“Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:21-22).

Jesus is the ultimate Teacher, and we see a glimpse of His pedagogical approach through the Gospel accounts. He uses techniques ranging from analogies in parables to teaching by example, and He teaches with authority. In our own life, we can all remember meaningful lessons from people who directly instructed us or from reading about inspiring people. The content passed on by these individuals likely stuck with us because they taught it in a memorable way.

One does not have to be a teacher by profession to teach; for instance, we are called to teach younger members of our family. However, the workplace, too, presents us with many opportunities to pass on knowledge and skills to the people around us. In fact, I believe that transmitting information, skills, or knowledge is a responsibility, especially for leaders. This responsibility can and should be enjoyable for both the instructor and the learners.

I work at a university where, every winter semester, I teach graduate students in a traditional classroom setting. However, my opportunities for passing on knowledge extend well beyond the classroom. Outside of the winter term, I find myself leading my small (and very talented!) team of individuals in our computational research projects to better understand the genetic factors behind complex human diseases of aging.

Here, I would like to share a few of the approaches I have experimented with and learned over the years in a classroom setting, which I have used to make instruction enjoyable at work, outside of the classroom.

Start With a Question to Get Everyone Talking

Set the stage right away for a safe environment for inquiry and discussion by presenting a question, perhaps on a PowerPoint slide, at the beginning of each meeting. I first started implementing this technique in the classroom to get everyone thinking about the topic at hand straight away. Then, I started doing it when possible in meetings. For example, in the classroom, I teach genetic association analysis for multifactorial human traits by asking the students to list human traits or diseases that are influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Depending on the number of people and setting (in person or virtual), you may ask your attendees to use a few minutes to individually jot down their responses or suggest that they share their responses out loud with everyone or in small groups. I open my biweekly team meetings by asking everyone to briefly share out loud a win or an obstacle that they encountered since our last meeting.

Integrate a Storyline

Humans are natural storytellers, and we all appreciate a good story. It’s easy to become invested in the well-being of a character from a book, audiobook, or movie with a great plot. In one of my first biochemistry courses during my undergraduate studies, the professor explained glycolysis and the Krebs cycle in a memorable way.

For context, these two energy-generating biochemical pathways are far from being the most exciting content to learn. It essentially involves rote memorization of a substantial set of enzymatic reactions. However, the professor taught the parts of these cycles through the lens of a (fictional) marathon runner (whom he had given a name—Soon-Yi—and a face!). Specifically, the various biochemical reactions were covered throughout our marathon runner’s marathon timeline, starting with her race preparation and ending with her recovery upon crossing the finish line.

The appearance of this character tied together a series of the course lectures, and the storyline made me look forward to each class. I was eager to see how her marathon journey would pan out! My decision to major in biochemistry was no doubt influenced by my positive experience with this teaching technique.

Integrate Opportunities for Active Participation

Using an entire meeting time slot to stand up and lecture can become tiring for both the leader and the attendees. To keep things interesting, I like to add in a few “true/false” or other binary questions immediately after I introduce a new concept.

I have tried this technique in and outside the classroom. Asking concrete questions (i.e., not just asking, “Does anyone have questions?”) is an effective way to quickly gauge everyone’s understanding. Again, depending on the audience size, the ways you can use this technique vary from a show of hands to live online polling. Individual or small group activities are another possibility.

Learn as a Team

Last winter, one of my colleagues made the decision to turn a traditional lecture-style graduate-level course into a “flipped classroom.” In a flipped setting, students receive preparatory work ahead of time (we assigned 30 minutes or so of prerecorded lectures and/or an article), and the in-person component is built on active rather than passive learning activities (e.g., answering questions, debating, problem-solving, presenting, creating some type of output, etc.).

Implementing a similar technique into regular meetings by, for example, briefing participants in advance using a short pre-recorded video, can allow for a more engaging meeting. This way, everyone is already up to speed on the basic information.

This list of techniques is by no means exhaustive, and I am not an expert in pedagogy. My goal here is to provide a starting place to help you build ideas and inspiration. I strongly encourage current and future instructors, regardless of experience level, to seek pedagogical resources, such as workshops offered by their institution or through other platforms, to gain the skills and confidence to implement new strategies.

Someone who teaches or passes on information is a lifelong learner, and we can all look up to Jesus as the ultimate Teacher. Listen to a podcast, talk with others to get ideas, and find what works well in your workplace setting.

Sarah Gagliano Taliun is a genetics professor with many interests in addition to studying DNA. She and her husband now call Montreal home. When she is not reading a scientific article or meeting with students, Sarah can be found experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, reading her Bible or taking a walk in nature.