Building Perseverance in Students

First off, please excuse the tardiness of this week’s Howler.  It normally goes out on Thursday afternoons, but due to a sick computer, I wasn’t able to work on my weekly letter till late.   Coming in yesterday morning and realizing that my laptop wasn’t going to cooperate was a bit stressful.  But, I was able to persevere and rely on my resilience and grit to get my work done.

It turns out that stress, the healthy kind, is an opportunity to learn perseverance and grit; the concept of continuing to plug along despite setbacks.  We normally don’t associate stress with something positive, but as an article by Paul Tough (author of How Children Succeed) published in the Atlantic suggests, it turns out that, in the right environment, stress can help us teach children to persevere.  It’s a rather lengthy, but fascinating article that cites a number of studies conducted on how to teach students to be gritty and determined.

A key point that is brought up in Tough’s article is that toxic stress can inhibit the brain’s cognitive and emotional functions.   However, when environmental factors are set up correctly, stressful situations can be moments where children learn to overcome adversity.  By overcoming adversity, one builds self-confidence to take on the next challenge.   The positive environmental factors can be fostered at a child’s earliest stages of development.  To quote the article, “Just as early stress sends signals to the nervous system to maintain constant vigilance and prepare for a lifetime of trouble, early warmth and responsiveness send the opposite signals: You’re safe; life is going to be fine; Let down your guard; the people around you will protect you and provide for you.  Be curious about the world; it’s full of fascinating surprises.  These messages trigger adaptations in children’s brains that allow them to slow down and consider problems and decisions more carefully, to focus their attention for longer periods, and to more willingly trade immediate gratification for promises of long-term benefits.”

The article goes further and cites a study that contends that four beliefs, when embraced by students, seem to facilitate them to use more perseverance in the classroom.  Those beliefs are:

1. I belong in this academic community
2. My ability and competence grow with my effort
3. I can succeed at this
4. This work has value for me

In discussing this article with some staff members, they wholeheartedly agree with those 4 beliefs; which gives rationale to why teachers spend so much time and effort building their classroom community and their connections with students.  Furthermore, it amplifies the need to teach our students about their own thinking (metacognition) and growth mindset.  

It’s a great article- one I encourage any parent or educator to read.

Enjoy the weekend,
Wade Spenader, Principal