Thinking that failure is not an option is a bad idea about writing. It is a bad idea because it stops people from taking chances and trying new things. Failure has a bad reputation and fear of disappointment. There are also the hidden consequences of failing. These can be more damaging than the real-life consequences because of how they impact our future efforts and how we feel about ourselves. People can shut down because the shame of failing can be overwhelming for them. Also, some think that failure should be avoided at all cost and that leads to not trying. As humans, we are taught to think that failing at something is bad but sometimes it can be helpful to not be successful at something and learn from it. The lack of failure can lead to complacency. Being successful is good but getting too comfortable can be a bad thing. Failure can be used to learn how to improve and also to give a different perspective on the situation. It gives more ideas to think about and motivation to look for them. A better idea is to encourage students to not be afraid of failure and earn from their failures. It will help students learn more about themselves and think outside of the box.
“kid smiling” by Ben White is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Allison Carr, author of Failure Is Not an Option, states that “failure is acceptable if we learn from it. If we can recuperate it if it brings us virtue and strength and morality because what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. And if we never, ever do it again.” In other words, failure is a good thing if students can learn from it. Carr says failure should be welcomed because it can help make a better mindset about writing. To fail willingly in writing is to be empowered by the possibilities that happen. There are many ways to benefit from a failure such as: learning something new, developing the courage to keep going and helping to get rid of the current way of thinking. When understood as part of the normal process of growing and developing, failure may become something to be accepted and even welcomed. Katrina Schwartz, author of Growth Mindset: How to Normalize Mistake Making and Struggle in Class, says that “The Stanford psychologist found that children who understand that their brains are malleable and can change when working through challenging problems can do better in school. Now, many school districts are attempting to teach a growth mindset to their students. At the core of this practice is the idea of “productive failure” (a concept Dr. Manu Kapur has been studying for over a decade)* and giving students the time and space to work through difficult problems. Another key idea is to praise the process and effort a child puts in, not the final product.” In other words, studies show that students who have a growth mindset are more likely to do better in school. With a growth mindset, students understand what they need to do to deal with challenging problems they may have. At the heart of a growth mindset is productive failure. Schwartz thinks that productive failure is the idea of giving students time to work through difficult questions and helping them to understand the correct way of doing things instead of focusing on getting a good grade. Elizabeth Stein, author of Creating the Context for Growth Mindsets in the Classroom, argues that “When teachers nurture a growth mindset, students focus on the effort they put into a task rather than falling back on preconceived beliefs about their intelligence or skills. Learning happens when students push through their comfort zones (the cognitive research proves it!). Classrooms should become learning environments where students naturally apply effort and persistence to achieve.” In other words, students learned from work that they are not comfortable with or are too challenging for them. Students need to be pushed beyond their comfort limits. Stein argues that harder assignments force students to apply themselves more which leads to students learning more. She makes a good point to be students most times get content with their success. Students should be pushed further even when they are successful.
“Teacher helping kid” by stem.T4L is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Students need to know that failure is a good thing if they can learn from it. Most students think that failure is bad because of how it is sometimes perceived, but that needs to change. Teaching students about having a growth mindset is critical. They must be able to understand that if something is difficult, that does not mean to give up. Also, when something feels easy, it is still important to go back and see what were the reasons for success. Failure does not mean that an idea was bad. Rather failure shows that there is something to be learned and that there is an opportunity for growth. Failure should be encouraged to students because it lets them not be afraid to mess up. This will lead to better grades and students will learn from their mistakes.
Citations
Carr, Allison D. “Failure is Not an Option.” Bad Ideas About Writing. Cheryl E. Ball and Drew M. Loewe, West Virginia University Libraries, 2017,
Schwartz, Katrina. “Growth Mindset: How to Normalize Mistake Making and Struggle in Class.” KQED, 27 Jan. 2017, www.kqed.org/mindshift/41700/growth-mindset-how-to-normalize-mistake-making-and-struggle-in-class.
Stein, Elizabeth. “Creating the Context for Growth Mindsets in the Classroom.” Teacher Teacher, 19 Feb. 2019, www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/09/17/ctq_stein_growth_mindset.html?cmp=ENL-TU-NEWS3.