Dr. Smilkstein's learning process is brilliant. The natural human learning process describes the six steps the human brain goes through when learning something new. The process describes how we learn different skills and how our emotions can determine how we learn. This process has helped me and other humans understand how the human brain works and how we learn. The natural human learning process is a process that the brain goes through when learning different skills. According to Dr. Smilkstein this process is divided into six phases. The first step is the motivation phase. This step occurs when the brain begins to acquire the desire to do something for many different reasons. Sometimes, he says, we learn things because we feel like “we did them too.” The second step is the initial practical step. This is the trial and error phase. The third step is the advanced practice phase, where you start repeating the action over and over again. The fourth step is the skill phase, where you start to get really good at what you're doing. You become more confident in your skills at this stage. The skill starts to become natural because it has been tested continuously. The fifth step is the refinement phase. In this step you start to experiment by doing different things. For example, the ingredients might change if the skill is cooking. In the last step of mastery, is when the skill can be taught to others (Smilkstein). One skill that I am now aware of having learned through the natural human learning process is the ability to lead. I was motivated to start driving because I didn't want to ask my parents to drive me anywhere and I was also tired of being late for events. I started practicing... halfway through the paper... the synapses turned off. When our emotions are happy, positive and confident, the brain sends a certain chemical into the synapses that makes them work well and quickly. The sequence of stages that the human brain goes through when learning new skills really helps the reader understand why they learn different skills in different ways. The six stages the brain goes through go hand in hand with different aspects of human life and how the emotions of everyday life influence our learning. It's a great process to know and understand. Next time you have questions about how humans learn, refer to Dr. Smilkstein's learning process. Works Cited Smilkstein, Rita. We were born to learn: Using the brain's natural learning process to create today's curriculum. Thousand Oaks, Cal. Corwin Press, 2003.