And now you're wondering - what the heck? Hang with me a sec; I'll get back to Vella. First, please consider what happens if the prep cook doesn't show up. The meal may eventually arrive, or not. Preparation is key to an efficient, effective result. And this, gentle reader, is another of the lessons in Learning to Listen; Learning to Teach. We all know that learning transfer occurs at different rates for different individuals, but what will likely be true for every learner is that the environment has to be right. That is, they need to be receptive; we need to present materials in the right way.
This goes to another lesson within a lesson. Vella tells of a situation in Bangladesh where doctors were ineffectively instructing their patients in ways to improve their health. They kept doing what they'd been doing and appeared to expect improving results. They couldn't see that they needed to learn how to teach. Do we have that issue? Do we know what we don't know? I'm learning, and I know it, but I may yet be confident in areas where confidence isn't merited. Perhaps I am not the only one who has noticed that, " ...those who say they know have the least ability to learn" (p. 146). This, too, is part of the preparation--fostering an environment where there is no shame is not knowing and there is eager anticipation for learning.
Of course, planning and preparation do not guarantee success--certainly not the epiphanies-for-everyone kind of experience. What is for sure, though, is that failure to lay the groundwork will most often have a negative impact on the chance of learning transfer.
"Prepare the field before planting the seed. Leave the fields fallow until they are ready. That is the sequence" (p. 105).