Although the subject of personal learning styles has been widely researched in the education space, it’s sometimes neglected in the teaching of specialized subjects like cosmetology. If you’re interested in becoming a cosmetology teacher, you should be familiar with this concept. In this piece, we’ll explain one of the most popular methods for classifying the different ways different people learn: the VARK model.
The V.A.R.K. Learning Styles Model
One of the most important things to keep in mind in a teaching position is that your students are individuals. Each of them has their own personality, experiences, strengths, weaknesses, and personal goals. They also each have their own learning style.
One of the most popular models for understanding personal learning styles is the VARK model. VARK stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading and writing, and Kinesthetic – the four different ways that students, according to this theory, learn most effectively. Let’s look at each one.
Visual Learning
Visual learners can best pick up new information and skills by seeing. Video demonstrations, diagrams, and illustrations can all be especially effective ways of teaching visual learners.
Auditory Learning
In contrast to visual learners who learn best by seeing, auditory learners (also called aural learners) tend to learn best from what they hear. These students will get more value from class lectures than most and are good at remembering things they’re told.
Reading and Writing Learners
These students can absorb information quickly and effectively in written form. They get more than other students out of reading textbooks, and making written notes they can review later helps them retain information from lectures.
Kinesthetic Learners
“Kinesthetic” is a word you might not be familiar with, but it means “having to do with movement or sensation.” Kinesthetic learners are also called tactile learners. Put simply, these students are “hands-on.” They learn best by having the chance to perform a task themselves, rather than having it explained to them.
Student Learning Styles in Cosmetology
Unlike some subjects that are usually taught entirely through classroom lectures, the study of cosmetology naturally includes elements of visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic learning. Depending on their different learning styles, however, individual students might pick up some subjects quickly while struggling with others.
Cosmetology teachers should keep differences in learning styles in mind and do what they can to accommodate different learning preferences. For example, if you make the written text of your lectures available online, reading learners will probably get more out of it than they will just by trying to listen in class. When dealing with subjects like business ethics or client record keeping where visual or kinesthetic learners might have difficulty staying engaged, consider incorporating charts and graphs or hands-on demonstration of salon client management software when possible.
Great cosmetology teachers put student strengths and learning preferences first, rather than their own preferred style of teaching. By adapting to different student learning styles when possible, you’ll give every student the best chance of success.
Cosmetology Teacher Training at Health and Style Institute
The teacher training program at Health and Style Institute is designed for licensed cosmetologists who want to pass on their passion, skills, and lessons learned through experience to the next generation of aspiring beauty professionals. The program starts with covering teaching methods and laws governing cosmetology, and then progresses to practice teaching under the guidance and supervision of a licensed cosmetology teacher in a real classroom with real students. Be a part of shaping the future of the cosmetology industry as a teacher – enroll today!