Everyone perceives information differently. I shared two books with a patient. She described Jon Gordon’s The Positive Dog as useless and Darren Hardy’s The Compound Effect as Life-changing.
The same goes for jokes, movies, blogs, and advertisements. Writers bleed to tickle your fancy. We hope that what captures our interest tweaks yours.
John Maeda uses the acronym BRAIN to inform better teaching.
BASICS
REPETITION
AVOID causing desperation
INSPIRE
NEVER forget repetition
“Get back to basics.” That’s wrong. Never leave. Footwork, balance, maneuvering speed. Fall in love with easy. The game honors toughness. Cut and pass. Simple works.
“Repetition makes reputations.” Coach Wooden’s EDIRRRRR. Explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition x 5.
Aversion to loss overwhelms our will to leave comfort. Bon Jovi’s lyrical advice, “you can’t win until you’re not afraid to lose” makes sense. Don’t put our students in situations where loss - of ego, respect, or hope - is guaranteed.
Inspiration drives aspiration. Learning well keeps learning dynamic. Maeda writes, “In the martial art of Karate, for instance, the symbol of pride for a black belt is to wear it long enough such that the dye fades to white as to symbolize returning to the beginner state.” Quest to be a master as perpetual student inspires me.
Never forget to repeat what matters. Students learn and coaches serve.
Lagniappe:
Empower students with the chef’s menu. Again, Maeda shares, “The Western equivalent of omakase is the “chef’s menu.” From appetizer to main entrée to dessert, an exquisite choice of two or three options is offered each step of the way. Thus the chef’s menu results in a great meal because the best dishes of the evening are put forward.” Why would we put forth anything less than our best?