How to Teach Others

Harry van Bommel

 

The best way to learn is to help other people learn.

This short book on teaching others is designed to help experienced and beginning teachers, educators, facilitators, instructors, and content providers. Whatever the learning situation, the goal is the same – to provide a learning place and framework that allows learners to acquire knowledge and skills for professional and personal development. 

This book presents practical information on adult learner characteristics and learning styles, and the design, teaching and evaluation of programs -- the basic building blocks of any teaching program.

The key is to begin with an understanding a few fundamental learning principles:

1. Learners are their own best experts.

2. Learners are competent in their learning and all benefit from having that learning respected and helped.

3. Learners learn best when they are responsible for their own learning.

4. Learners need an opportunity to learn at their own pace and for their own reasons.

5. Learners need information that is flexible enough for them to adapt so they can incorporate their own learning style and cultural, religious, and economic beliefs and customs.

Harry van Bommel has been teaching these and other skills for over 25 years. His use of accelerated learning techniques, music, his own songs, audio-visual materials and humor make him an exciting, dynamic and successful teacher and conference speaker.

104 pages, 5 x 8 inches, ISBN 1-55307-018-6, $15 eBook, $20 paperback

Table of Contents

Introduction

For Beginning Trainers

The Basics

EXERCISE #1 - How You Learn

Principles of Adult Learning

EXERCISE #2 - Characteristics of Adult Learners

EXERCISE #3 - Designing Programs

Organizational Questions

Content Design

Facilitating the Program

A Quick Overview of the Program

Learning Disabilities

Different Ways of Presenting Information

Taking a Risk

When Participants Challenge You

Teaching with Other Trainers

Multicultural Aspects

Audio Visual Tools

Physical Environment

Evaluations

Summary

Self-Evaluation

Resources

Appendix 1: Program Bookings

Training Program Requirements

Appendix 2: Teaching Styles

Testimonials

The workshop was extremely enjoyable due to the fast-paced, multi-faceted approach to learning. Never have so many learned so much in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Not many one-day seminars have left me so energized. Harry's interactive approach works!

A great day of laughing and learning. What a shot in the arm!

Excellent, inspiring, challenging, thought provoking. Love to hear him more.

Speaking from the heart as well as from knowledge. He is very convincing, vibrant, uplifting.

What a wonderful man! Thank you for this opportunity to hear him.

Harry van Bommel was a skillful instructor and I was struck by his creative style of presentation, mixing in humor, music and song, video and audio. Bottom line-- the learning was fun!

It was "invigorating" to hear you speak with so much enthusiasm. The humanity that you bring to your discussions is wonderful. Often speakers will "lecture" with knowledge but miss the compassion. Not you!!

Everyone should have Harry's influence and guidance. Excellent presenter.

A first-rate teacher with a sense of humor and a real interest in what he is doing. I may even take the course again.