If you teach at a pre-service academy you need to reflect on what you are doing as an instructional cadre and ask yourselves, “Are we setting these new officers up for failure or success?”
Are you setting them up for failure by teaching the material in a blocked and siloed manner that teaches to the test? Or are you setting them up for success by teaching in a manner that facilitates understanding, learning, retention, and the ability to recall and apply what was taught through the implementation the concepts of reflection, active retrieval, spaced practice, desirable difficulties, and interleaving?
Are you setting them up for failure through a stress model, or boot camp style of academy where they are taught to keep their mouth shut and do what they are told? Or are you setting them up for success by running an academy with high standards where the culture and methodologies focus on core values, critical thinking, decision making, problem solving, emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication, learning not blaming, accepting responsibility, and inviting accountability?
Are you setting them up for failure by instilling the mindset that sleep is overrated, and that mental toughness is just about grinding? Are you setting them up for failure by forcing 18-to-20-hour days, so they “survive” the academy on 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night impairing their learning and negatively impacting their overall wellness? Or are you setting them up for success by instilling an understanding of the importance of sleep, the pillars of effective sleep and the keys to sleep hygiene and how to apply those principles of good sleep while in the academy and while working a variety of shifts?
Are you setting them up for failure by making it about you, or setting them up for success by making the training about them?
Are you setting them up for failure by teaching them to be robotic in their actions and interactions, or are you setting them up for success by focusing on the human in the profession and how human factors influence performance?
Are you setting them up for failure by focusing on perfect practice and teaching techniques practiced by the numbers in a decontextualized environment, or are you setting them up for success by helping them develop into dextrous, adaptive movers and problem solvers?
As academy trainers you have a great deal of influence with the recruits. With that influence comes responsibility and accountability. Use your influence to set them up for success, not failure.
Take care.
Brian Willis
Winning Mind Training – Providing practical training to law enforcement professionals in the areas of instructor development, Performance Enhancement Imagery, leadership and mindset.
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