GRIT

What is Grit?

Grit is your students ability to continue to endure during hard or difficult times. Grit closely aligns with Growth Mindset! The two key words of grit are persistence and resilience.

Much like growth mindset, gritty students are more likely to try more difficult tasks, complete tasks that are difficult, and have a better attitude and approach to difficult tasks. These students are your "go-getters" and stick with it even in the face of adversity.

Researchers in grit argue that it is not ability, background, gender, race, socioeconomic status, or intelligence that leads to "successful" children, rather, their ability to stick with a task, pursue lifelong dreams, and overcome adverse situations. All students are capable of developing grit, and you may be the first in line to help them in their development!

Classroom Implications

Here are some ideas to help your students develop Grit:

  • Talk about a positive attitude. Even when things are tough, even when student are faced with difficult tasks, or even when they find something easy - teach them to have a positive attitude and outlook. Help them find a silver lining. Model what it means to have a good attitude when faced with adversity.
  • Teach perseverance. Stick with it. Don't give up. Try again. These are tried and true sayings that we say often, but really take time to attach meaning to them. Show students how to persevere and how to think about a problem in a different way. Here is the first of three videos from class dojo that teaches about perseverance:
  • Show students how to think about a problem in a different way. Draw out a math problem or a social problem. Allow students to explore correct and incorrect responses. Give space to make mistakes, but provide feedback as to how to improve.
  • Start with small problems and move toward bigger problems.
  • Teach students about famous failures. This may come as a surprise, but this is a research approved approach to help students develop the skill set to persevere! History snapshots of how Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey, or Michael Jordan failed before success can help students when they come to a road block. This is an even more successful technique when the students find the famous person relatable and/or reflects the student in some way.
  • Explain the why. Much like you, kids want to do work that matters. They may occasionally ask why they need to learn something, embrace this moment. Talk about their future, that they need reading skills and math skills to work a good job, or to solve everyday problems like how to measure a door frame (as an example). Try to provide the answers to the why's, and try to do it without sounding condescending (i.e. do you really want to be the only person that can't read a sign?). Answers should be beyond the scope of "it's what I have to teach you" or "it's on the state test." These types of answers can increase a students anxiety about their learning, or even decrease their motivation because they do not see a point outside of the systematic nature of school. Obviously don't let the questions get out of hand, and there is a difference between asking "why" out of curiosity and "why" out of avoidance. Explaining why a students work matters increases their investment and thoughtfulness in their work.
  • Help students develop the skill of goal setting. What is achievable? Are you shooting too high or too low? These are questions we often times fail to ask ourselves, let alone our students! Helping students develop the skill of S.M.A.R.T. goal setting will not only help them in the immediate situation, but for years to come! S.M.A.R.T. goals are those that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Although the words sometimes differ, the main point is the same. Goals should not be an arbitrary, pie-in-the-sky idea, rather, something appropriate for the student and the situation.

Below is a teacher who talks with her students about S.M.A.R.T. goals. Although it's a 5th grade class, feel free to modify to meet the needs of your grade level. If you're not sure how to do it, feel free to reach out to me and I can help.

  • Have students work together. Many research based interventions are founded on the principle that students learn from one another, sometimes more than from the teacher. Pairing students together and having the student explain their work and/or mistakes to another student will help them 1. become more willing to acknowledge errors and 2. explore different ways of thinking
    • For example, in the past I worked with 2 students to develop math skills. Student 1 was a little behind student 2. I had them tutor one another, building confidence and giving them ownership for their learning. One day I was having difficulty explaining a concept to student 1. Student 2 explained the way that he thought about it, and student 1 started using that strategy regularly!
  • Reward hard work and delayed gratification. Students REALLY struggle with the latter. Don't believe me? Watch the video below (it's worth the laugh!). We need to build students up to delayed gratification, just like we build their reading stamina. These lessons of enduring through hard times significantly help students persevere later in life.