Head of Junior School
Its a matter of "I can't do it" or "I can't do it yet?"
Trying to learn or learning through trying: no matter how you approach it, a certain amount of risk taking is involved in the acquisition of new skills or knowledge.
The IBO defines a risk taker as 'someone who approaches uncertainty with forethought and determination. They work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. A risk taker is resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.'
We try, we fail, we try again. Once we master it, we move on to something new. That is the essence of learning. The challenge is essential to the process and assists in consolidating the learning. Learning should not be easy. Our boys should be challenged and engaged. They should find aspects of their learning a struggle and have to endeavor to overcome these struggles to cement their understanding.
I ask you to think back to your earliest memory as a child. I would suggest that for most adults this memory takes place outside and is some kind of a risky behavior. Climbing a tree, jumping for a challenging height or going into the water. For me it is seeing if you could actually slip on a bar of soap like in Bugs Bunny, I learned you could as I fell down the stairs.
The ability to embrace risk in activity, play and learning is key. If a learner approaches a challenge with out a willingness to have a go, the challenge will seem to be insurmountable. They may develop a fixed mindset, a learned helplessness where every step of the learning journey needs to be assisted or guided. A learner with a growth mindset will more regularly approach new experiences with a can do attitude and will be prepared to fail and keep trying.
This difference in how a learner approaches new experiences has a significant impact on the acquisition of basic skills and knowledge. It impacts the enjoyment a learner will have in the process and the rate of development that will follow.
I have never taught or met a child who can't do or learn something new but I have taught many, who just could not do it yet - this small difference is key, try and try again. Our role as teachers and parents is to create an atmosphere where children feel safe to have a go and to not succeed in the first instance. Instilling this confidence to take risks and to celebrate the success that will eventually follow is an essential part of the journey.
Last year I visited the Wingate Children's Center in Durham, England. The center operated in an economically disadvantaged area of the UK and catered to many working-class and single-parent families. They provided an outstanding and inspirational educational experienced for pre-school children as well as greatly assisting and teaching their parents about parenting.
Wingate shares with the families the five essential values they promoted. The values that underpin what they do and values they share with all members of their community are:
- Characteristics of children - children are programmed to play and learn what they will need to learn for life. They need to be active. Physical activity is linked to brain development
- Sense of family and community - children seek out other children. They want to be with other children and are fascinated by new things. Curiosity is a very important and they immerse themselves in activities. They are hugely joyful and playful . It is a shared responsibility to educate a child involving parents, professionals and community to have a sense of fun.
- The Journey - is as important as the destination. The value of slowliness. Goals are important but not as important as how we get there, growth mindset = can do, fixed mindset = learned helplessness, a place to explore risk and challenge.
- Risk and challenge - daring and doing risky things, this is not always comfortable for adults. If children do not have the freedom they will have their development inhibited, childhood is a risky business - they need to be able to take risks. The role of adults is to teach child to take risks and to make decisions based on those risks.
- Love - because love matters. Love of life, playing, friends and animals.
These five essential values resonate greatly with me, they have made me reflect on what we work to achieve here at Scotch, about the relationships we form with the boys and their families. I believe they transfer to our College. We work to provide a safe environment where risk and challenge is embraced. We work to provide support and guidance to our boys but not the answers. Working with parents, we are there to pick up the boys after a fall and assist in them to try again. No-one ever said it would be easy and it shouldn't be.
John Stewart
Head of Junior School
