BACK to school! Already?!? It really seems like it can’t be time for the kiddo to go back to school. Or maybe you are saying YAY…the kids are going back to school. Of course that means that summer is winding down.

When I think about back to school and the fact that I am a lifelong learner, as I love learning something new. I think about the four stages of learning or competence.

The unconscious incompetent…the learner that isn’t aware a learning gap exists.

The conscious incompetent…the learner that is aware of a skill or knowledge gap and understands the importance of acquiring the new skill. It’s in this stage that learning can begin.

The conscious competent…In conscious competence, the learner knows how to use the skill or perform the task, but doing so requires practice, conscious thought and hard work.

The unconscious competent…In unconscious competence, the individual has enough experience with the skill that he or she can perform it so easily they do it unconsciously.

I have always found this to be a helpful tool in understanding how we learn. So as you are sending your children back to school, be mindful that we are all go through these stages of learning. Some of us might be starting a new job or your employer may be implementing new strategies or you have decided to go back to school and you find yourself going through these stages of learning.

Ultimately, we all want to be the unconscious competent and be able to do everything with the greatest of ease. So much so that we do them unconsciously. Be mindful, however, that we will encounter individuals along the way in the various stages of learning. So if you find yourself frustrated, try to step back and consider what might be going on at the time. Learning takes patience and can sometimes be very difficult. After all, we are really all lifelong learners. Some of us just think we know it all!

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
— Benjamin Franklin

Cheers to a stress free August,

Nancy