Whether you’re a full-time teacher, an employer or manager at work, or a parent, there will probably be a time when you have to teach a set of more advanced ideas. This can be daunting, especially if you’ve ever struggled with learning anything yourself. You may not be sure how to get the person you’re teaching to grasp the concept as fully as they need to.

Don’t despair, though! If you’re trying to help someone learn advanced concepts, then there are some things you can do to smooth out the process and facilitate understanding. Even if you’re not a professional teacher, these tips should help you transmit the ideas as completely and effectively as possible.

Get Them Invested

There’s nothing worse than trying to teach something to a person who isn’t interested. In order to make the learning process matter to the person you’re trying to teach, you should first get them to invest in the topic. If learning about this concept matters to the person, it will be exponentially easier to teach it to them. So before you dive in, make sure your “student” is excited to learn, and if they’re not, try to make the topic as real and important for them as possible.

Know What and What Not To Say

When you’re trying to start someone off in their understanding of difficult concepts, it’s best not to start with the most complicated part of the subject. There will be certain things you’ll need to leave out, especially if you’re trying to teach more of a summary of the ideas. On the other hand, there will be certain key points that you should focus on emphasizing, depending on what you’re teaching. Pay attention to what is right for the learner’s current level in the subject material. That in itself will take you a long way. 

Let Them Get Involved

Getting “hands-on” won’t mean the same thing in every subject, but you should let the learner wrestle with the material whenever possible. Sometimes this will mean having them do something physical, like setting up a computer or performing a maneuver. Sometimes it’ll just mean having them think their own way through something with the help of your guidance. Whatever it is, this getting your hands dirty sort of experience will help them internalize and understand the concepts perhaps better than any other single thing you could do.

These are the best things you can do to help someone learn a difficult set of ideas. Don’t worry if they don’t pick up on it right away. Let them take their time and guide them along without pushing too hard, and the whole process should be smooth, fun, and effective!