The power of teaching others to solidify learning

Ever had that moment where you’re trying to explain something you just learned to a friend, and halfway through your explanation, you realize you actually understand it way better than you thought? Maybe it’s a tricky math concept, a historical timeline, or even how to use a new app. Suddenly, as you’re breaking it down for someone else, the pieces click into place in your own mind.

I remember sitting in my college dorm, trying to wrap my head around the intricacies of macroeconomics. I’d read the chapter three times, highlighted half the textbook, and still felt like I was swimming in a sea of abstract ideas. Then my roommate asked me to explain it to him. As I stumbled through supply and demand curves, fiscal policies, and GDP calculations, something shifted. By the time I finished, I wasn’t just regurgitating facts—I was teaching. And in doing so, I was learning more deeply than any solo study session had ever allowed.

That experience isn’t just a fluke. It’s a powerful, research-backed phenomenon known as the protégé effect—the idea that teaching others doesn’t just help them learn; it solidifies and elevates your own understanding in ways that traditional studying often can’t match.

Why Teaching Others Works So Well

At its core, teaching forces you to engage with material differently. When you study alone, it’s easy to fall into the trap of passive learning—rereading, highlighting, maybe even memorizing terms without truly grasping their meaning. But when you know you have to explain something to someone else, your brain switches gears. You start to organize information logically, break down complex ideas into simpler parts, and anticipate questions. This process alone strengthens neural pathways and enhances retention.

Think about it: explaining something requires you to identify the core concepts and structure them in a way that makes sense. You can’t rely on buzzwords or vague generalizations. You have to know your stuff. This is where tools like QuizSmart can be incredibly helpful. By creating quizzes to test others, you’re not just assessing their knowledge—you’re reinforcing your own. Crafting thoughtful questions forces you to think critically about what matters most in a topic.

And it’s not just about memory improvement. Teaching builds confidence. There’s something uniquely empowering about being able to articulate an idea clearly and help someone else grasp it. That confidence, in turn, fuels further academic success. It turns learning from a solitary task into a collaborative, dynamic process.

Real Stories: From Classrooms to Study Groups

I’ll never forget Ms. Rivera, my high school biology teacher. She had this rule: after every major unit, we’d pair up and teach a portion of the material to the class. At first, most of us groaned. It felt like extra work. But by the end of the year, I could still explain the Krebs cycle without hesitation—not because I’d memorized it, but because I’d had to teach it to a room full of my peers.

One of my students, Lena, struggled with essay writing for years. She’d spend hours staring at a blank document, overwhelmed by how to structure her arguments. Then she started working with a younger student, helping them with basic paragraph formation. In teaching the fundamentals, she internalized them herself. Her own writing improved dramatically—not because she was studying harder, but because she was thinking clearer.

In college, my friends and I formed a study group for organic chemistry (yes, the dreaded orgo). Instead of just reviewing notes, we took turns playing “professor” for the day. The person teaching would use the whiteboard to walk through mechanisms, while the rest of us asked questions. Those sessions didn’t just help us pass the exam—they made us truly understand the material. And we had fun doing it.

How to Make It Work for You

You don’t need to be a certified teacher to benefit from this approach. Here are a few simple ways to weave teaching into your learning routine:

• Partner up: Find a study buddy and take turns explaining concepts to each other. Even if you both feel shaky on a topic, the act of teaching will reveal gaps in your understanding.
• Create something teachable: Use a platform like QuizSmart to build a short quiz or flashcards for a friend. The process of designing questions will deepen your grasp of the material.
• Play pretend: No human around? Explain the concept to your dog, your mirror, or even a rubber duck (seriously—it’s a method programmers use called rubber duck debugging). The mere act of verbalizing your thoughts works wonders.
• Start a study group: Rotate who teaches each session. Encourage questions and discussions. The more you engage, the more you’ll learn.

The goal isn’t to become an expert before you start teaching—it’s to use teaching as a way to become an expert.

Bringing It All Together

At the end of the day, learning isn’t just about absorbing information—it’s about making it your own. And one of the most effective ways to do that is to give it away. Whether you’re a student trying to ace your next exam or an educator looking to empower your classroom, weaving teaching into your approach can transform not just outcomes, but the very experience of learning itself.

So the next time you’re grappling with a new concept, ask yourself: How would I explain this to someone else? You might be surprised by how much you already know—and how much more you’re about to learn.

Now go find someone to teach.