Learning the skill sets of both Adaptive Schools and Cognitive CoachingSM is a journey that moves from declarative to procedural knowledge. Procedural knowledge, when new, feels awkward and mechanical. For it to become useful, the learner needs to develop fluency with the skills. In Cognitive CoachingSM this means starting with a conversation map in front of you then moving to not needing the map to look at and finally internalizing the map and being able to use it with fluidity in a conversation. In Adaptive Schools, one might begin with a Memory Mat with three types of paraphrases to remind one to paraphrase in a meeting. This could progress to thinking carefully about when to paraphrase and when to ask questions and finally to having the pattern of paraphrasing and questioning as part of one’s natural way of interacting in meetings.

As you think about a skill you are learning from the work of Thinking Collaborative where might you be on the continuum of fluency below?

1. Use the skills only when reminded to

2. Remember to use skill, but need a reminder tool like a Memory Mat

3. Use the skill with conscious effort

4. Use the skill with automaticity

Think of a skill you use with automaticity. What were some ways you practiced to achieve this? How might you use the same processes to achieve fluency with some of your new skills from Adaptive Schools or Cognitive CoachingSM? Next week we will share some tips for practicing procedural knowledge.