PoliceTrainingHQ – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Mike and Walt break down a hard truth in law enforcement training: just because you took a high-quality class doesn’t mean you learned anything useful—at least not for long.

They discuss well-known programs like Force Science, Blue to Gold, and Street Cop Training, and why even the best content fades fast if officers don’t actively engage with it after the fact.

Learn practical ways to turn training into long-term retention and useful field performance, including:

• Teaching takeaways to others

• Rewriting reports using new articulation methods

• Scheduling spaced recall for memory

• Creating your own checklists and reference tools

• Sharing insights in roll call or FTO

If you’re serious about making training stick—and turning “great info” into actual field performance—this episode gives you the roadmap.

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Notes from the Episode

How to Make Training Stick

Retain it
Write a summary or teach it to someone else
Do this within 1–2 days

Apply it
Run a scenario, update a report, or debrief a real incident
Do this within 7 days

Reinforce it
Set calendar reminders to review and quiz yourself
Do this between 1 week and 3 months

Use it in the field
Add checklists, templates, or quick notes to your gear
Do this ongoing

Normalize it
Discuss key takeaways in roll call, FTO, or team meetings
Do this weekly or monthly

Reflect on it
Ask yourself what’s changed in your mindset or behavior
Do this within 1–2 weeks

#PolicePodcast #TCOLE #PoliceTraining #RetentionTools #OfficerDevelopment #PoliceAcademy #UseOfForceTraining

In this episode, Walt Bauer and Mike Hughes go full nerd (their words) to unpack powerful takeaways from The 10-Minute Trainer by Sharon Bowman—a book that’s transformed the way they teach police recruits and instructors.

They break down:

• Why attention span isn’t just a student problem—it’s a brain issue

• How to use teach-backs, memory palaces, and ticket-out-the-door strategies for lasting retention

• The science behind intentional focus and why it fades fast

• How breaking instruction into chunks can increase learning without sacrificing depth

• Real classroom examples from use-of-force, search and seizure, and constitutional law training

• Why instructors must earn attention, not demand it

They also introduce the idea of “cognitive investment”—when students are not just listening but mentally engaged in ways that improve recall and decision-making under pressure.

Mentioned in this episode:
The 10-Minute Trainer by Sharon Bowman (not affiliated, just a great resource):
🔗 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0787996629

Want to see this material applied to police training?

Check out the Police Trainers’ Playbook, a short, low-cost reference filled with 40 use examples:
🔗 https://www.policetraininghq.com/shop

From nerding out over myelination to testing smarter—not harder—this episode is packed with tools you can use immediately.

🎧 Listen now. Apply today. Train smart.

In this episode we talk about subject-matter expertise and teaching without the PowerPoint crutch.

Episode 1 is about who we are and what we do at PoliceTrainingHQ.

In this episode of the PoliceTrainingHQ Podcast, Walt Bauer and Mike Hughes delve into the concept of 'teach back' as a powerful learning tool in police training. They discuss how active recall and cognitive engagement can enhance retention and understanding of complex topics. The conversation emphasizes the importance of practical application, student engagement, and the neurological aspects of learning, including myelination and dendritic connections. The hosts also share real-world examples and feedback from their teaching experiences, highlighting the need for relevance and continuous improvement in police training methodologies.

In this episode, Walt and Mike get personal—and pointed—about a comment that tried to dismiss their teaching model as just a “nice theory.” But they push back with experience, neuroscience, and a challenge to every instructor stuck in old methods.

They break down:

• Why “Autonomy, Relevance, and Practical Application” isn’t theory—it’s brain science

• How their workbook system primes cadets' brains for real application

• What dopamine, effort, and retrieval have to do with long-term retention

• Why some instructors cling to familiar methods, even when they’re not effective

• The cultural pull of nostalgia and the danger of mistaking it for strategy

Bottom line: If you want your students to grow, you’ve got to grow too.

This episode is a call for instructors to stop prioritizing their own comfort—and start focusing on instructor and student competence.

In Episode 8 of the Police Training HQ Podcast, Mike and Walt take a break from heavy training topics to share a quick update with listeners. They talk about where they’ve been teaching lately, what’s coming up next, and some exciting plans to roll out video-based training reviews. You’ll also hear about upcoming guests and a few well-deserved shout outs to friends and supporters of PoliceTrainingHQ.

It’s a casual check-in to keep our community in the loop—and a chance to say thanks.

Subscribe and stay tuned—new training content and guest interviews are just around the corner.

In this episode, Mike Hughes and Walt Bauer dive deep into the learning retention process and how most police training stalls out at Step 3—Working Memory Activation.

Drawing from brain science, real-world experience, and instructional design, they break down the 8-stage learning retention process, showing how instructors can move beyond information overload and into true long-term learning and real-world transfer.

Highlights include:

• The brain structures and chemicals that power retention
• Why feedback, emotion, and sleep matter more than repetition
• Tools and techniques to drive retrieval and application
• What’s keeping most training stuck—and how to break through

BONUS: Download the companion guide from this episode at: www.policetraininghq.com/downloads

If you're a police trainer, academy instructor, or just passionate about better training, this episode gives concrete tools to move beyond the lecture—and into lasting learning.

In this episode, Walt Bauer sits down at Sul Ross University with two police recruits and a university officer to talk about their week of training with Police Training HQ. The group reflects on the scenarios, teach-backs, and active learning strategies used during the week—methods grounded in the PTHQ model of Autonomy, Relevance, and Practical Application.

Walt turns the table and asks: “If you were in charge of training, what would you do?” Their unanimous answer? Scenarios. The conversation dives into why hands-on, realistic training beats lecture-heavy instruction and how it better prepares officers for the street. Whether you’re a cadet, trainer, or veteran officer, this episode is a powerful reminder of how much more we can learn when training mirrors the real world.

Recorded in Alpine, Texas, this episode features a wide-ranging and reflective conversation between Walt Bauer and lifelong educator Kyle Bauer. As Walt trains future officers at Sul Ross University’s cadet program, the two men dive into the heart of what makes learning stick. Kyle shares stories and insights from decades in education, focusing on those pivotal “AHA” moments—when understanding finally lands—and how great training guides students all the way to the confident “TADA” of application. It’s a thoughtful exploration of teaching, learning, and the joy of witnessing real breakthroughs in the classroom or on the training floor.