Teaching by Example

Contributed by Alexander J. Salazar – Teacher II, Pablo Roman National High School, Pilar 

Different teaching approaches, methods and strategies are cited in various text books, however teachers should not forget the basic and one of the most effective among these – teaching by example.

From the perspective of the students, a concept or a lesson can be learned easier if tangible examples are presented – things that they can see, hear, touch, smell or interact with, rather than just imparting abstract ideas only.

Teaching by example is most appropriately reflected in the Values Education subject as noted by Dr. Tarcila P. Javier, former Division Schools Superintendent of the Department of Education-Bataan, who shared an age old adage, “Values are not taught, they are caught.”

How we talk, how we act and how we behave can be considered critical in shaping holistically developed individuals because when we teach, we not only provide them with knowledge nor just hone their skills, but also we impart with them a part of us.

A child, being innocent, sees our every action as morally and legally right bearing in mind that what they see in us or what we show them, purposively or not, is right, hence they imitate it. This reminds us that we, teachers, should always be conscious and careful with our choice of words and actions. Likewise, Will Durant, one of the great American writers, historians and philosophers, once said “We teach more by what we are than by what we teach.”

 References:

Asad Meah (2017). 37 Inspirational Will Durant Quotes on Success. Retrieved from http://awakenthegreatnesswithin.com/37-inspirational-will-durant-quotes-success/Ang Roman. (2015)