Sometimes, when we’re learning something, whether it be a sport, an art, or something else, we find we plateau, reaching a point where it seems like we can’t improve any further. When you find yourself hitting this point, it might be time to try teaching others.

How will that help? Read on.

It helps you organize the information in your head

I’ll use karate as an example, because I can relate to it. Having studied for four years, I know at least enough to comfortably teach beginners. The problem is that the knowledge in my head usually floats around entirely unorganized; if you could look into my mind, it’s probably look like a tornado just came tearing through.

That might work fine for my own use, but it doesn’t set me up well to teach others. Part of the preparation required to teach involves taking all of that chaotic information and organizing it in a logical way. In karate, that might look like separating your knowledge into blocks, kicks, strikes, stances, and drills. In photography, it might be about sorting everything into basic rules, camera functions, types of photos, and so on.

This organizing and sorting of your knowledge sets you up for all kinds of other benefits. Like how…

It highlights gaps in your understanding

When you’ve taken the time to categorize what you know, you can start walking others through it. As you do that though, and particularly when you’re new to teaching something, you might find that you come across gaps in your knowledge.

Maybe you can make a particular technique work for you, but can’t explain it to someone else in a way that they can make work, too. Maybe you can get a certain effect in your photos, but can’t explain to someone else how you do it.

Notice when this happens. It marks an area for you to explore further in your own learning.

It can give you new perspective on what you already know

Building off my point above, sometimes you’ll teach something to another person, and they’ll ask a question or highlight an insight that you never thought of. In karate, maybe they highlight a certain body mechanic that you didn’t realize was important to making a technique work. In photography, maybe your student has a creative new take on the framing you were trying to explain to them.

It gives you an understanding of different learning styles

What works for you when you’re learning may not work for someone else. I find that, for myself, I tend to teach the way I would prefer to learn. What I’ve found though, like others who teach, is that people learn differently. Part of the learning journey as a teacher is recognizing this and adapting your teaching so that all of your students can get what they need from your lessons.

It’s not easy to do. Some people need to do something hands-on to get it. Others prefer visuals, like a demonstration of a technique. Some prefer to start working with the high-level idea of a technique, while other prefer to learn all of the little details upfront.

These differences are great because they both force you to be flexible as a teacher, and they also call out all of the different areas of the lesson you’re trying to teach. Prefer to focus on just the details? Too bad, you need to paint the bigger picture too. Prefer to just talk through the technique? Nope, some people want to see it done, and still others want to feel it done before trying it out.

If you’re delivering something that all of your students can work with, then you know you’ve got a pretty fulsome understanding of what it is you’re teaching.

You don’t have to feel “ready”

A lot of folks I talk to think they have to be a certified expert to explain something to others. Whether it’s in karate, photography, cooking, marketing, networking, mentoring or parenting, it doesn’t matter. You absolutely don’t have to be an expert to help others; you just have to be a little farther down the path they’re trying to walk. Sometimes that lack of a polished, “expert” image is just what people need.

I don’t know about you, but I often get more value from a mentor who is just one step removed from my current situation than someone who’s five or six steps removed. That second person might be seen as an expert, but they’re so far down the path that it’s harder for them to remember what my struggles look like.

Remember that next time you’re questioning whether you’re ready to teach someone else. If it helps, don’t think of it as teaching, think of it as sharing knowledge. But either way, trust that there is value in what you have to say!

Wrapping it Up

There is so much value in teaching others. Not only does it feel great to help others learn something they’re interested in, but it helps fuel your own learning and uncover unanswered questions that can set you down an entirely new path.

So the next time you find yourself stuck, try teaching someone else. It might just be the push you need to get out of your own learning rut.