junior doctors, becoming an educational supervisor or simply enjoying coaching or
mentoring informally with your peers), your growing responsibility also means you have
likely developed some skills in teaching and learning that are “common sense” or seem
automatic to you.
Think about learning a task for the first time. You know that this task is an important part
of your role and one you will expect to perform frequently. You might watch a colleague
show you how to perform the task. They make it look easy to do. When you try, you
become aware that you are a novice and find it more difficult than you thought. Through
practice, you become aware of the key things to do and the best way to perform them.
You focus on making small improvements and become quicker and more adept. With
more time, the task becomes automatic and you no longer need to think about what you
have to do or how - you just do it.
This process can be illustrated in the Conscious Competence Learning Matrix.
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