Making Subject Matter Comprehensible
Making subject matter comprehensible is hugely important in ensuring students are able to succeed. If the subject matter is incomprehensible, students will learn nothing (or nearly nothing) from it. Class would be largely pointless. Making subject matter comprehensible in history is extremely important, considering some students might struggle to make connections and answer the question “why are we learning this?” There are three primary ways I try to make subject matter comprehensible while teaching history. The first is a focus on relevance. If students understand why they are learning something and how it relates to today, they are likelier to understand the topic itself. Second is context. Without context, history is just a composition of random events. With context, however, one can spot patterns and relations that can be used to explain why certain things happen. Finally, I use a variety of mediums to present information in order to make it more understandable.
First, I try to emphasize the relevance of history. If students understand how an event or theme impacts their lives today, they are likelier to feel inclined to put actual work into learning about that event or theme. The relevance piece is crucial in making history comprehensible. Some ways that I emphasize the relevance of history is by asking students “where in the world might you see this (or fragments of this) today?
Second, I focus on teaching context. Without context, history is just a composition of random events. If students understand the circumstances surrounding an event, they are likelier to understand the event itself. This is also an invaluable life skill, the ability to read the context of a situation and infer what might happen or why something did happen. This is a powerful skill in understanding viewpoints that are different from our own.
Finally, I try to use a variety of mediums to present information. This increases comprehension because there are so many different types of learners out there. It would be unfair to only teach through lecture or video because certain people would not be able to learn in such a capacity. I try to utilize a wide variety of instructional methods to give everybody the equal opportunity to learn. One of my favorite teaching tools is the visual inquiry. Using this method of instruction, learners are required to infer what is happening in some sort of visual. I find that every time I do a visual inquiry in class, at least two or three students that do not frequently contribute to discussion are eager to share their thoughts. Another method of differentiating instruction is by appealing to kinesthetic learners. Especially in long block classes, I try to get students moving and sharing their ideas with students on other sides of the room. This allows students to get the jitters out and appeals to kinesthetic learners, who learn best when moving.
First, I try to emphasize the relevance of history. If students understand how an event or theme impacts their lives today, they are likelier to feel inclined to put actual work into learning about that event or theme. The relevance piece is crucial in making history comprehensible. Some ways that I emphasize the relevance of history is by asking students “where in the world might you see this (or fragments of this) today?
Second, I focus on teaching context. Without context, history is just a composition of random events. If students understand the circumstances surrounding an event, they are likelier to understand the event itself. This is also an invaluable life skill, the ability to read the context of a situation and infer what might happen or why something did happen. This is a powerful skill in understanding viewpoints that are different from our own.
Finally, I try to use a variety of mediums to present information. This increases comprehension because there are so many different types of learners out there. It would be unfair to only teach through lecture or video because certain people would not be able to learn in such a capacity. I try to utilize a wide variety of instructional methods to give everybody the equal opportunity to learn. One of my favorite teaching tools is the visual inquiry. Using this method of instruction, learners are required to infer what is happening in some sort of visual. I find that every time I do a visual inquiry in class, at least two or three students that do not frequently contribute to discussion are eager to share their thoughts. Another method of differentiating instruction is by appealing to kinesthetic learners. Especially in long block classes, I try to get students moving and sharing their ideas with students on other sides of the room. This allows students to get the jitters out and appeals to kinesthetic learners, who learn best when moving.