Dombroski-Coyle-Ch. 3-4

It was interesting how Coyle talked about talent. He had a lot of great examples, like the Brontë sisters or the Z-boys. When the Z-boys practiced in the swimming pool, they had to be at their top performance. This is what made them practice at a deeper level, and what made their “talent bloom.” This is making me think about talent differently. Everyone has different levels of talent, but it is what they do with it that matters most. 

I also really liked how these chapters addressed practicing. The more I read, the more I want to improve the way I practice. In chapter 4, Coyle says practicing is like building blocks. He uses the idea of scaffolding, which makes so much sense that we talk about that in many education classes. When teaching, people learn one step at a time, building upon each skill over time. It makes sense that deep practice uses the same method. 


When teaching us how to practice better, Coyle uses three steps. I think the second step in particular takes a lot of time and patience. He quotes Tom Martinez, saying “it’s not how fast you can do it, it’s how slow you can do it correctly.” This takes so much concentration, and I’ve found that by the time I finish practicing by breaking things down in this method I am so mentally exhausted. But it also feels really good. My goal for this semester is to improve my own practicing, and make each practice session meaningful. 

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