you are a knowledgeable expert; your focus can remain on the students’ ability to perform.
3. Defer non-relevant topics
Rabbit holes are so tempting! Students will often come up with juicy questions that are not be part of the learning objectives or the flow of the content that you are teaching. Validate the student’s interest, but be relentless about postponing conversations that don’t serve your immediate learning objectives.
- “Great question, we’re actually going to cover that shortly, so hold tight.”
- “That’s an excellent conversation to have, and we’ll get there when we discuss ethics next week.”
If the topic is too far afield – or only pertains to that student’s personal interest rather than the class discussion at large – then don’t be shy about holding the boundaries of the class:
- “That’s an interesting question, but beyond the scope of what we can really discuss today. But I’d be happy to chat with you about that one on one or share some resources with you that you can check out on your own!”
4. Use a question box
One great way to manage questions is to use a question box. A question box in any repository where students can anonymously drop any questions that may have come up for them. Not only is this a great way to defer irrelevant conversations, it also gives students a safe and anonymous place to ask about topics that may seem unclear and can give you a sense if students are understanding the material.
5. Hold questions
If you are trying to manage time effectively during a lecture, then ask students to write down and hold their questions til the end of the session. This will help you get through the material. Often, students find that their question is answered later during the lecture, and that they no longer need to ask the question anyway. You could save space to answer questions yourself at the end of the lecture, put students into group to discuss the “muddiest point” with their peers, or collect all the questions, determine the common themes, and circle back when there is more time.
As a trainer, silence can be golden. Remember, at the end of the day, the success of your training isn’t about what you tell your students; it’s what they can do that counts.
