On the way to campus one day I reflected over the Composition II lesson I had prepared and tried to identify what was missing. The lesson broke down a much-needed skill into achievable elements and involved both activities and discussion, but it still felt as though I would be presenting something foreign to a skeptical audience. Realizing I needed a bridge from the unfamiliar to the familiar, I recognized what was missing: analogy. Read on for tips on incorporating analogies into your teaching.
Teaching with Analogy
It’s like…. Pretend you’re… You know how… Except in this case you…
Why Analogy?
- Time-honored practice utilized by teachers in many fields
- Acts as a mnemonic device you can invoke quickly in future lessons
- Accommodates different learning styles
- Utilizes existing knowledge to build students’ confidence to try new skills and engage with new ideas
How to Make an Easy DIY Analogy at Home
- Break new skill to be taught down to its core elements- make it the MOST abstract
- What else does it remind you of?
- Which of these things is most familiar to students? The most exciting? Involves a skill they already have?
- How can this incorporate an activity, video, or image?
Sharing is Good
- Ask co-workers and mentors
- Look online
- Don’t dismiss ideas from devotionals, Pinterest, activities targeted to younger children, or party games; a good idea is a good idea- and the point is to utilize something familiar
- Creativity will help you adapt ideas- how can you tweak or combine existing ideas or activities to more closely match your aims and your context?
Try, Try Again
- All your ideas won’t work- expect to have some ideas fall flat and be prepared to move on
- Simpler is better
- Benefit of keeping/gaining student interest- students would rather be interested and confused than bored and confused
- Requires practice to get a feel for what works, just like all skills!
Speaking of Sharing…
Visit these posts for examples of activities that use analogy to build bridges between students and new compositional concepts: