I am here to share ideas to reach all learners, building on student strengths and successes to empower active, independent learners. By utilizing strategies to excite, inspire and engage students, we can make a difference.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Just the Right Amount of Challenge
I've been thinking quite a bit about creating just the right amount of challenge and even "stress" for learning as I've been reading a lot about "good stress" in helping kids strive to be their best.
What are your thoughts?
I often compare teaching to coaching. As a coach I always tell my players to "get comfortable being uncomfortable"; in other words, expand their comfort zones. On order to do this, they need to take risks, fall and get back up, make mistakes... All these help them to be better. You can do ok if you continue to stay in your comfort zone but you will not grow and develop... And never flourish. As educators, we need to model this and encourage this in our students. .
So yes, I think we do need to challenge and add healthy stress to out students to help them grow and get comfortable being uncomfortable. Simple, yet great post!
We are raising/educating kids in a bubble-it-in world of right and wrong answers. My students come to learn that my response to, "Is this good/right?" is, "I don't know - you tell me and be able to defend your answer."
Kids need to own and be secure in their learning and that comes with a strong sense of self and self-esteem. We need to get over the false belief we can give that to kids. They will develop it from trying, failing, trying again and succeeding. And doing it again.
Your students are among the lucky ones - thanks for sharing!
2 comments:
I often compare teaching to coaching. As a coach I always tell my players to "get comfortable being uncomfortable"; in other words, expand their comfort zones. On order to do this, they need to take risks, fall and get back up, make mistakes... All these help them to be better. You can do ok if you continue to stay in your comfort zone but you will not grow and develop... And never flourish. As educators, we need to model this and encourage this in our students. .
So yes, I think we do need to challenge and add healthy stress to out students to help them grow and get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Simple, yet great post!
We are raising/educating kids in a bubble-it-in world of right and wrong answers. My students come to learn that my response to, "Is this good/right?" is, "I don't know - you tell me and be able to defend your answer."
Kids need to own and be secure in their learning and that comes with a strong sense of self and self-esteem. We need to get over the false belief we can give that to kids. They will develop it from trying, failing, trying again and succeeding. And doing it again.
Your students are among the lucky ones - thanks for sharing!
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