This is so important in teaching. Not everyone can remember verbatim what some terms mean, but if an example is given as well it not only sticks in the student's head, but they will remember what it means. I find myself doing this often while sharing experiences I have encountered in my field and how it applies to the course content.
I have found using memorable examples from my career in the criminal justice field helps to establish a link between the classroom and the real world for my students. I use my experiences to lift them out of the classroom and into a real life situation like those they are likely to encounter. I like to ask them to jot down what they would do to defuse or mediate the situation before I reveal what I did. This creates great discussion and 100% participation.
Alexcia,
so true. I tutored a young lady when I was in college in our western civ history class. I turned the facts into stories & her grades greatly improved & she said it was because she could remember stories but not stale facts & dates.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am an MA Instructor. Using personal expiences as a tool allows for transference. It helps them connect the expience with the knowledge that you are trying to instill. Furthermore, it diminish the anxieties they may have when it comes time for them to be in their professions.
The more personal the association, the higher the retention and racall rate!!
Joulette,
this is a great point. If I share some of my early experiences & even failures/struggles it will help my students when they face these same situations.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am teaching Medical Surgical Nursing class.I always give a example related to the disease that we are studying.It keeps the students focus on the subject.
I love great examples because they reveal to students how much I LOVE being in the classroom. They get to see that I keep work from former students and that students give me copies of their work to keep. It shows value added respect between my students and me.
CoCintheane,
you are so right & this helps the students to see our passion for the material & subject matter.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with Carol. I have found that if you become a storyteller with dashes of humor and creativity students will take your story/example home and repeat them to others. In telling my example to others they are using the communication skills I'm trying to teach them.
I am a veterinary technology instructor and I like to use examples of cases that I have seen in practice with my students to link the content material with real life examples. Its normally in the form of a funny story that happened one day at work and they always remember the content material better then when it is given through straight lecture.
One of the classes I teach is a course in public speaking, during which I explain repeatedly to students that audience members will remember vivid examples better than any other type of support or evidence because we remember best those things which we connect to on an emotional level. Stories, anecdotes, etc are widely relatable in ways a speaker (or teacher) can not anticipate. The same is true for teaching, which is a type of public speaking, of course.
Examples provide context for the information we throw at them, and those examples will jog their memories and lead them to recalling the big picture or major themes of the lecture.
Stephen Dable,
story telling really is a powerful way to communicate the points we want to get across & to give them even more ways to remember concept.s
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Carrie,
these real life examples, especially in fields like yours, are great ways to connect the students with the material.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I totally agree, I am a dental assisting instructor and even after 35+ years in a clincal setting-it makes me more human to see that I still make errors-Not ALL my x-rays are perfect...it makes them feel better about themselves.
These types of example create an excitement for the class. A student will leave never knowing what he or she might hear or see the next day. The intrigue helps build excitment for the students.
Jeremy,
this is so true & also helps build excitement for their future career which helps with retention.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I hope to bring my past work experience into the class room setting by using key examples that apply to the concepts they are learning.
Giving the students something memorable will help them recall the information later. I find that when I hit a dull lecture and try to do something funny or a little unexpected that my students will remember that and be able to recall the information that I was lecturing on much better.
Using memorable examples helps the student relate what they are learning to what they will be doing on the job. It also helps make the topics more interesting and engaging for them. Plus we can usually relate some very interesting stories even if a little off topic to give their minds a little break before getting back on topic.
