A Word About Effort

Success = Effort

• “Continuous effort– not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential. --Winston Churchill  

• Countless evidence shows that success in any endeavor is tied to effort.   

• According to the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, 

“ it’s clear that attitude and character fuel the effort that builds the momentum that charts a life’s trajectory.  

•  Full effort is at the heart of Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset, encouraging people to “believe that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.”

Carol Dweck’s Research on effort:

Cognitive psychologist Carol Dweck has conducted ground-breaking research on the importance of encouraging effort. Working with a group of middle school students, Dweck and her team researched the impact on learning and motivation when students were praised for working hard versus being praised for being smart.

The results were astounding. Students who were praised for being smart tended to take fewer risks, were easily frustrated with challenges, and even considered cheating. Those who were praised for working hard, however, persevered during challenges and were more likely to reflect on improvements they could make in the future.

What does effort look like?

listening

first, the student needs to be paying attention to the speaker or the lesson.   

Roadblocks to listening: talking to others, concentrating on an object, focusing on a different activity (like reading, thoughts, etc.  )

When listening breaks down, there cannot be engagement.

engaging

next, the student needs to engage in the listening/learning.   This includes answering questions even when the answer isn’t known, asking questions when there is confusion, participating in discussion and connecting the new information to previous knowledge.   

trying/action

When engagement breaks down, there cannot be action

last, the student needs to attempt to put the new learning into action.   This could look like many things, including: reading, writing, computing, analyzing, synthesizing, creating, etc.  

When action breaks down, there cannot be success.   

What inhibits effort?

• Emotional stress-feelings of low-self esteem or fear * inhibit comprehesion and memory.  * Fear of failure, success, rejection or being uncomfortable  

• Hunger and physical discomfort inhibit memory and concentration

• A negative inner voice supports feelings of failure

What reinforces effort?

• Belief in their ability to be successful 

• Knowing expectations

• Feedback on how they’re doing

• these are things we do at school

What can you do at home?

• Say things like “Give it your best” or “This may take a few tries.”

• Ask “What was something you did today where you felt proud of how hard you tried?”

• Use digital tools to maximize productivity and build ownership in learning.

• Reinforce effort and process (not just outcomes) — “I noticed you’ve been preparing for that presentation for three nights and I bet you feel ready. Not sure what your grade will be, but I know you’ve worked hard at it.”

• Leverage the fun built-in apps that use gaming to motivate learning.

• Recognize and build upon strengths. When kids are affirmed for what they CAN do, it can help when they face something more challenging.

• Set students up for success with a regular time and place to do homework.

• Likewise, establish guidelines for technology use. use “screen time” as a reward and limit it to an hour a day.

• Make it easy to work hard and make sure they have tools to succeed. Digital tools are awesome and so are simple supplies.   Provide a basket or jar full of Post-it Notes, colorful flash cards, highlighters, device chargers, and other supplies.