Teaching Framework
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The Feynman Protocol
For deep understandingPick the concept
Choose one thing you want to understand deeply enough to teach it.
Explain it to a 12-year-old
Write it out in plain language — no jargon, no shortcuts. If you reach for a technical term, replace it.
Find where your explanation breaks
The gaps in your explanation are gaps in your understanding. That breakdown is the most valuable thing you find.
Return to the source
Go back to the material on exactly the gap you found. Read, re-think, re-engage.
Simplify again
Rewrite the explanation. Repeat until you can explain it without hesitation to anyone.
The Socratic Method
For mentoringDon't give answers. Ask questions that lead the learner to their own answers. The moment you hand someone the solution, you rob them of the discovery.
"What have you tried?"
Ask this before you suggest anything. You learn what they know and what they've already ruled out.
"What do you think is blocking you?"
Ask this before you diagnose. They often already know the answer — they just haven't said it yet.
"What would the best version of this look like?"
Ask this before you show them a solution. Gets them to articulate the standard they're aiming for.
"What would you do if you weren't afraid of being wrong?"
Unlocks creative courage. The answer to this question is almost always the right answer.
Teaching Structures
For Skills
Never just tell. People don't learn skills by watching — they learn by doing with feedback. The debrief is where the learning crystallises.
For Concepts
Start with something they already understand. Move to the principle. Return to concrete. Then connect it to their world. In that order — every time.
For Transformation
This structure requires you to go first — to be honest about the moment you were wrong. That's what makes it transformative rather than instructional.