Ten Ways to Help Students Learn History

1. Students need to see the "Big Picture". Students need lessons that have a direction, purpose, structure and lead to clear conclusions. Learning is much more difficult when students do not see where the instruction is headed. Students also want a good answer to the question: "Why should I learn this?"

2. Students learn better when teachers look at learning from the students' point of view. Students need methods of instruction that suit their learning styles and "learning profiles".

3. Students need to have new information or skills connect with what they already know. Learning is much easier when new information has connections to prior knowledge.

3. Students need to have new information or skills connect with what they already know. Learning is much easier when new information has connections to prior knowledge.

4. Students need to get their mental processes and memories warmed up before learning new material. I call this "Priming the Pump".

5. Students need instruction that is very stimulating. The more stimulating the lesson is - without overstimulation - the stronger the memory connection in the brain. Students learn better when we put our passion for learning into our teaching.

6. Students must use or mentally manipulate new learning repeatedly in order to really know it. The more often our brain uses the same information, and the more ways our brain uses information, the more likely it is to be remembered.

7. Students learn better when they gain understanding, not just knowledge acquisition. Students also learn better when they understand "Historical Thinking".

8. Students learn better when they have some control of their classroom time and the ways they learn.

9. Students learn better when they gain a sense of accomplishment and success from our classes.

10. Students learn better when teachers try new things, take some risks and "dream big".