Monday, May 29, 2006

Tip #124: MTM: Three Training Decisions

The Mastery Teaching Model was developed by Dr. Madeline Hunter of the University of California at Los Angeles to increase teaching effectiveness. More than ad hoc charismatic oratory, she defined teaching as "a constant stream of professional decisions made before, during and after interaction with the learner; decisions which, when implemented, increase the probability of learning."

According to Dr. Hunter, regardless of who or what is being taught, all teaching decisions fall into three categories:

  1. Content: what content to teach next;

  2. Learner Behavior: what the learner will do to learn and to demonstrate that learning has occurred; and

  3. Teacher Behavior: what the teacher will do to facilitate learning.

This is such a simple concept with enormous implications. I love the idea of teaching (and training) being an ongoing organic process, continually growing and changing to meet the needs of the learner. It is inherently respectful of the learner, making it crystal clear that the focus of attention is on the learner, not the teacher. It is no coincidence that when the acronym for these three decisions is reversed, it spells TLC (or tender loving care)!

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