A Mindset for Failing Vs Failure

I've been curious to learn more about the mindset side of failing and failure and how that ties into the ability of an individual to learn. I've been slowly making my way through "Mathematical Mindsets" by Jo Boaler. It's a fascinating read and offers a lot of insight into how we stop trying to learn when we think something is beyond our reach. I feel there is a connection here to this week's blog prompt "John & AJ distinguish Fail-URE as permanent while Fail-ING as a process is temporary. Describe how you see these terms play out in your classroom." I think a failure sounds like something that has happened and is done. The final stage. The point at which learners no longer sees themselves on the learning path but somehow at a dead end. If we can shift the mindsets of our learners to accept that failing is just a normal and necessary step in any learning process, perhaps we can shift school culture toward greater learning potential.

This phase of the Launch cycle, created by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani, and reiterated in Empower, really caught my attention and I feel like I keep coming back to the idea. It seems like somewhere along the way failure became negative and it became personal. Perhaps it's wrapped up in grading practices and assessments and grade being seen as a final unchangeable event.

I'm simultaneously in two book groups for #Empowerbook. It timed out nicely for me that the reading timelines are similar and it's giving me a chance to compare so many different great ideas and opinions stimulated by the book from colleagues near and far. In #sau25bookchat their was a lot of discussion this week about the concepts of Failures and Failing and it was also one of our prompts in #IMMOOC. So much discussion on this one idea. So much agreement as well. Every post I read appeared to support the awareness of "failing" as just a step in the process. Encouraging educators to cultivate an appreciation for the purpose of failing in learning environments. How it offers opportunities for improvement. If so many of us feel the same about this, why haven't we been able to make the culture shift?

Highlight what works, and fix what's failing

We all talk so much about the importance of creating lifelong learners but until recent discussions throughout my professional learning networks, I don't think I'd tried to fully break that idea down. Last year my district asked us all to help create a vision for all our graduates, to help define what we are striving to achieve. The final result envisions the ability to "solve problems... with perseverance and resilience". That sounds like a worthwhile endeavor but let's back that up. What skills are needed to maintain "perseverance and resilience"? Again I come back to the ability to "highlight what works and fix what's failing". This is what's needed to maintain perseverance and resilience- the ability to analyze a situation, identify the strengths and weaknesses, and make a plan to move forward. If we make the mistake of declaring something a failure, it has hit an endpoint. It's finished and will forever stay that way. No new learning. If we really want the lifelong learners we claim we do, I think we need to focus on this mindset, build this skill of accepting failing as a current state and offer opportunities to use it as a platform to move forward.

This is why so many of us are in #IMMOOC. Why so many of us take up professional learning paths that we feel will help us be better educators. This is why I started this blog. It is why I scroll through twitter hashtags and read the blogs of other educators. It is all in the name of "highlight what works, and fix what's failing". Because we know that education can never reach an end point, we just need to pause, assess, and iterate.