Express yourself

It can be safely said that if you can't express it you haven't understood it. This, rather obvious fact, is grossly overlooked in classes today. The flow of information from teachers mouth to students hands and then to teachers eyes and ears is tightly controlled. The subject is broken into concepts and concepts into bullet points. You read these points, students write them and in exams they give back those points to you. This has hardly any space for students' expression.

It is not surprising that students are high on marks and low on understanding. The fault is not theirs but ours - we have left no spacein class for them to express what they think. This is a great loss because the process of expressing (call it explaining) is a powerful tool to promote understanding. A good explanation can tell us what we know and what we don't know. When a child tries to explain things, he/she is having an internal argument. If the child is correct then you will find a new and original explanation. If the explanation is wrong then you have greater chance to find out where the confusion is, either way you learn.

If you want to promote original thinking and true understanding then it is crucial that we spare time in our classes for students to talk. We should let them explain what they think in their own words. Expressing your thoughts verbally is a powerful tool to drive understanding.