Brads Over Lectures

When our youngest daughter was about four, she was watching my husband rescreen a door.

She stood there studying what he was doing and asked, “What’s that, Dad? Are you putting in brads, Dad?”

I remember thinking, What’s a brad?

She knew because she had spent a lot of time following her dad around while he built, fixed, repaired, and figured things out.

He didn’t sit our daughters down for formal lessons in home repair. They were simply around, observing and asking questions. They helped when they could.

They learned much more than the difference between a brad and a nail. They learned to keep trying, investigate, ask, look something up, watch someone else, and try again.

There’s something contagious about being around people who are willing to try things. It makes unfamiliar things seem a little less intimidating and a little more, well, figureoutable. Curiosity is also key. 

How does that work?  What would I need to learn to be able to do that?

Knowing how to do something is useful but knowing that you can probably figure out how to do something is next level.

That's true in medicine and GME as well. We know how little is retained from lectures. And there is a lot to be said for the old “see one, do one, teach one.” (Maybe more than one at times, but still...)

Learning happens when we are around people doing work, observing their techniques, staying curious, hearing how they think, and getting a chance to try.

True in medicine, leadership, parenting, and apparently sheetrock.

Reflection:

• Who helped you learn by letting you watch, ask questions, and try?
• What are you currently facing that could use the reminder that everything is figureoutable?
• Who around you might benefit from a little less formal teaching and a little more opportunity to see, ask, do, and figure things out?