I had a friend in medical school who told me when she was learning a new medical procedure she was taught:
- Learn one
- Teach one
- Do one
I think this process can be applied to learning grammar and punctuation. When I’m unsure about a rule, the first thing I do is check my grammar books and read about it. This is the Learn One phase.
Next, I blog about it. If I can explain the rule, then I probably understand it. This is the Teach One phase. If you’re doing this, be careful to use your own words. Don’t cheat and look at the grammar book for help. You need to be able to explain the rule without any aids. Sometimes I don’t blog about the rule, but I do try to write the rule in my own words. Even if it’s on a scrap piece of paper, it helps me remember the rule.
Lastly, I write using the rule. This is the Do One phase. You can edit and proofread to ensure you’re using the rule properly too. I consider editing part of the Do One phase.
I figure if this is how medical students learn, it must work for other areas of knowledge too.
Do you have any tips for learning?
Thanks for reading . . .
Creative Story Editors 
This was the standard process when one room schools were predominant because the teacher didn’t have the time to teach all the kids with such a wide range in ages. To help out, the older kids had to know the subject to teach the younger ones.
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I guess it is a long standing process. That must mean it works.
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Teaching makes learners of us all. It works!
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People have different learning styles, which overlap even in the same person, so applying different techniques sounds like a great plan. I happen to be a kinesthetic (do one 🙂 ) learner, so that often means I have to botch something up before I get it right.
Good thing I’m not a doctor, isn’t it? 😉
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You could always practice on one of those dummy dolls first. That might work. If you wanted to be a doctor that is. At least for writing there is the delete key.
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