“While we teach, we learn,” said the Roman philosopher Seneca. According to an article that appeared in Time magazine back in November 2011, students who teach others as they learn themselves, researchers have found, work harder to understand the material, recall it more accurately and apply it more effectively.

The article notes that it’s the emotions elicited by teaching that make it such a powerful vehicle for learning. Instructors feel chagrin when their pupils fail; when they succeed, teachers feel what is described best by the Yiddish term nachas: “Pride and satisfaction that is derived from someone else’s accomplishment.” Continue reading →