By Teaching we Learn
Prepare for your IDC and become a great teacher at the same time
It's all about effective Learning!
By teaching we learn.
Boring Physics!
Let’s face it. We all know that studying is a bore.
All those physics equations!
And those RDP questions?
What about having to name everything that you can die from when diving?
There’s just SO MUCH to learn.
Where can you find help?
Help to prepare for your PADI IDC, and help to become a great teacher while learning?
Psychology of learning
Why do we find it so difficult?
You’ve read the Divemaster manual.
Maybe you’ve looked through the encyclopaedia.
You’ve attempted some mock exams.
Your Instructor has explained stuff.
But it’s still not sticking. You’re losing focus, and your attention span is drifting away.
However teaching yourself, is very similar to teaching others.
It needs to be relevant to YOU, and you need to learn with the intent of teaching it to others.
Learning is Teaching Yourself
When you’re trying to learn something new, it can be easy to lose focus and allow your attention to drift. However, if you keep in mind that you’re ultimately trying to teach yourself, it can help you stay on track.
After all, the process of learning is very similar to the process of teaching. In both cases, it’s important to make the material relevant to yourself and to have a clear purpose for learning. By keeping these things in mind, you can give yourself the best chance of success.
By Teaching we Learn
Way, way back in the days of Socrates and Plato, it was known that the people who learned quickest, and more effectively were those that passed the information over to others.
Modern research confirms that those who teach to others understand subjects more deeply.
So, as you learn, try to imagine that you’ll soon be passing the information over to others.
Modern research confirms that those who teach to others understand subjects more deeply.
This gets BOTH sides of the brain into action.
The Left side, focusing on the details
The Right side, focusing on the actions.
This is very powerful.
Our minds are "hard wired" to forget
Information is quickly forgotten—roughly 56 percent in one hour, 66 percent after a day, and 75 percent after six days.
Today’s world of internet use makes things worse. “digital dementia” is a term sometimes used.
It’s not surprising that we can’t focus on stuff if it’s not meaningful.
Our job as a teacher, to ourselves as much as others is to use as many tricks as we can to make the subject relevant.
1. Is to see / hear the information using different formats.
2. Check knowledge with simple tests where you use both eyes and brain
3. Get tips from an experienced teacher
4. Use your own imagination to apply the new knowledge
5. Get rid of “jargon” and make the topics as simple as possilbe.
Monitor your own learning style
The biggest challenge when teaching yourself, is keeping yourself motivated. Remembering why you’re learning in the first place can be half the battle.
When you lose focus, it’s important to take a step back and re frame your goals.
Why did you start learning in the first place?
What are your end goals?
Once you have a good understanding of why you’re learning, it will be easier to keep yourself on track.
Additionally, breaking down your goals into small, manageable pieces can help to make the learning process feel less daunting.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed. There are plenty of resources available, whether it’s online forums, YouTube videos, or other instructors.
Lean on these resources when needed, and before long, you’ll be an expert on the topic at hand.
Learning to be a Teacher
Once you’ve found out how you learn best, you can make the most of your study time and retain more information.
Not only that, but you can also apply the same techniques when you need to teach others.
For instance, if you’re a visual learner, you might find it helpful to create mind maps or use highlighters when you’re studying.
If you’re more of a auditory learner, listening to podcasts or reading out loud might work better for you.
And if you’re a kinesthetic learner, getting up and moving around while you study can actually help you focus and remember information better.
So next time you need to learn something new, take some time to figure out how YOU learn best – it’ll be a huge help!
My Role in Instructor Development
I’ve been a PADI Course Director for over 20 years, and I’ve helped many hundreds of people to become effective, successful and popular PADI Instructors.
Take a look at one of my online courses to see if I can help you.
Here are some snippets from my FULL IDC Preparation Course.
It certainly follows the “By Teaching we Learn” style.
How are my courses different?
During my Online Course, I explain subjects in a simple way, and then show you ways to pass this information over to others.
This introduction video explains it well.
I don’t teach the subjects in the same way that PADI do.
I treat you like an instructor right from the start.
There are several ways to apply the “By teaching we learn” methodology.
One is to take notes, similar to a “lesson plan”.
Another method that I personally like, is to “visualise” or “imagine” that I’m actually teaching somebody these facts. I go over the subject time and again in my imagination, making sure that I’m clear and concise to my virtual student.
Online Full IDC Preparation Course
Perfect for teaching yourself as much as teaching others.
Despite it’s title, this is a very powerful course for PADI instructors and divemasters to improve their personal development.
It covers theory and teaching new skills to divers.
It covers important subjects like:
Positive Coaching
Ownership of learning
Empowerment
Allowing people to learn
and lot’s of other wonderful topics.
You can join the course by clicking on the picture, or you can find more information here about the Complete IDC Preparation course
Why should you improve yourself?
As your Instructor personal development skills improve, benefits are quickly seen on both sides of the process.
Your students:
Your students look to you for inspiration. They look to you for guidance.
It’s not only your knowledge that they seek, but also empathy, understanding and the way that you communicate.
The more you improve on these skills, the more your students will learn.
Yourself:
As your students rely more on your judgement and your help, you’ll get more respect from all other professionals around you.
You’ll get more and more satisfaction from truly knowing that you’re improving people’s lives.