Talk Like Ted has become my go-to book for improving my public speaking skills. Today’s post, like those on Tuesdays, is designed to give you a teaching tip you can use immediately, and I’ve chosen to go back to this book and give you another tip for speaking in public. Talk Like Ted is arranged in 3 sections of 3 chapters each. These nine chapters report on the 9 best practices used by men and women who presented world-class TED Talks. Here is something we can learn from these excellent presenters about helping our audience to engage through multiple senses:

“It is better to present an explanation in words and pictures than solely in words…Deliver presentations with components that touch more than one of these senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell…Remember, the brain doesn’t pay attention to boring things. It’s nearly impossible to be bored if you are exposed to mesmerizing images, captivating videos, intriguing props, beautiful words, and more than one voice bringing the story to life….The brain craves multi-sensory experiences. Your audience might not be able to explain why they love your presentation; it will be your little secret.”

This past weekend, I used several things to create a multi-sensory experience for my group members. In last Sunday’s Bible study, I:

• Introduced the study by playing the Star Wars track, “The Imperial March” (Darth Vader’s theme) to intro our study called “The Dark Side.” It appealed to my musical learners. It also appealed to my auditory learners as well.
• I wrote notes and responses from my group members on the room’s white board (a visual).
• Each member of the group used a Personal Study Guide (a “touch” activity). As we interacted with the study materials, that’s also a visual.

So you see, with just a little planning, you can appeal to several of the senses during your group’s Bible study.  What will you do next time you teach to help people engage through their five senses?

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