GRIT, HABITS & DELIBERATE PRACTICE -
LESSON 4:

MASTERY THROUGH DELIBERATE PRACTICE

DEBRIEF: HOW DID IT FEEL TO MAKE A MISTAKE? WHY SHOULD WE GET COMFORTABLE MAKING MISTAKES WITH DIFFICULT THINGS. REFLECT: “I CAN ACCEPT FAILURE. EVERYONE FAILS AT SOMETHING. BUT I CAN’T ACCEPT NOT TRYING.” MICHAEL JORDAN.

DEBRIEF: HOW DID IT FEEL TO MAKE A MISTAKE? WHY SHOULD WE GET COMFORTABLE MAKING MISTAKES WITH DIFFICULT THINGS. REFLECT: “I CAN ACCEPT FAILURE. EVERYONE FAILS AT SOMETHING. BUT I CAN’T ACCEPT NOT TRYING.” MICHAEL JORDAN.

PART 1- (5 MINUTES)

Rationale

  • Deliberate practice focuses on tasks beyond our current level of competence and comfort. It requires “considerable, specific and sustained effort to do something you can’t do well – or even at all” (Ericsson, Prietula & Cokely, 2007). There is a difference between "practice" and "deliberate practice".

  • Accomplished individuals work day after day, for at least 10 or 15 years, to reach the top of their fields. In other words, even the most gifted performers need a minimum of 10,000 hours of intense practice before they win international competitions (Ericsson, Prietula, & Cokely, 2007).

 

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, learners should:

  • understand deliberate practice

  • identify a connection between deliberate practice and high performance

  • identify one way they could apply deliberate practice to stretch their current skill level in any area

PART 2- watch and discuss- (10 MINUTES)

Watch this clip about Michael Jordan and consider his attitude towards practice. Discuss as a class: if he was so good, why did he need to train so hard?

PART 3- READ, REFLECT, DISCUSS- (20 MINUTES)

Students are to read and consider this article: What is the real cause of high performance?

Discuss as a class:

What is the definition of deliberate practice provided in the article?

Think about how you do your homework for maths...Would you consider this to be deliberate practice? Why? Why not?

How do you think it would feel to practice deliberately?

Would it be enjoyable or a struggle? Explain.

How often have you performed deliberate practice in the past?

Do you think that it would produce good results for you?

Consider one area of your life that you are already performing well in.

Within this area, identify how you could apply practice that focuses on "tasks beyond your current level of competence and comfort". It needs to stretch your skill level. Record this in your workbook. Share your response with a partner.

Put this into action as soon as you can.

PART 4- THE HUMBLE PAPERCLIP - (10 MINUTES)

Students are to form groups of three or four. Each group will need a paperclip. The aim of the task is to spend 4 minutes focussing on brainstorming the many different uses of a clip. The aim is for each group to come up with as many different ideas as they can in 4 minutes. When finished, two groups are invited to join and share their creative ideas with one another.

Question for discussion: How is the humble paperclip activity like deliberate practice?

Thought- In the activity, we needed to stick with the activity and look for new and different ways to do it. Deliberate practice encourages us to stretch ourselves into areas that we have not been to before (mentally or physcially), and to continue to do it.