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Happy New Year Cross Creek Educators!
Chapter Five, How Can Students Learn From Failure? is worth reading twice! I must admit I internalized the chapter and kept thinking did I do that? when I was teaching at Cross Creek. I may have worked very hard with students who were in academic jeopardy, but did I have a conversation with them that failure was a “step in the right direction to success?” NO. Did I help them to respond to failure in a POSITIVE (yes, I mean positive) way? NO. Did I build in opportunities for students to learn from the failure or did I just enter the grade and move on?
Chapter Five will really make you think about your personal attitudes about students, failure and the possibilities of success born from that failure.
Instructions:
Read chapter five, click on blog "comments" to answer. Number your answer to correspond with the question. For the application portion, we will meet for 30 minutes after Rounds review on January 25, location TBD, for a fun and interactive demonstration.
VETERAN TEACHERS:
1. How did you learn to embrace failure?
2. Describe one way you implement (or will implement) “learning from failure” in your classroom?
Beginning Teachers:
1. How did you learn to embrace failure?
2. According to Daniel Pink how do extrinsic rewards in inhibit growth mindset in students?
Remember there are cut-off limits, so brevity is the order of the day!
If you have questions feel free to contact me. athetford@edumentality or alisonthetford@aol.com.
In this hybrid book study teachers will earn a total of 12 hours (1.2 ceu's) for reading each chapter, responding to discussion prompts online, and sharing application of ideas. You will be given no later than (NLT) dates for completing chapters.
I want to thank Melissa Storms for giving me much needed help with this study. In growth mindset fashion, I had to experience a little failure in order to become a better blogger.
Chapter Five, How Can Students Learn From Failure? is worth reading twice! I must admit I internalized the chapter and kept thinking did I do that? when I was teaching at Cross Creek. I may have worked very hard with students who were in academic jeopardy, but did I have a conversation with them that failure was a “step in the right direction to success?” NO. Did I help them to respond to failure in a POSITIVE (yes, I mean positive) way? NO. Did I build in opportunities for students to learn from the failure or did I just enter the grade and move on?
Chapter Five will really make you think about your personal attitudes about students, failure and the possibilities of success born from that failure.
Instructions:
Read chapter five, click on blog "comments" to answer. Number your answer to correspond with the question. For the application portion, we will meet for 30 minutes after Rounds review on January 25, location TBD, for a fun and interactive demonstration.
VETERAN TEACHERS:
1. How did you learn to embrace failure?
2. Describe one way you implement (or will implement) “learning from failure” in your classroom?
Beginning Teachers:
1. How did you learn to embrace failure?
2. According to Daniel Pink how do extrinsic rewards in inhibit growth mindset in students?
Remember there are cut-off limits, so brevity is the order of the day!
If you have questions feel free to contact me. athetford@edumentality or alisonthetford@aol.com.
In this hybrid book study teachers will earn a total of 12 hours (1.2 ceu's) for reading each chapter, responding to discussion prompts online, and sharing application of ideas. You will be given no later than (NLT) dates for completing chapters.
I want to thank Melissa Storms for giving me much needed help with this study. In growth mindset fashion, I had to experience a little failure in order to become a better blogger.
Personally, I still tend to process failure negatively. First, I am a perfectionist and when something doesn't get the outcome I expect, I tend to see it as a reflection of myself. I internalize it but not in a positive way. I am continually trying to take positives experiences from these failures, but I admit that I have a ways to go. I know that there is something to be learned from all experiences, and I know that I have to work harder to glean positives from these failures.
2. As hard as I am on myself, I feel that I am much more growth minded toward my students. I try very hard to let them know that failure is an opportunity to learn. It is hard for students to "learn from failure" but with enough work, we can get them to understand. I feel that I constantly reinforce the notion that many people fail multiple times before they reach success. It is a fantastic way to think, and It can help them in all areas of their lives.
2. I don't have a specific technique as such. I think our collective point is that it is a mindset, an attitude, an ethic that communicates our understanding of success to our students as we prepare them for professional life.
1. How did you learn to embrace failure?
How I have learned to embrace failure depends on the type of failure. For example, almost everyday I think of a patients at Walter Reed AMC that I am convinced we surgeons harmed because of poor judgment on our parts, such as operating on an abdominal aortic aneurysm when it was only 4 cm in diameter instead of waiting 3 years or more when it had grown to 5 cm in diameter, or deciding that bleeding was so bad from a traumatic gunshot wound that we removed one kidney from a young gang member when we should have worked harder and longer to keep it) I shall never truly embrace those failures, although I can definitely tell you that I learned a HUGE amount from them. But then, that is what internships and residencies are for and why they last many years.
I began to learn how to embrace academic failure when I earned my first "C," on my 21st birthday, in Chemical Engineering Kinetics. I embraced it as a NEED to take a more advanced class and master the material in a different way, with study groups and additional, reinforcing problems. I embraced significant academic failure when I earned mainly "passes" and only about 20% "honors passes" in medical school with HIGHLY competitive, smart classmates.
I am still learning how to embrace failure with the raising of my four daughters when they call me "the dementor," or "Ellis Grey." I am still learning how to embrace my failure to instill responsibility, budgeting, career planning, boyfriend choice, empathy,etc, in some of them. I still raise my voice a lot. I pray a lot that I will learn from my failures and not repeat them again.
2. According to Daniel Pink how do extrinsic rewards inhibit growth mindset in students?
Extrinsic rewards, such as stickers, money, candy, homework passes, movie days, dropping of the lowest grade, and offering extra credit "extinguish student creativity and foster short-term thinking." (pg 71) However, extrinsic rewards are the American way, whether it be through GPA, leading to higher class rank, more prestigious college acceptances, scholarships, membership in honor societies or organizations; recognition by classmates as the "go to" person to explain something or copy assignments from; leadership positions (SGA president, head cheerleader, football captain, team manager); career or military rank promotion; salary; professional school acceptance; advanced degrees; business success; and right out materialism in the cars we drive, clothes we wear, homes we live in, vacations we take, restaurants in which we eat. The intrinsic rewards of helping the overall society through communal farming, "flat" living, mandatory military service, and dictated manufacturing goals have been tried in Cuba, the Soviet Union, North Korea, and communist China, it seems to me, unsuccessfully.
In our capitalistic society, the extrinsic rewards of money (salary, wages, investments, stock options); certificates (advanced degrees, resume entries from noble community service endeavors (hmm, think of unfortunate Mr. Lallier's world of lawyers at the moment, despite his service as PWC Chairman); and prizes (hoarded materialistic goods) are the motivators of people. Obviously, about half of the country agrees with this approach based on our recent November 2016 election. So, I suspect that we, as teachers, need to start to change the mindset of our students so that it eventually carries over to our own society.
Your answer to number two is comprehensive in nature and I get all of what you are saying. In my experience, extrinsic rewards only work when they are (1) not expected by students, (2) inconsistently given, and (3) infrequent in nature. When you feel students do not appreciate the "thing" you are giving, it's time to stop. Also, think about ways to help your students seek satisfaction in a job well done- a gift they give to themselves.
Wonderful commentary- I look forward to seeing you next week.
2. I truly believe the very nature of most classrooms across America today "embrace" the idea that failure is relevant, instructive, and necessary for personal/academic growth. The answer to whether or not the powers that be in today's educational landscape - the ranks of school administrators, lawyers, officials - both elected and appointed as well as parents is far more dubious(okay, I am being VERY generous here!). I bring this up as I find myself constantly fighting a battle of convincing students of this need when many factors wholly outside of my control say the contrary. I try to change the prevailing mindset that the grade rather than the learning is the prize. So ONE way I do this is to give constructive feedback on assignments(when able) in order to show the students why he/she did not fare well and what would be steps that could improve that performance. If I play chess and never lose, I never improve. I can only personally improve with failure - which you might even replace with the word challenge.
Keep messaging that work is so much more important than the outcome. Little by little, students may be able to see that in their actions and by virtue of them persevering, their products will improve.
After failing at biology in high school and my friends kept on passing I wanted to pass so badly so after failing I learned from failing repeatedly. I learned how to better manage my time to get more studying done I learned how to better organize my work to get more out of studying and i to ask others questions to questions I didn't understand. The ending of first semester I got a very low grade and second semester i got an - A. That was when I learned that by failing I learned, how to change and what to change in order to be successful.
2. According to Daniel Pink how do extrinsic rewards in inhibit growth mindset in students?
This limits growth mindset because it causes students to only think or do the minimum amount required to get the reward promised for achieving a set goal. Extrinsic rewards limit students ability to grow and causes students to not want to achieve beyond what was promised.
In my experience, extrinsic rewards only work when they are (1) not expected by students, (2) inconsistently given, and (3) infrequent in nature. When you feel students do not appreciate the "thing" you are giving, it's time to stop. Also, think about ways to help your students seek satisfaction in a job well done- a gift they give to themselves.
I am a very stubborn person as well as an overachiever, so failure is something that I find hard to deal with. We all go through many trials and tribulations throughout our lifetimes that help us to innately develop ways of handling those hardships and failures. For myself, I find that any time I am not on top, whether it be in the classroom as a student, as an educator in the classroom, or even in my personal life with my hobbies like my music and art, I keep at it until that is not longer the issue. I know, however, that I will not be the one truly on top for most things in life, because life and our experiences should be a journey, and therefore a continuum for growth. Striving for the best as a personal goal is how I can give my best. If I fail, I try to brush off that initial sting, and then analyze what went wrong, and then try, try again!
2. According to Daniel Pink how do extrinsic rewards inhibit growth mindset in students?
According to Pink, as educators, it is important that we, "encourage students to internalize the belief that their own actions and behaviors, not external factors, guide them to achievement or failure." (p. 70) Extrinsic rewards are a superficial reward, much like that of Pavlov's dog. He trained the dog through classical conditioning to salivate for food at the sounding of a bell. That is what extrinsic rewards do for the students. By giving them a treat, or a homework pass every time they do well in the classroom, you are conditioning them to think every time they do something well, they will be rewarded. In life though, and even in the classroom, this is not always the case. They need to learn how to develop an intrinsic gratification system. This will open their minds up to many more possibilities to help them succeed with a growth mindset. If they fail, they figure out what went wrong, and from there can improve for the next time.
Don't hesitate to bring those growth mindset moments into your classroom. Dweck and others say that the best way for students to understand growth mindset (and failure as an opportunity) is to talk to them again and again!!!!
In my experience, extrinsic rewards only work when they are (1) not expected by students, (2) inconsistently given, and (3) infrequent in nature. When you feel students do not appreciate the "thing" you are giving, it's time to stop. Also, think about ways to help your students seek satisfaction in a job well done- a gift they give to themselves.
1. How did you learn to embrace failure?
I tend to be an over-achiever, so failure is not an option for me. I say this because I look at not doing so well on something, or not passing as a means to learn and change my approach to be able to tackle the task again to succeed. Fail is just the first attempt in learning. The only time I have “failed” something was my Praxis 2 exam. At first I was very devastated in myself, causing myself to have an anxiety attack, because this ‘failure’ thing was new to me. But after I calmed down, the world was still here, and I realized I just needed to take a different approach. I am pushing myself to go back over material that I haven’t seen in years, and learn new strategies to solve problems. I am determined to pass the Praxis 2 exam the next time I take it (after the pregnancy brain goes away ).
2. According to Daniel Pink how do extrinsic rewards in inhibit growth mindset in students?
Daniel Pink explains that extrinsic rewards limits the students to only do the bare minimum to obtain the “prize”, inhibiting growth mindset. I agree and disagree with this way of thinking. In my classroom, if a student scores an 80 or above on my tests, and tests only, then they get a star on the wall. The students are motivated to do well on my test so they will have that self and peer gratification. I have one student who received a star for the first time this past week, and you should have seen how much she lit up. She was so proud of herself for making higher than an 80. On the other hand, I do a review game call “Grudge Ball” before tests for extra points; the group with the highest points gets points added to their test. Since we were on Christmas break, I decided to do a review using Kahoots for a quiz to refresh their memories. I never give extra points on a quiz. After each class finished their Kahoot, at least one person would ask what the winner received. They were so use to the extrinsic reward that they did not have gratification in winning. Next year, I am going to not give out extra points for review games, and just let them have the intrinsic rewards for review. However, I will still continue the stars for test scores.
The comments about rewards is spot on. We are not doing this generation any favors by providing just one more "thing" in their lives. They need things that are not tangible, like the *feelings* of accomplishment or even failure with a positive response.
In my experience, extrinsic rewards only work when they are (1) not expected by students, (2) inconsistently given, and (3) infrequent in nature. When you feel students do not appreciate the "thing" you are giving, it's time to stop. Also, think about ways to help your students seek satisfaction in a job well done- a gift they give to themselves.
Failure is part of life. That's just how it goes. You can call me cynical or negative, but everyone fails at things in different ways throughout life. That has not and will not change. Of course, the counter argument is how do we handle or "embrace" that failure. And, well, there isn't a magic answer to it. It's easy to say "Well, just get back on the horse," but that isn't an option for many. Emotionally, biochemically, not everyone has that spirit. Some are completely gutted when they fail at something. Others can compartmentalize easily and move on. There's a reason why some people make excellent engineers and others make great poets. An engineer is more likely to approach failure from a design perspective, whereas a poet or artist will feel a more emotional connection.
As for me? Early on I just learned to accept that we all take an L. Sometimes we take many L's. But Boethius said in his "Consolation of Philosophy" that we are all slaves to fortune's wheel and that when things are good at the top of the wheel, they will eventually come down to where things are bad, but will rise again another day. It's the ebb and flow of life. Win some, lose some. Strikes and gutters.
2. Describe one way you implement (or will implement) “learning from failure” in your classroom?
I regularly beat the drum to the kids that they will fail something during the course. Everyone does. And I then remind them that I have had zero failures for X number of years and how many people completed the course with As and Bs and to not allow one single failure to define them.
You didn't do well on an exam? Well, now you have an idea of what to study for next time. Research paper wasn't great? Come get one-on-one help. Not a great test-taker? No worries. There are plenty of homework and project grades to help you out.
I stress the message that you are not your failures as much as you are not only your successes. We are all composites of these things. One failure or one 100% does not make you a "good" or "bad" student.
As a "recovering perfectionist" it is an ongoing mental battle with me. However, I regard failure as a fait accompli only when one stops trying. I may be "failing" at the moment, but unless I quit, I have yet to actually fail.
2. Describe one way you implement (or will implement) “learning from failure” in your classroom?
I have made a ppt about 10 famous "failures" (i.e. Michael Jordan, Einstein, Gabby Giffords, etc.) with a reflection statement at the end. Students must come up with an "action plan" to improve their mastery of stem-changing verbs. They will take a retest implementing this plan and both the new and old grades will be averaged for the final grade. Since no one made a 100, it will be a fair challenge to everyone.
2.) I already try to emphasize the importance of learning from mistakes to improve in the future through formative assessments. Daily homework quizzes, chalk talk, and partner talk are all designed to alert students to mistakes so they can correct errors. I also offer re-testing which, hopefully, urges students to seek continual improvement
Formative assessments are great ways to give information to students so that they can act upon it. Messaging to students that work is imprtant and there is always room to grow is at the heart of the growth minset.
2. How do I plan to implement learning from failure in my classroom?
Failure to me is a sign of either the students are not studying, not trying hard enough or they are not asking for help. Right away I let them know that help is available either from myself or Mrs. Rappold and is called tutoring. Also there is self-help in the form of You tube videos and technology widely available. I allow some students to retake some test but I also don't want them to make it a habit. Again we have heard so many inspirational stories about famous people who were not successful on their first ventures and yet they made it. We have to continue reminding students of these stories and preach the idea of "don't ever give up," keep up chugging along" and they will succeed.
Keep chugging away at convincing students that failure is not the end, but rather the beginning to a path of growth.
2. How do I plan to implement learning from failure in my classroom? I often sit down and talk with the students that are failing to see what they feel is the cause and to see if we can come up with a solution.
1. RECOGNIZE THE VALUE-failure is important and
necessary for success.
2. DETATCH YOUR EGO-your ego is always trying to tell
you not to persue something you are not naturally good at
doing.
3. THINK LIKE A SCIENTIST-the goal is to learn, not to
always be right.
Talking to students about how they can overcome their failings is a noble idea. Increase the message by talking out loud, telling stories of your failures and successes, and finding relevant articles that solidify their understanding of the growth mindset.
It is a “works in progress” for me. "A day at a time!” I must confess I have not totally "embraced" failure. No one feels good about failure regardless of the outward appearance or smack talk. As a basketball coach each game lost I felt as though I failed as the coach and I am sure the players felt they failed.
2. Describe one way you implement (or will implement) “learning from failure” in your classroom?
My eyes were opened during a weeklong session of North Carolina Teacher’s Academy (these were some of the greatest professional development opportunities, other than Mrs. Thetford’s). A take away from one of the workshops that I still use today that opened my eyes was a quote, “failing is an opportunity to learn”. I use this with everyone both adults and students. My desire is that we learn from our mistakes (failures) and not repeat but improve from that experience. I am a risk taker so I keep trying and I encourage other to try and try again.