When training staff or teaching students, one of the best ways to know they understand what you’re teaching them is to get them to teach it back to you. I like to call this reporting out. When a student listens to us teach, they remember about 20% of what we say. When they teach it back to us, they remember 95%. The key is to allow more time for their voices. Here are some ideas:
Teach less
We need to give students information in smaller sizes, allowing more time for them to internalize it and teach it back to us. This works great in a small group setting. Most small groups have a limited amount of time for a lesson. Cut the lesson down to one thought and let students teach you what that thought means to them.
Report out in personal illustrations
When you give your students a one thought lesson, have them teach it back to you with an illustration from their own life. For example, when teaching on God’s love, have students tell you a story of how they have shown God’s love to another person in the last 48 hours.
Report out in pictures
Teach a thought from scripture and give a personal illustration. Then ask students to draw a picture of what that thought means to them. This will also teach innovation and creativity.
The more we can get students to report out, the more they will learn. If we really have students’ learning as a top priority, then we will talk less and let students talk more.
