http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16879336
A top girls' school is planning a "failure week" to teach pupils to embrace risk, build resilience and learn from their mistakes.
The emphasis will be on the value of having a go, rather than playing it safe and perhaps achieving less.
Pupils at Wimbledon High School will be asked how they feel when they fail.
The headmistress, Heather Hanbury, said she wanted to show "it is completely acceptable and completely normal not to succeed at times in life."
Very interesting. Do you think this is a worthwhile lesson to be teaching pupils or should they be focusing on success? How would you feel if your child's school decided to hold a 'failure week'?
I think it's a really good concept actually and it's very important, however I don't agree with calling it "failure week" - it needs a much more positive title, because it's not about failing, but about losing the fear of failure that holds many people back. It reminds me of this quote (paraphrased): "it's better to aim too high and miss than to aim to low and reach the target" In academic terms, it's better to aim for an A* and miss and get a B, than it is to aim for a D and get a D. The second one seems like success on the surface but if the child was capable of getting a B, and could only get that by aiming for an A*... it's not really success, and failing to get the A* isn't really failure, because the child succeeded in getting a B. IMO that's what the week at this school is about, aiming much higher than usual and maybe not always succeeding, or not getting what you were aiming at, but ending up achieving more than you would have if you'd stayed in your comfort zone and aimed low. IMO plenty of adults can learn from that, and it's a very important lesson for kids to learn too, in addition to being able to handle it emotionally when things don't work out, which lets face it happens to everyone sooner rather than later, and some people "deal" with it by just giving up altogether, others deal with it far better by trying again, assessing what went wrong, trying to do it a better way next time etc. People only have the confidence to try harder and learn to deal with "failure" in a productive way, when they're in an atmosphere where it's okay to "fail" - but IMO in that atmosphere you wouldn't call it failure, you'd call it feedback, i.e. "it didn't work out that time, what could you do differently next time?" or "well you aimed really high, but what you got is better than what you would have if you'd stayed inside your comfort zone and not aimed so high, so you didn't really fail, you succeeded."
When I used to coach ice hockey (years ago) I always told the kids, parents, anyone, that no-one can ever learn to skate without falling over many many many times. The ones who don't try for fear of falling over never learn to skate well and make useless ice hockey players who are scared of the puck and other players. So I'd get the kids to throw themselves onto the ice on a regular basis during training drills (I called it the "superman" drill), to get used to falling, hitting the ice and getting back up again. They loved it. And they learned to skate well because they were not afraid of falling. Falling and getting back up again is natural to them. And "failing" and trying again in a slighlty better way, or aiming high and nearly but not quite getting there, should be natural to kids in all aspects of learning.
IMO it shouldn't just be "failure week" - school should instill the above attitudes into kids, and should say "failure is feedback".
whilst I think what you are saying is really sound, i think its very much down to how the school presents this.
On starting A levels, the first day, we had to fill in these things called 'springboard grades' which we were lectured long and repeatedly were the absolute lowest acceptable outcomes for our A levels, anything less would be dreadful. This was drummed in often. My springboards were four A's. I got no A's. Yes, I should have done better, and there were mitigating circs with my exams but nonetheless I didn't get a bad set of results. And yet I can take no pleasure in them because to me they represent failure.
I was never going to get a clutch of A's though- I reckon I had a much more realistic view of my capabilities than the school did. But if it was presented as 'these are to aim for' rather than 'you are a failure if you get less'... well quite often I did feel I'm never going to get A's anyway, which to me was 'ie, i'm going to 'fail') so why bother at all?
Its very easy to get discouraged.
On the other hand, my English teacher told me I was going to fail my GCSEs- I didn't like her and I didn't work in her classes. She was somewhat surprised when I got starred A's in both lang and lit. No idea why, all my coursework was good.I don't think her telling me I would fail made me work harder though. I don't think she meant to, to be fair, i think she was just being unpleasant!
I agree with the idea and do thin it's an important lesson, but Umm has a much better title for it! 'Lose the fear of failure week'. That's terrific.
To use a quote (we tend to use this at football!)
You'll miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
ursh x
I really like things they do at school like 'mantle of the expert' in which there isn't a correct result as such, just lots and lots of creativity. That isn't failure though, I think the point beint there is whatever you do it isn't 'wrong' as such. I do think there is a place for being actually wrong sometimes.
I do wonder if it's more needed in a high powered, very academically driven school though where pupils have never failed at much ever, than a regular comp. I went to such a school, and I remember huge amounts of anxiety over my driving test (more than over other things, including my A levels, and I might say I do anxiety really rather well hehe so that's saying something) not because of the actual test but because I'd never failed at anything before
I had, of course, I was being a dramatic teenager. But that's how I felt. I think my mother knew I had my test, and my best friend, but I didn't tell anyone else, no relatives, not my father, my brother... the thought of having to admit failure was so terrifying. And that isn't a healthy way of looking at things is it?
Incidentally no-one thought I was going to pass any time soon. I probably shouldn't have either, I was a rubbish driver and got 13 minor faults, but all in different sections and no major ones, and in those days you could pass with that. I had to do all three manouevres! Oops.
I love Umm's title
I do think that children need to learn the value of not always being successful. They need to learn that sometimes it's better to take a risk rather than always take the safe route. Life isn't easy and being prepared for the pitfalls is a lesson we all need to learn
I agree with what everyone says, but would also add that High School is perhaps a little late.
I honestly do think there is a danger that 'we' tell children, either deliberately or accidentally, what they are good at at an early age and they become fearful of trying other things.
Johnny is good a football and poor at maths, so he doesn't try at maths. Jane is good a reading but poor at sports, so she doesn't try sports but sits quietly and reads.
I appreciate all children are different and celebrating their success gives them self-confidence, but I do think there's a danger we steer them down particular paths at a young age and by high school they 'know' what they are good at and so won't try things they will be not so good at. Having a "failure" week is a way to try to get around that, but wouldn't it be better if they could go to high school with an open mind and willingness to try anything?
Maybe you are right about high school being too late. Are you the type of parent who praises every picture, every poem, every music recital to the high heavens even if it's not very good? I get the impression probably not, but many do.
I of course gave praise where it was due but even children need constructive criticism sometimesI feel.
You may have something about us pushing them down the paths they are comfortable with mind, and yes it would be wonderful if kids could arrive at high school with open minds.
ursh x