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Post 1: It is essential to realize that we all learn things differently and at different paces. For me, I am a hands-on learner; I learn best by doing. When I transitioned into my role of Practice Manager, I had to learn the ins and outs of running our end-of-month report, which is a multi-step process that requires attention to detail. The executive director has years of management experience and understands the importance of teaching, and due to this, she helped me grasp the process quickly. The first thing she did was explain to me the end goal and importance of running this report. Once I understood what the goal of the report was, we were able to go through and look at each line item, and the information would click because I knew what the big picture was. Secondly, she had a step-by-step process typed out for me to reference when running the report. By having the directions typed out, I could look back and confirm I did the correct steps, or vice versa, and see which step I should have remembered if something looked wrong. Thirdly, she sat with me for the first few months, watched me do the report, and helped me when I got lost. She understood I am a “learn by doing” person, which helped me tremendously. 
On the other side of a learning scenario, I can think of a time when I was trying to learn to work the floor at the physician’s office where I was working. The nurse who “trained” me showed me the basics of where items were located, and that was it. She did not explain which instruments were used for what and where to find the specialty items. I was a new grad and afraid to ask questions, so I tried to figure it out independently. Thankfully, the physician I worked with was kind and new to the practice, so we figured it out together. 
Post 2: A time that I was effectively taught how to do a task was when I was an aircraft mechanic. The aircraft model I worked on required the whole wing assembly to be removed in order to gain access to the engine. It was a task that required a lot of patience and precision, as there was no margin for error. The wing had to be lifted up by a crane and guided over the aircraft onto a wing-holding stand. My Sergeant told me that he was going to teach me how to get the wing prepped properly for removal and guide the crane operator during the wing removal. 
My Sergeant and I stood on top of the jet, and he had me do all the steps while he watched. If I were about to make a mistake or forgot the next step, he would talk me through it but never interfered while I worked. He knew that I was a very hands-on learner and that this was the most effective way of teaching me, and it showed that he had faith in my abilities to get it done. I learned a lot during that process, and I was able to do it by myself after that teaching moment.
On the other hand, there have been many times in the workplace when I was taught something verbally. Generally speaking, these moments happen when someone who has done it a lot says something similar to: “Oh, it’s super easy. You just have to do this, this, and this,” and doesn’t elaborate further. Even if I have a general understanding of how the process should go, without seeing and doing it myself, I won’t fully grasp how to do it. This is why I try to demonstrate and allow the people I’m teaching to do it as well because I believe it gives them confidence and a better understanding of what they are doing.
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