How do I make sure I鈥檓 communicating clearly with students?
Here鈥檚 a useful technique I often use with young people, which I wrote about for as a :
In the school nurse鈥檚 office, I loved chatting with Sarah, a vivacious 9-year-old who had been managing her Type 1 diabetes for years. Several times a day, she stopped in to check her blood sugar and adjust her insulin dose. I asked her why one day, just to see how she answered.
鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 always eating too much sugar and too many cookies, and I can鈥檛 keep my blood sugar down,鈥� she said.
This response made me profoundly sad because she had somehow assumed she was to blame for her condition. In Type 1 diabetes, the body attacks the pancreas, keeping it from producing sufficient insulin. Even if Sarah ate a perfectly healthy diet, she would depend on insulin injections to process carbohydrates.
When I talked to Sarah鈥檚 parents, they were upset鈥攖hey never realized that she thought about the disease as her fault. But this kind of hidden miscommunication is common. One way to uncover it: a technique called teach-back, which has shown to be effective for learning.
Here鈥檚 how it works: After you explain something important, ask the child to repeat what you鈥檝e told them in their words鈥攖o 鈥渢each back.鈥� Inevitably, you鈥檒l learn something about what they鈥榲e heard or what you could have explained better.
I use teach-back all the time, both as a pediatrician and as a parent. With my own children, sometimes the goal is to make sure they understand me鈥攆or example, I鈥檒l say, 鈥淩emind me, what鈥檚 the plan for after school today?鈥� Other times, it can spur a conversation instead of an argument. When I start to lecture my son on why it鈥檚 important to put laundry in the hamper, I鈥檒l catch myself and say instead: 鈥淐an you recap what I鈥檓 asking you to do and why?鈥�
顿辞苍鈥檛 assume people heard and understood everything you said the first time.
Do use teach-back to figure out what part of a message might need clarification. Teach-back shouldn鈥檛 feel like a test. Rather, you want to acknowledge your humility and potential for growth by saying, 鈥淒id I explain this well? How did you understand it?鈥� Inviting participation makes communication more effective鈥攁nd facilitates learning.
