How to close your knowing-doing gap

If there are three frogs sitting on a log and one decides to jump, how many frogs are sitting on the log? The answer is three. Just because one frog decided to jump doesn’t mean it did.

This professional development device is one I often use to close professional learning experiences, because it gets at a central issue with all human learning—how to make our learning translate into changes in our actions moving forward. As educators, figuring out how to close this knowing-doing gap for our students is likely the focus of much of our own professional learning.

We know from our experience the gap isn’t closed simply by communicating more. We say things 1,000 times and it still doesn’t sink in. We know that putting something in writing and having them sign it isn’t the magic solution either. Many of us over the years have realized that, to a great extent, the answer to closing the knowing-doing gap resides in developing a human connection and cultivating relational currency with students.

What does this have to do with getting healthy? Anyone reading this article knows we get healthy through a combination of improving our diet and increasing our exercise.

Frankly, it is something we’ve all been able to cognitively wrap our brains around for quite some time. Why, then, have so many of us—including myself—not been able to engage in any sustained exercise routine? Ah, the knowing-doing gap!

In almost all cases, we know what’s best for our health. We have that nagging little Jiminy Cricket voice of conscience running through our heads questioning our choices about diet and exercise.

In order to close the knowing-doing gap, we need to develop human connection and cultivate relational currency with ourselves first and foremost. We need to realize it is OK, it is indeed necessary for us to take care of ourselves in order to answer the calling we share as educators to take care of others.

We need to embrace the opportunities presented by colleagues and friends to improve our diet and increase our exercise. We need to listen to our inner voice and make time to eat better, move more, and invest in the single most important factor in our ability to help others—maintaining good health.