“During the week, Master Wu composes calligraphy and reads a great many books, so that he knows a great many higgledy-piggledy things about a great many subjects, and some of these things are useless and some are not, but almost all of them find their way into the lessons.”
– Nick Harkaway, The Gone-Away World
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A really old saying is “repetition is the mother of all learning”. It is true but it is not the whole truth. I think association is even more important than repetition. To connect new knowledge with old knowledge, to put it into context so that it is easier to remember. I think all teachers (trainers, facilitators, parents… you name it) need to use a huge amount of stories, anecdotes, and examples to help their students learn.
It does not have to be spot on. It does not have to be useful. Your task is just to help your students connect the new knowledge with as many thoughts as possible that already exist in their minds. Mix up the content you’re delivering with personal stories, with fun anecdotes, with other facts relating to the subject. And give your students the time to reflect and discuss in order to connect the new input to their own lives.
What did this text remind you of?
Do Books Read? 