“Productive Failure”: Why Early Floundering Leads to Better Learning The Bulletproof Musician

Intuitively, I think we approach teaching with the goal of helping students avoid failure. So it's natural to step in if we see students floundering about and approaching a problem the wrong way.

But what if we are hindering students' learning by stepping in too soon? Like stepping in too soon to help with spotting someone at the gym, or helping them too much on that last repetition.

We certainly don't want anyone to get hurt or discouraged, of course! But a 2011 study suggests that too much guidance and instruction in the learning process can lead to the illusion of better performance at first - but significantly "shallower" learning and worse performance in the long run.

Get all the nerdy details here: “Productive Failure”: Why Early Floundering Leads to Better Learning

* * *
Have you ever wondered why it is that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 1-week email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa