B. F. Skinner once wrote, “A failure is not always a mistake – it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.”
Today, during our growth mindset discussion time in our classrooms, we discussed the fact that our brain can grow, we can learn to do things that were once very hard to do, and that making mistakes (and not giving up) is key to that growth.
You can check out this week’s video here: The Truth About Your Brain (3 mins)
This weekend, perhaps you could chat with your child about their brain’s ability to grow and change, and remind them that they CAN do hard things. We can learn new skills, we can overcome bad habits, we can change the way we think! Change and growth might feel impossible at first, and we might fail the first twenty times we try, but growth will happen if we don’t give up.
One of the greatest joys we experience in class is watching a student persevere through a challenging situation, and the newfound confidence they experience when they see their hard work and determination pay off.