We can all learn—but not all of us have learned to do it well
Art Costa once told me that learning is like moving. We’re born with the ability. We don’t need to be taught how to move—just as we don’t need to be taught how to learn.
But some people take movement to another level.
They become dancers—moving with precision and grace.
Or athletes—moving with strength and control.
These people don’t just move. They move well.
Learning is the same.
Some students learn to engage with challenge deliberately. They understand the value of mistakes. They practice in a way that leads to growth.
They don’t just learn—they learn well.
What we call “smart” is often just skillful learning
Let’s take two students doing the same task.
One finishes quickly, improves steadily, and transfers their learning with ease. The other works hard, follows instructions, and stays on task—but still struggles to progress.
We often label the first student “bright” or “gifted.” But more often than not, what we’re really seeing is this:
One student has learned how to learn. The other hasn’t—yet.
Skillful learners know how to:
-
Work in their Learning Zone
-
Use mistakes to uncover what they haven’t mastered
-
Practice purposefully, not just repeat what they already know
-
Seek out feedback and act on it
It’s not about working harder or being born smarter.
It’s about how they engage with learning itself.
Learnership: The skill of learning
Skilful learning isn’t mysterious. It’s not innate talent. It’s the product of five key elements working together:
- Challenge – Stepping into difficulty intentionally—not avoiding it.
- Mistakes – Seeing them as signals, not failures.
- Practice – Using the Learning Zone to grow, not just rehearse.
- Feedback – Seeking, interpreting, and applying it.
- Habits of Mind – Persisting, thinking flexibly, reflecting strategically.
When these elements are developed intentionally, they create a powerful outcome:
Students who are capable of learning anything—because they’ve mastered the process of learning itself.
That’s Learnership.
What skillful teachers do differently
Skillful teachers help students learn well.
They don’t just encourage learning—they build the capabilities that make it more effective, more reflective, and more intentional.
And that’s exactly what we’ll explore in the workshop:
- How to help students develop a healthy, productive relationship with challenge
- How to move beyond the “mistakes are good” message to develop real mistake fluency
- How to shift from repetition to Purposeful Practice that leads to real growth
- How to teach students the difference between the Learning, Performance, and Comfort Zones
- How to develop more skillful, capable learners through the core elements of Learnership
This isn’t just about changing attitudes. It’s about building learning expertise.
Want to help your students become skillful learners?
In my upcoming workshop, Helping Students Embrace and Succeed at Challenges, you’ll learn how to:
- Build Learnership by teaching challenge, mistake fluency, and Purposeful Practice
- Shift students from doing the work to driving their own growth
- Equip learners with the skills—not just the mindset—to learn more effectively
- Create a classroom culture where learning becomes something students do well
📅 Workshop runs in May 2025
🎁 Every participant receives a copy of my book, Learnership
💻 Live and online—join from anywhere
👉 https://www.trybooking.com/CZYGU
Because every student can learn.
Our job is to help them learn how to learn well.
