Crawl, Walk and Run

The Crawl, Walk, Run Philosophy in Education and Training

As a young Marine, our training was deliberately demanding. Instructors pushed us as hard as they could—but there was always a structure behind it. First, let me show you. Then you demonstrate under supervision. Finally, you perform under realistic conditions and are evaluated. This was the essence of the crawl, walk, run mentality.

Later, as a volunteer in the fire service, I encountered a different approach. Some training officers—experienced and knowledgeable—would simply tell us what needed to be done and then sit back, watching us fail, only to yell that we had no idea what we were doing. Of course we didn’t—that’s why we were training. When I asked for a demonstration, the yelling increased. To be fair, they were good officers and I learned a lot from them, but at times their expectations didn’t align with the experience level of the students in front of them.

Fast forward to today, even when we teach new instructors, we still rely on the same crawl, walk, run framework. We have them sit in on classes, observe, take notes, and personalize their material. Then we allow them to teach while being mentored—stepping in only when they drift. Eventually, we let them operate independently. That progression matters.

I am a firm believer in the crawl phase—ensuring students truly understand the material. This means allowing questions, providing demonstrations, and confirming clarity before moving forward. If the foundation isn’t solid, everything built on it will suffer.

The walk phase introduces task-based execution. Students apply what they’ve learned while instructors provide guidance and corrections. This is where bad habits must be stopped early—we never want students practicing incorrect skills that will resurface later under stress.

Finally, we move to the run phase. This is scenario-based, built on the first two phases, and as realistic as possible while remaining safe. Instructors should only intervene if something becomes unsafe. The real learning happens during the debrief—what went well, what didn’t, and what can be improved. If time allows, scenarios should be modified to avoid choreographed responses and to confirm true understanding and adaptability.

Too often, “tactical” or “mass casualty” drills are conducted in wide-open, overly controlled environments. These scenarios may look good on paper but provide a false sense of competence. When students later face a real event—confined spaces, chaos, noise, fear—they become overwhelmed because training never reflected reality.

If we want competent teams, capable staff, and confident responders, we must train them properly. Be deliberate. Be realistic. Be safe. And most importantly, use the crawl, walk, run mentality to build your training programs and your people.