pedagogy

[peh-duh-GOH-jee]
Phonetic (Standard) IPA: (Same beer same place)

Popcast Phonetic: “peh-DUH-go-jee” — say it like you’re explaining why pizza tastes better when someone else buys it.

Verb

the art or science of teaching — not just what’s taught, but how it’s delivered.

EXPLANATION

Pedagogy is all about the methods teachers use to help people learn — but you can also apply it anywhere you’re trying to teach someone something. Like when you try to explain to your buddy why extra cheese isn’t just an option, it’s a life philosophy. Good pedagogy makes lessons stick; bad pedagogy leaves everyone confused like they just watched a movie with the subtitles turned off and nobody told them.

ORIGIN

From Greek paidagōgia, meaning “teaching” or “education,” originally referring to a slave who guided children to school — imagine being tasked with explaining multiplication while everyone else is staring at a fresh pizza box.

EXAMPLE

Her pedagogy for teaching Latin involved memes, pizza parties, and a powerpoint that looked suspiciously like a Lord of the Rings plot summary — and somehow it worked.

HOW TO USE

Use pedagogy when describing a method of teaching or explaining something well — like the way your dad’s “pizza theory” pedagogy always includes extra toppings, silly analogies, and five questions you didn’t ask.