If you want to be a better teacher, try tapping into the eight areas of intelligence as described by Dr. Howard Gardner.
Whether you are a preschool teacher or a corporate trainer, if you are trying to become a better teacher there are a few basic areas that can make the learning process more interesting, effective and engaging. If you can improve even one of these areas, you can reach more students.
The Theory
Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, first came up with the theory of multiple intelligences in 1983. It is absolutely groundbreaking work, and from it anyone can learn how to become a better teacher.
The basic idea is that everyone has strong and weak areas in terms of how they learn and where their basic "smarts" are. There are eight distinct ways that people learn, and while everyone has some intelligence in all of the areas, everyone also has one or two clear and strong pathways to learning. The basic areas are:
I can almost hear your brain going, what?? What does that mean? Let me give you a simplified example.
Let Me Explain
Imagine eight people are going out to eat. Each of the eight people have a definite strong point in intelligence. Here’s what they may be thinking and noticing as they go into the restaurant:
Linguistic person takes a look at the menu. "Hey, that menu has a misspelled word," he thinks.
Logical-mathematical person looks at the specials board and notices the prices. He thinks, "It would be more expensive to order the lobster dinner than to order the lobster a la carte with two sides."
The spatial person takes in the restaurant ambiance. "If they moved those tables over by the windows together then they could put another table for two in that cozy corner," she thinks.
The bodily-kinesthetic person checks out the menu for low-carb items. She thinks, "I wonder if I’ll have time to do a quick run in the morning before work?"
The musical person immediately notices the background music that all the others have ignored. "They should be playing Italian operas instead of pop music," he thinks.
The interpersonal person walks in and goes straight up to a stranger. Within minutes she is having an animated conversation about their kids, their weekend, and the latest movies.
The interpersonal person gives the restaurant a glance, then thinks, "I want fish and vegetables tonight, and afterwards I’d like to go home and do my meditation."
The naturalist person immediately notices the plants around the restaurant. "That tree needs water," she thinks.
How Teachers Can Use It
Of course, these examples are overly generalized, but you can get the basic idea. Think about it. Do you learn best by reading? By logical thinking? By being alone or in a group? Get to know yourself and your students! If you have a classroom full of different students, but you only lecture, are you reaching everyone? Of course not. But if you add graphs and skits and music and more, you will reach more and more.
The big idea to realize is that everyone has strengths. Being talented in music does not make a student "smarter" or "weaker" than a student whose talent lies elsewhere. Also, just because a person is naturally talented in one area does not rule out all of the others. People naturally are strong in several areas, and some areas overlap a bit. Math and music, for example, have many similarities. Or a linguistic person may also be very outgoing (interpersonal). One does not preclude the other.
Schools today focus most on and reward those who are strongest in either linguistic or logical-mathematical. Especially with standardized testing, students who excel in language or math breeze through while those who struggle in those areas often do poorly. If, as a teacher, you can tap into all eight areas of intelligence, your students will learn more and better. They may even do better on those dreaded standardized tests!
Is it easier said than done? Not necessarily. Here are some examples of how you can engage the different types of students in your class.
For the linguistic person - use words, lecture, or reasoning
For the logical-mathematical person - use reasoning, logic or numbers
For the spatial person - use pictures, maps, or graphs
For the bodily-kinesthetic person - use a physical experience, such as acting out a skit
For the musical person - use music and sound
For the interpersonal person - use group work and discussion, a social experience
For the intrapersonal person - use independent study and research
For the naturalist person - provide an experience in the outdoors
Do you have to use every idea in every lesson? Of course not. But once the teacher realizes that everyone can learn, but that everyone learns differently, the classroom can be conducted in a much more enriching way. Include as many of these pathways to learning in your lesson as are fitting, and you’ll be sure to engage more of your students.
But it’s not just for teaching. It’s also for learning! Once you realize your own potential, you can use it to your advantage. For example, if you know that you learn better in a group setting, you can join a study group. If you are a musical person, maybe you need to study with background music to help you focus and remember. Find your own natural strength and it will help you develop other strengths in the process.