We must encourage our students to persist in the face of difficulties. We can respond to someone’s mistake by saying, “Oh, that’s my favourite mistake.”
Thomas Edison failed over and over again in trying to invent the light bulb. Edison said, “I didn’t fail 1000 times. The light bulb was an invention with a 1000 steps.”
Here are 5 questions to ask students to help them reflect on their own mindset:
1. When I start to feel like quitting, what will I do in that moment to persevere?
2. What are my thoughts telling me about how successful I might be about learning this skill? If these thoughts are limiting to me, how might I think differently?
3. What am I saying or doing to myself that is holding me back?
4. What would I want my teacher to say to me when he/she sees me taking a risk, trying hard, or pushing through mistakes to pursue this goal?
5. Imagine how you feel when you accomplish something that is really challenging. Describe that feeling.