Plan and structure your lectures using detailed questions that address possible confusion whose answers motivate the new content and further a student’s understanding of the material.

  • These generic starter questions can be used to help you motivate why students should care about each topic you’re covering:
    • What’s exciting about it?
    • What can you do with it?
    • How is it different than the topics that you’ve covered up to this point?
    • What will students be able to do with that tool by the end of the course?
  • Using this pedagogy can help you notice small details to focus on that students may get confused by.
  • Try the following preparation and execution plan:
    • Prepare for lecture by writing down:
      • questions that students might have
      • questions that reveal the differences between the current topic and what students have already learned.
        • Focus on questions that might provide students with insights into and expose their misconceptions.
    • As soon as possible after class, note what questions students had that you didn’t anticipate so they can be included in future lessons.
      • These subtle questions and details can be the hardest to uncover on your own and some of the most important for students’ understanding!
      • Writing them down immediately after class ensure that you remember them.

More about this tip

External Source

Interview with Dan Leyzberg.