How to Teach Anyone Anything

Yes, even brain surgery!

Yep, you can poke and prod into someone’s cranium with this process. But the usual caveats are:

• no batteries included
• don’t try some of these at home
• always ensure you are suitably supervised

Ok, let’s get to it.

This is a straightforward process anyone can follow. And while it is good to teach people a skill, the same applies for learning, just in reverse.

Step 0 – Why!

This is an often overlooked aspect of teaching but provides massive impact in the learning/teaching relationship.

Defining Why!

• Why the task is necessary.
• Why it is important.
• Why it needs to be completed to a specific standard.

Explaining the “why” provides weight to the task. It underscores the attention required to successfully execute the task.

Once the why is covered, you can go into a lot more detail.

Step 1

Define the task. Begin with the end in mind so you know what you need to do to be successful. What are your success criteria? Write them down. This will be critical and setting you up for success in teaching as well as the learner for learning. If the goal is unclear, neither of you will know if you have achieved the task.