An Interview With Penny Bauder
Delivering feedback. Every educator will be required to deliver feedback to their students, and the way in which they deliver that feedback will have a big influence on what the student does with the information. When the feedback is delivered with honesty and integrity, with the intention of helping the student learn, the probability it will be well received increases dramatically. There are numerous techniques that assist with this, but none of the tactics are more important that the style and intention of the educator in delivering the feedback. In order for students to optimize their learning, there must be a balance of support and challenge; providing one without the other will actually hinder the students progress.
As a part of my interview series about “5 Things You Need To Know To Be A Highly Effective Educator”, I had the pleasure to interview Danny Greeves.
Danny is an award winning coach, physiotherapist, hypnotherapist and speaker. He is the author of ‘Six Steps to Self-Confidence’ and co-author of ‘The Best Advice for Speakers’ book. Danny is a regular on BBC Radio, speaks on a wide range of podcasts and writes expert contributions for various online media publications. He is the founder of the self-confidence accelerator Speak Up and Stand Out.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory”behind what brought you to this particular career path?
When I was younger I struggled with my confidence. I struggled with the way I looked and I had a very negative body image. I would struggle with a critical inner voice and had bouts of anxiety, almost all of which I kept private. I can remember being in primary school and finding it so difficult to express my feelings, so instead I would keep them inside and bottle them up. In my twenties I was working as a physiotherapist and finally decided to reach out and get some help — it was the best decision I ever made. After being single and unable to establish a long term relationship, I met a coach and educator who showed me how my mind works. Immediately I felt a huge shift, and I met my now-wife 10 days later. All of this started because a teacher found a way to connect with me and help me express myself. Since then I have been helping people to do the same.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your teaching career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I was introduced to a lovely woman via a friend of mine who was having a really difficult time. She was feeling suicidal, depressed, and on medication to try and alter her feelings. Unfortunately she was not improving. We decided to work together, not with the intention of treating her depression, but with the focus on educating her about how her mind works. She learned how she can start to observe the way she thinks and feels, and make different choices based on what will help her move forwards. We explored her journey so far, her values, her goals and how she can do what was most meaningful to her. The more she learned, the more control she gained over her emotions and the more focused she became. Through learning tools, strategies and having a space to express herself, she reconnected with herself and her mood shifted. After several months of working together I was delighted to learn she had followed the plan set out by her doctor and she was free of all medication — and feeling inspired again.
The lesson this story taught me is that education is the most powerful tool we have to inspire people to make change. In her case when she got engaged in what she was learning, her improvement accelerated remarkably. I learned that people can be inspired to make better choices if they have the guidance of a trusted teacher.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I am running a project called the Speak Up and Stand Out Accelerator. The purpose of the programme is to create a safe space where people can work through and process the fears that hold them back. We help them to give themselves permission to do what they love doing, and to share that with the world.
I believe there are so many people in the world who are not reaching their full potential because they don’t quite have the self-belief they need to get there. But with cutting edge training and education, combined with an encouraging and supportive community, everyone can learn to believe in themselves and experience the joy that expressing yourself brings.
After working with so many different clients, I noticed that there were a number of predictable steps along the journey to self-expression. The first of these steps is where we are trying to protect ourselves and so actively avoid any opportunity to speak or be in the limelight. This journey progresses through to feeling the fear but doing it anyway, to starting to appreciate how enjoyable self-expression can be, all the way to being inspired to share a message with the world. Helping people make this journey through education is inspiring to experience and one I hope many more people decide to go on.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. From your point of view, how would you rate the results of the US education system?
The US education system has it’s challenges like every other, but the fact that US universities consistently appear at the top of international university ranking systems is clear evidence that the education system has the capabilities to provide the highest quality education. The US education system continues to produce some of the greatest minds in the world today and will continue to be sources of inspiration for people across the US, but also the world.
Can you identify 5 areas of the US education system that are going really great?
- One area of high performance for the US education system is diversity. Due to the large number of accredited colleges and universities, there are opportunities for every student to find a way of studying that fits with their circumstances and preferences. With such a wide range of possibilities, it allows people from all walks of life to study what inspires them and progress their careers.
- A second area of excellence for the US education system is its flexibility. Educational institutions across many different states are able to optimise their individual service to cater for the specific needs of their students and local environment. This flexibility separates the US educational system from many others in the world. It means that the culture of the area is an integral part of the students education and this gives a great sense of purpose and togetherness.
- The use of modern educational technology also spearheads US education and accelerates its performance. The use of technology helps to continue the push for greater quality education. As the world continues it advance towards more efficient and effective technology, those that have an education grounded in its use will be at an advantage going forward.
- Area number four is attributed to the student life and experience. Due to how highly the US education system is regarded in different parts of the world, it attracts some of the most gifted and intelligent students. This creates a wonderful learning environment and drives improvement. As more and more of these students are attracted to the US, it bodes well for the future as there is a continual push for progress.
- Finally, ensuring there is a focus on extracurricular activities such as sports, outdoor activities and research helps students find the activities that will help them excel. Some students find their area of excellence resides in academia, for others sport may be their ideal way forward. The US education system keeps both of these elements at the forefront which means everyone has a chance to excel.
Can you identify the 5 key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
1. Medication — more and more young people are reaching for, or being prescribed medication to deal with stress and anxieties. This is a short term strategy that may have significant, long term consequences. Helping people to learn more about their mental health, and how to manage that without the need for medication, is definitely the most important issue to prioritise for me.
2. The US system puts a high amount of pressure on students to perform well. While there is definitely scope for a healthy amount of pressure to keep students focused and engaged, the pressure is often too great. Changing this ethos to create a more balanced perspective on passing certain tests and reaching certain milestones will make the experience more enjoyable for all. It is this atmosphere which will cultivate excellence across the board.
3. The delivery of the material for students could be made to be more engaging. Students have evolved and changed over the years but often the schooling techniques used to teach lag behind. Making use of the technology available is one approach. But beyond that, creatively delivering the material will help students engage more and improve the job satisfaction of teachers in the US.
4. An expansion to this will be to prioritise the linking of teaching material with the students own values. By finding, documenting and linking how the specific subjects and lessons will help the student to achieve their personal goals, they will be more open to learning the material. At present education is too general and lacks personalisation. The one size fits all attitude often results in the one size fits no-one result.
5. Finally, exploring different ways to assess students has the capacity to deliver huge improvement going forwards. Students experience test after test in many institutions and exams are not the most optimal way to show what a student has learned — or their grasp of the material. Greater variation in assessing how the students are progressing would make a big difference in overall outcomes.
Super. Here is the main question of our interview. Can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Know To Be A Highly Effective Educator?” Please share a story or example for each.
The 5 things you need to know to be a highly effective educator are understanding value systems, the power of speaking verbatim, knowing that a stressed brain does not learn, appreciating that you learn best what you teach most, and delivering effective feedback. Let’s take a look at each one in more detail.
1. Understanding value systems. Every individual on this earth has their own unique set of values; those things in their life that give them the most meaning, that are most important, and light up their mind and body. A student’s value system will determine what they pay attention to, and what they are inspired by. It will also reveal what they will want to avoid and procrastinate over. As the educator has specific material to deliver, at a fundamental level, this will only appeal to a select few students, but be a turn off to a large portion of the group. However, if the educator takes the time to help the students find out their own values, and find out how what is being learned will be personally useful, the information can be tailored to meet the values of every learner. This will skyrocket engagement and performance.
As an example, student A has a high value on numbers, data and mathematics, and so will naturally engage during any material relating to maths, calculations and equations etc. Student B has a high value on the creative arts. They are inspired by colours, fabrics and creative expression. It is therefore highly probably if left alone, student B will disengage during mathematical material because it does not meet their value system. Student B will appear to lack concentration, interest and will perform poorly. This is not a reflection of the student, it is simply a sign of an unmet value system. If the educator was to assist student B and find out how learning about numbers, data and mathematics will aid their pursuit of creative arts, and establish multiple, tangible links for how the subject matter will help them expand their skills in creative expression, they will spontaneously become more engaged and performance will improve. The results would be vastly different, but it is the same student.
2. The power of speaking verbatim. Speaking verbatim simply means using the exact same words as the student uses. It is essentially repeating the same specific words back to the student during the conversation. As we each have a different set of values, we each have a unique model of the world. Language is the tool humans use to communicate and it is how we connect our model of the world with the people around us. As a result, each person will have certain criteria words; these are specific words that have more meaning, energy and enthusiasm behind them. It is these words that act as a shortcut to increasing engagement and increasing learning capabilities. When an educator is aware of this and uses these specific criteria words, it allows the teachers message to be effectively transmitted and the student can reach a deeper level of understanding in a shorter period of time.
Using our example from earlier, student B, who is interested in creative arts has a criteria word of ‘expression’. This is a word they encountered early in their learning experiences and it taps into the essence of why they love the creative arts. If the educator is unaware of the importance of the word for the student, they may use words such as ‘feeling, reveal, communicate, show or demonstrate’ to try and articulate their point. None of these words have the same level of association for the student and so will convey less meaning. On the other hand, if the teacher uses the word ‘expression’ knowing how important it is to the student, it will tap into all of those positive associations and unlock greater levels of effort and inspiration.
3. A stressed brain does not learn. When we are engaged and learning information that fulfils our values, it energises, inspires and moves us to produce our best ideas and optimal performance. But when in a stressed state, all manner of things change psychologically and physiologically which actively inhibits learning. There is a growing database of evidence which shows how stress negatively impacts cognition, memory and mental health. If an educator creates an environment where the students are feeling distressed, their capacity to learn and excel is greatly diminished. If however, the educator can create an atmosphere of curiosity, intrigue and safety, the brain will be receptive to new information and retention will greatly increase.
For example, in a group setting, student A is enjoying themselves as they are immersed in a world of data and equations. They are actively encouraged to take on bigger and bigger challenges and stretch themselves, whilst being supported by the teacher. This would be an ideal learning environment and student A would undoubtedly excel. But, the exact same student, if in an atmosphere where students are put on the spot in front of all their peers, mocked or ridiculed when they make a mistake, and punished for following their own curiosity, even student A would shut down. It would not take long for their love of maths to erode away and leave the student feeling down and disheartened.
4. You learn best what you teach most. The Feynman technique, named after the legendary physicist Richard Feynman is one of the most powerful ways a teacher can accelerate their students learning. The simple technique first involves the study of a specific subject. Following this period of study, the student then attempts to teach the material back to the educator and their peers. The student is then given the opportunity to reflect and review their explanation in a safe and supportive way, before refining the explanation and repeating the process. When the educator uses the Feynman technique, it actively encourages the student to own the material, to integrate it with all of their previous knowledge and experiences and then share it. What follows is a reflective space for the student to critique themselves, and guided by the educator make refinements to their explanation to further improve it. This feedback cycle assists the teacher to evaluate the quality of their teaching, the student to own the material, and the other members of the group to benefit from peer-to-peer learning.
In our example student A studies a technique from Calculus. They then teach the principles back the educator and the group, before rechecking their study material to look for gaps in knowledge. Student A then repeats the explanation with the new material until they are confident they have a strong understanding of the topic. The educator then has certainty about the students understanding.
5. Delivering feedback. Every educator will be required to deliver feedback to their students, and the way in which they deliver that feedback will have a big influence on what the student does with the information. When the feedback is delivered with honesty and integrity, with the intention of helping the student learn, the probability it will be well received increases dramatically. There are numerous techniques that assist with this, but none of the tactics are more important that the style and intention of the educator in delivering the feedback. In order for students to optimise their learning, there must be a balance of support and challenge; providing one without the other will actually hinder the students progress.
Constructive feedback, given with specific action steps that can be executed will give the student a clear path to improvement. In our example, student A may have produced a strong piece of work, but there are clearly areas for improvement. In delivering the feedback, the educator must speak from a place of genuinely wanting to help the student succeed. From here, all feedback is likely to be well received. Student A may then be informed of where their work was of a high level, alongside and some focused, specific points that they can work on to make greater progress.
As you know, teachers play such a huge role in shaping young lives. What would you suggest needs to be done to attract top talent to the education field?
In order to attract top talent, there needs to be an environment that cultivates excellence. The environment that an educator is in will go a long way in dictating the performance they will achieve. It is the teacher who has the responsibility to inspire their students, but they can only be expected to do so if they have the support and environment which makes that possible. This includes giving the educators the scope and opportunity to express themselves in their own unique way. By giving them the space to use their creativity and love of teaching, they will enable themselves and their students to produce their best work.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” (Bruce Lee)
My dad is a huge Bruce Lee fan, and I would watch many of his movies growing up. Back then I would appreciate him for his incredible skill and discipline. But this quote encapsulates a key message that we all need to be reminded of. The importance of having the faith in yourself and the courage to express yourself. The importance of not minimising yourself and putting those around you up on pedestals, and giving yourself permission to be who you want to be and do what is most meaningful to you. These are all learnings we can embrace, but being reminded of them from time to time is important too.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Adriene Mishler
To develop and sustain good health requires a holistic approach, and Adriene does an amazing job at teaching people yoga and helping them use their body to become healthy and strong. The message she shares to do this is to find what feels good. I like to think I help people do the same thing but purely through a mental approach, so it would be great to speak with her. She also inspired me to keep active during the early stages of the pandemic with her YouTube channel!
How can our readers follow you on social media?
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-greeves
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyGreevesBMW
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
Author Danny Greeves: 5 Things You Need To Know To Be A Highly Effective Educator or Teacher was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.