How to Teach Like Feynman
Teaching a topic requires clear communication and can reveal gaps in the teacher’s and learner’s understanding.
THE IDEA
How to Teach Like Feynman
Perhaps you read the title of this section and thought, “Well, this bit probably doesn’t apply to me since I’m not a teacher.” But even if you aren’t, hopefully by the end of this section you will see that teaching is a life skill that all of us need to master, whether we are formally called teachers or not.
Teaching requires you to make your understanding clear to someone else. That effort can reveal gaps for both you and the learner.
When to use it
Preparing for a presentation by outlining key points as if you will teach a beginner
Group study sessions where each member teaches a section to the rest
Onboarding new team members by having existing staff explain processes
Writing tutorials or documentation to clarify your own understanding of a tool or concept
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Studying for a test
A student trying to memorize facts for a history exam explains the topic to a friend. While teaching, the student realizes they cannot connect events logically, exposing gaps in their understanding.
Training a new hire
A manager walks a new employee through an onboarding process. In explaining the steps, the manager discovers a step they only half-understood and refines their own knowledge.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a topic you believe you understand well. Try to teach it to someone with no background—what points become difficult to explain?
When was the last time explaining something helped you realize you were wrong or missed a detail?
What subject would you most like to master by teaching it to others?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Richard Feynmans Mental Models by Peter Hollins