Hi Friends
Whenever I set out to learn something new, whether it’s a data analytics tool, a new topic in math, or a new technology, I make sure that I learn enough to be able to teach others.
The only way I am sure that I have understood something is when I am able to teach it to others without struggle.
This approach helped me a lot even in my high school and university days. It also helped me cement on what I had learned and information retention was very easy.
In Psychology, this is called the Protégé Effect, the phenomenon where teaching, pretending to teach, or preparing to teach information to others helps a person learn that information efficiently.
When you are teaching others, or preparing to teach others, you become more aware of the learning process, this helps you to grasp concepts at a much deeper level.
Teaching others enhances retention through repetition. The act of teaching involves repeating key points multiple times, reinforcing the material in your memory.
By repetition, you strengthen neural connections associated with that knowledge. For example, if you're teaching a friend how to play a musical instrument, you'll likely repeat fundamental techniques, making them more memorable for you.
This has worked out so well for me and has helped me to excel in my academics. I continue to use it every time I want to learn something new.
Another advantage of learning by teaching others is that it can help you to develop your communication skills.
Teaching requires you to communicate effectively with others.
This can help you to improve your public speaking skills, your ability to explain complex concepts, and your ability to listen to and understand others.
So, whether you are learning Excel, SQL, Power BI, a programming language, or any subject in or out of school, you can use this approach to enhance your learning.
Identify friends or students who are willing to learn from you or make tutorial videos for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Facebook.
FREE EXCEL COURSE
If you would like to learn Microsoft Excel, I have a free Excel course on YouTube. It is tailored towards complete beginners and you will be able to work on a project at the end of the course.
FREE SPREADSHEETS TEMPLATES
I Have a lot of free spreadsheet Templates for Excel and Google Sheets that you can use for various projects. I will keep adding more with time.
You can get these spreadsheets here on my store
Until Next Time
I've been a jiu jitsu instructor for 20 years or so, and I have found this to be almost universal: once you start teaching a move, you really start to understand it.