How does teaching help the brain?

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  1. Dr. Mehmet Oz
     
    Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:
    In life, we have all kinds of teachers—first-grade teachers, basketball coaches, ballet instructors. While they may have been responsible for teaching us how to read, how to shoot a ball, or how to do the perfect plié, they also taught us perhaps one of the most important lessons about aging: Teaching can save your brain. You're far more likely to retain information if you have to explain it to somebody else. The degree to which you can effectively explain information indicates how well you've actually learned it.

    The lesson: Take advantage of mentoring opportunities, whether it's instructing a class in your favorite hobby at a community college or inviting the neighborhood teens over to teach them how to change a tire or make a soufflé. Teach the next generation, and you'll power up your own generator.

    More Related Answers from Dr. Mehmet Oz
    In life, we have all kinds of teachers—first-grade teachers, basketball coaches, ballet instructors. While they may have been responsible for teaching us how to read, how to shoot a ball, or how to do the perfect plié, they also taught... More