Defining Mastery
It’s difficult to imagine a lonelier place in the world than being on the witness stand in a civil trial, trying to explain to a judge, jury and surviving family members why you are not at fault for the death of little Mary Jane.
According to witnesses, Mary Jane’s mask flooded during her second open-water training dive. She was seen attempting to clear it and, when she was unsuccessful in doing so, she panicked, bolted to the surface and embolized.
Now you are in the unenviable position of having to prove that little Mary Jane had, indeed, mastered the skill of mask clearing prior to going to open water. Can you do it? You can…provided you understand what it truly means to achieve mastery of a required skill — and can document the fact this is what you require of all your students.
The Elements of Mastery
Your training agency’s standards most likely stipulate that it is not enough that you merely teach a skill. What is required is that students are able to demonstrate that they have achieved mastery of that skill. What does this mean?
In simplest terms, it means that students must be able to perform the skill:
- On command.
- Correctly.
- Without undue stress.
Let’s look at each of these elements in greater detail.
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