The “Click” in Learning
If you have ever been in a teaching role, either as a parent, company trainer, or educator, then you have probably seen it before. The “click”. The moment where your student just suddenly gets it.
I was out with my daughter this summer teaching her the maneuverability section for her upcoming driving test. When you take your driving test in Ohio, you are required to maneuver through orange cones in reverse. She is a very good driver already, but in our last session at the practice area for the cones, she had a lot of difficulty with it. It was very frustrating for her, and disheartening for me to see her struggle with it. She’s a pretty much straight “A” student and is not used to struggling to learn something.
This time, a suggestion to rely more on her mirrors rather than turning her head so much seemed to help. First try, second try, She Got It! She did it repeatedly after that and I could feel the confidence build in her, and the pride (and fear “Oh my God, she is going to be driving!?”) build in me.
It clicked for her and now she has it down. A little more practice won’t hurt of course, but the learning process is mostly over. Finding the thing to make it click in a student is usually similar for most people you teach, but it can be unique in certain cases. Creativity and Persistence on the part of the student, and the teacher, is what brings success.