Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for EdSurge, Michael Bycraft explains how to transform a classroom into a safe space where students are not discouraged by failure and build resilience. 

· How can teachers create a supportive environment for their students? Why is it important to welcome failure in the classroom?

· Read more on this topic and how failure helps the learning process. 

“Mr. Bycraft, our robot goes backward!” my students informed me, running over after their latest test. “Is it supposed to go that way?” I asked, smiling. “No!” they said in unison, smiling back. “Well, I guess you’d better go fix it then.” And off they went, to work on yet another version of their robot.

Over the last five years, I have worked hard to teach my students that failure is a gift. Setbacks, changes and struggles are an essential part of learning. Things can always be improved. This isn’t a new idea, but we still struggle with the idea that failure is a necessary component of success. Embracing failure can seem counterintuitive to students. If we have always taught our kids that every test must be an A+, then how do we support them when it isn’t?

There has been some research into this concept, of valuing effort, growth, and continuous learning. Carol Dweck and others have written about a “Growth Mindset vs. a Fixed Mindset” in learning and school. Students with a fixed mindset may feel that they’re either good at a subject or bad at it with no room for growth. They may feel anxious about failure because they see it as a negative statement on their basic knowledge in a subject or class. Students who have been at schools that encourage experimentation and the process of learning (or growth mindset) are not as discouraged by failure, as they see their work can always be improved, and learning comes from failure. This can help build confidence in students.

Read the full article about creating a positive classroom by Michael Bycraft at EdSurge.