John Milton Gregory first published his seven laws of teaching in 1884. His template for teaching promises “a clear and simple statement of the important factors governing the art of teaching”. This classic work and these principles are still applicable today.
I consider myself to be a “conference junkie”. I thoroughly enjoy the, seemingly endless, conferences, seminars, and training opportunities that the the fire service has to offer. This also means that for every really great presentation that I have listened to, I have had to endure two or three not-so-great presentations. Applying these seven laws of teaching will improve any fire service trainers delivery and program.
Law 1. Law of the Teacher -- “The teacher must know that which he would teach.”
Simply put, know your material. Teach what you know, do not try to over-reach your knowledge and experience. Spend plenty of time studying the material, make it fresh every time you teach. Do not be afraid to use other books, and outside resources.
Law 2. Law of the Learner -- “The learner must attend with interest to the material to be learned.”
There are two types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. The extrinsically motivated learner is there because he was told to be, is required to be, needs the class for certification or promotion, or someone else is paying the price for them to attend.
Intrinsically motivated learners are in the class because they have a desire to know and learn what is being taught, they want to enhance their career knowledge, and they are genuinely interested in the material. No matter how great the instructor is the extrinsically motivated student will not receive the lesson to be learned. Transversely, no matter how bad the instructor is, the intrinsically motivated student will still take away value from the presentation.
Law 3. Law of the Language -- “The language used in teaching must be common to teacher and learner.”
Use common fire service language and terminology. Also, keep in mind that everybody has a unique learning style. Some people learn best by reading and seeing and others by listening. The most commonly encountered learning style in the fire service seems to be hands-on training. Knowing this, and knowing the audience, you can prepare a lesson that utilizes a common language and the most effective teaching style.
Law 4. Law of the Lesson -- “The truth to be taught must be learned through truth already known.”
Apply new concepts to past experiences of the student. Allow the students to reframe the lesson in their own words.
Law 5. Law of the Teaching Process -- “Excite and direct the self-activities of the pupil, and as a rule tell him nothing that he can learn himself.”
Find the point of contact between the students current situation and application of the lesson being taught. Teach students to explore themes and ideas themselves. Teach them to ask, “what? Why? How? Where? When? By whom? What of it?”
Law 6. Law of the Learning Process -- “The pupil must reproduce in his own mind the truth to be learned.”
Help students take on the role of an “investigator” and work with them to reach the desired conclusions, or lesson to be learned. Encourage students to pursue life-long learning and a constant pursuit of excellence, knowledge, and truth.
Law 7. Law of Review and Application -- “The completion, test, and confirmation of the work of teaching must be made by review and application.”
Level I - Reaction
This assesses the students initial reaction to the course. This is most commonly conducted through the use of a course or instructor program evaluation form. From these documents, the instructor can gauge whether the students received value from the training, and can receive feedback on course elements to add or remove.
Level II - Learning
This is conducted through an end-of-class examination. This level of evaluation is meant to assess the amount of information that the student has learned and retained.
Level III - Transfer
This evaluation occurs between six weeks and six months from the end of the class. This is to assess how much of the material the student has retained from the classroom to practical application in the field.
Level IV - Business Results
This occurs between six months and two years after the training program. The ‘business results’ evaluation allows the instructor to assess the financial impact and return on investment of the training program. This should answer the questions of, “Is what we are doing making sense?” and “Is it cost-effective to continue this line of training?”
The study and implementation of these laws and principles will set any instructor on the path to successful training, that provides value and enhances a departments educational program.
Additional Resources
