The Hidden Leaf Village in Naruto is a shinobi village, and most characters are involved in its teacher-student education system that is dedicated to creating new shinobi. As such, there are a wide variety of teaching methods used to hone students' skills.
Some teaching methods in Naruto are quite questionable and carry a potential risk of damaging the students or their surroundings, even if they do bring results. But simultaneously, there are still a number of rather effective teaching methods that produce results without being controversial or harmful; viewers might even see these positive teaching methods reflected in the real world.
10 Guy Frequently Challenges Kakashi In Their Lighthearted Rivalry
Rivalries are a common occurrence among shinobi of the same age or team who use mutual competition to propel their motivation and improvement. While it can spur either side onward in an effort to upstage the other, it can also poison the friendship as well and introduce toxic elements, such as with Kakashi and Obito, or Naruto and Sasuke.
However, when a rivalry is lighthearted, as in the case of Kakashi and Might Guy, it can forge a strong and trustful bond. These two shinobi use each other in good humor to make sure their training and abilities never stagnate.
9 Minato Invites His Students To Give It Their All & Emphasizes Care
There is a clear boundary drawn between teachers and students. This is why, in areas that pertain to sports or self-defense, it is unique when teachers invite the students to come at them with full force, both to assess their full potential and to make them relinquish any doubts or thoughts of holding back in trying. The Bell Test, as given by Minato, is a great example of this type of teaching.
Minato inspires his students to use their full intelligence and energy in the effort to one-up him while still intending for teamwork to be the ultimate lesson. Unlike Kakashi, however, Minato is clearly much more careful about not harming his students or being too aggressive with them.
8 Real-World Experience Is One Of The Best Teachers
Not everything can be learned in the classroom or in a training field. While jonin teachers train their students in an instructional setting and expect them to practice, they also take their teams on missions in service to Konoha. This lets the prospective shinobi put their hard-earned skills to good use and gives them real-life experience in knowing what to expect from real work.
Some missions are more basic and akin to community service such as locating stray pets. Other missions are higher-ranking, like acting as escorts to travelers who request the protection of the Hidden Leaf shinobi. This teaching technique motivates the pupils, requires them to perfect their teamwork, and allows them to learn on the job.
7 Family Members & Friends Can Be Valuable Tutors
It is important not to forget teachings that are passed down through generations. Families and personal histories can be vital sources of information and tradition that deserve preservation. The clans of the Hidden Leaf each have their own special jutsu. The younger shinobi-in-training are expected to take on learning these specialized techniques as part of their development into full-fledged shinobi of their individual clans.
Examples include the Uchihas' Fire Release Jutsu, the continuing Ino-Shika-Cho trio from the three allied clans, and the skills associated with the Hyugas' Byakugan. Additionally, teachings can come from friends, not just family members. Naruto's persuasive words are frequently a source of inspiration and hope to his friends, such as Sakura, Hinata, and Neji.
6 Shikaku Lets His Son Vent & Knows When To Step Back
There are times when people benefit more from a hands-off approach, particularly when they become independent. Children need more monitoring and guided coaching. Adulthood brings more self-reliance and the fact that the person in question is ready to make their own decisions and come to their own realizations.
After Asuma's death, Shikamaru withdraws into himself and is devastated at the death of his teacher. Recognizing his son's grief, Shikaku encourages his son to vent his emotions and forge forward in whatever way feels right in gaining closure. As his father, Shikaku will be there to comfort and support him.
5 Reverse Psychology Can Be A Productive Tactic
Psychological knowledge can come in handy when dealing with stubborn pupils. In the filler episode "Follow My Lead! The Great Survival Challenge," Tsunade demonstrates this fact. When she wants to enact a survival training exercise for the Hidden Leaf that involves assigning Academy student teams to genin, Naruto stubbornly refuses and sees it as pointless.
Tsunade knows where Naruto's true priorities lie, however. She exaggeratedly emphasizes the leadership qualities honed by this exercise, loftily exclaiming that it is ideal for training the future Hokage and questioning whether someone with such a goal really wants to disappoint children. The trick works and convinces Naruto to participate in Tsunade's survival training exercise.
4 Naruto's So-Called "Talk No Jutsu" Is Ridiculed By Viewers, But It Raises Good Points
One of the more controversial points about Naruto is the success of the main character's "Talk no Jutsu." This term refers to Naruto's uncanny ability to diagnose the issues with many antagonists' psyches and convert them to his way of thinking by showing them where they went wrong, such as with Nagato and Obito.
Granted, this strategy might not work in real life as often as it does in the anime, but there is something to be said for giving credence to ideas from unconventional or unexpected sources. Important lessons can come from anywhere and add something to a person's view or opinion, even by just considering another perspective. With this in mind, Naruto's habit carries weighty insight after all.
3 Characters Practice Jutsu On Their Own
Rehearsing and practicing abilities are integral to taking them to the next level. After all, a person cannot become advanced or begin experimenting on their own until they have a good grasp of the basics. Naruto is shown working constantly over days to learn the rasengan. Episode scenes glimpse Sakura diligently executing the medical jutsu that she learned as Tsunade's apprentice.
Even Itachi, skilled and gifted as he is, rigorously carries out shuriken target practice in the past as a younger Sasuke looks on admiringly. These efforts pay off in the long run as all three aforementioned shinobi are or become powerful and skilled.
2 Jiraiya Correctly Assesses Naruto's Learning Style
A major component that can either help or harm a student's learning curve is the suitability of the teaching style. Naruto was always the lowest of his class at the Academy and visibly struggled in lessons. When he meets Jiraiya, the sannin quickly deduces during rasengan training that Naruto was admonished at the Academy for having a lack of focus.
To allow for Naruto's difficulty with attention, Jiraiya gives his new student some study tips that aid and channel his focus. This triggers a marked improvement in Naruto's mastering of the rasengan and demonstrates that Naruto was never deficient; instead, he simply learns differently.
1 One-On-One Training Can Be More Targeted To An Individual Student's Needs
Learning in a broader setting with other people can aid with social skills and teamwork, but students can still fall through the cracks since instructors must give their attention to everyone, not only one person. This is where individual tutoring comes in handy. Over Naruto's 2.5-year timeskip, Naruto and Sakura blossom under Jiraiya and Tsunade's tutelage, respectively. Before the final Chunin Exams, Kakashi is able to help Sasuke enhance his taijutsu and produce his own Chidori since he is focused on only one student at the time.
One-on-one instruction benefits students since it allows teachers to customize and target instruction to fit pupils' needs. The rate of teaching can be slowed or accelerated to mirror a student's rate, problem areas can be given special attention, and unique abilities can be developed without distractions.