(and I don't think I say it to my pupils often enough.)
It was really reassuring because we had the comfort of knowing that even if we didn't quite get it this time, we could always tackle it when it came by again.
Welcome to spiral learning, which I personally believe is a more accurate model of how we actually learn. As opposed to straight line or linear learning.
When I was training, we did the same things for three years - simplistically speaking. I think I can quite accurately state that I'd been introduced to all the relevant concepts by end of week 1. So what was I doing the rest of the 2 years and 51 weeks?
Learning the same things differently. In greater depth and subtlety. In different applications. Seeing different aspects of it which I couldn't see the first, second or third time; seeing them this time round because I had changed.
We learnt new things all the time, but they were also part of the things we'd learnt the previous day, or the previous week.
So it didn't worry us too much if we couldn't see the point of some demo straightaway because we knew that we'd get it the next time it was done - or the next.
So yes, I really need to say that a lot more to my pupils!
