Mr. McGrath--There are two different methods here--one is simply a pencil and paper transposition--substituting the chords and notes in one key for the ones that correspond in another--the other is considerably more complicated: hearing a progression in one key and playing it back in another--I can teach the first one, for the second, I can only show you the starting point--

As to the way minds are wired--every teacher explains things the way that they understand them--if you need practice first, and your teacher thinks theory first, you must find a teacher who thinks your way--