Developing Resiliency and Bouncing Back

Recently I had the opportunity of sharing some thoughts on the importance of developing resiliency. It was the start of term and the first week back to school after an 18 day lay-off. Second term reports had been issued, examined, digested, and perhaps even forgotten by the time school resumed. But the question in my mind was how should students, and teachers, and parents approach the notion of "failure"? In our quest for perfection there seems to be little room for error, mistakes are masked, and failure is often avoided at all costs. Yet, it is undeniable that making mistakes is a necessary part of growth, and in order to succeed you must fail, sometimes.

Having attended an excellent session on Approaches to Learning as part of our school's ongoing understanding of the IB program, I felt that there could be a clear connection to what I learned from the workshop coordinator (Lance King) and the start to the new term which always requires resiliency and "bouncing back."

A link to Lance King's work on this subject is found here:

http://lancegking.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/the-importance-of-failing-well/

Now, it must be remembered that our school chapel consists of students in junior kindergarten-grade eight, aged 4 through 14. Quite a range, and quite a difference in terms of both accepting and understanding the role of mistakes in the learning process. Suffice to say that the message needed to be tailored to all students, as well as the adults (parents, teachers, visitors) assembled.

What better way than to show it first? So, with the help of three volunteers we showcased three ways in which you must make mistakes in order to improve. The first was a demonstration of juggling. A simple three ball demonstration took place as a grade 8 student entertained the group with his proficiency and enthusiasm for juggling. Along with a student who enjoys the sport of soccer just as much as I do, a challenge of keeping the ball in the air through heading was attempted. Finally, a third student with a love and aptitude for music performed an upbeat and bouncy piece entitled "Summer".

The twist was that at the outset of each demonstration mistakes were made, balls were dropped, and keys were missed in order to represent the notion that improvement can only take place when you learn from your mistakes. You cannot be an entertainer (juggler) without dropping a few balls, a skilled athlete (soccer) without repetition, nor an adept performer (musician) without working through the process of learning a new skill, and learning from your mistakes.

The same can be said of education, and life in general. A growth mindset (Carol Dweck:http://mindsetonline.com/) demands it, and experimentation is an important consideration too. When we learn from our mistakes, take responsibility for improvement, reflect on what we did and how we can make changes, the opportunities for success grow exponentially. We can all take heart from these lessons in resiliency and bounce back with enthusiasm.