SIGNPOSTING: YOUR KEY TO EXPLAINING

As teachers, do you sometimes find yourself caught into confusion with how you explain concepts to your students or how you answer their questions? It is key that we, teachers, should always sound organized since our success is measured by how well we explain things and how well we are able to guide our students in understanding what we are explaining.

One very good communication strategy available for us to use is known as signposting. Signposts are numbers or letters we use to guide us along our discussion so that are ideas are logically presented. There are two key benefits when you use signposts. First benefit is that it guides us, the teacher, as we communicate our ideas to our stuidents. It make us sound more organized in our explanation; thus, making us appear more credible to them. The second benefit is that you grow into the habit of being direct and being able to provide straight-to-the-point explanations, which your students will definitely appreciate. Why? It is because when you are direct with your message that you sound more comprehensible to them. (Actually, I have just done signposting with the last five sentences of this paragraph.)

The challenge about signposting is often we get lost along the way. We often start with first and we end up next, next, and lastly. Or we say, "There are three steps in the procedure. The first step... The second principle... And the third idea..." In both cases, we are not being consistent. In the first example, we are not consistent with the use of the ordinals to indicate proper sequence. While in the second example, yes, ordinals are used consistently, but step, principle and idea are three different things. So, what is it really? The challenge, therefore, is to be always be conscious of being consistent!

Let me now share with you more examples.

Miss Ilano said, "In the experiment we are to work on today, there are three very important steps. The first step is.... The second step is... And the third step is..."

Mr. Catalan explained, "There are five questions I want you to answer after reading the story. Number 1 is... Number 2 is.... Number 3 is... Number 4 is... And number 5 is..."

Ms. Afable answered, "Let me enumerate for you the ten key events in Philippine history from 1946 to year 2000. First on my list is... Second is... Third is.... (and so on until the tenth)."

So, the next time you're trapped into the web of your own explanation, why not resort to signposting? It's a sure way to come across organized and effective. It is truly your key to explaining.