Pure Perseverance

Steve Jobs once stated, “I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” Now more than ever in the challenging world that our children are facing, the ability to persevere in the face of uncertainty and setbacks, is even more important.

To persevere is to continue to try and refuse to give up despite the difficulties that are faced or the setbacks and failures that can occur. Children can persevere when they are playing or trying to win in a game, such as Monopoly or Minecraft, against their friends or siblings, yet when it comes to academic challenges, they can be stymied by the fear of failure, or they do not persist with improving their skills and deepening their knowledge.

A child who perseveres accepts that not everything is easy, especially academic work, and that it requires courage, patience, and determination. They suppress their frustration, quash any fear of failure, and believe they can improve through effort, practice, and the support of others, such as their parents, friends, and teachers. They value asking questions, seeking help, and collaborating with others. They enjoy challenges, are not afraid of taking risks and find ways to overcome problems. This positive approach to learning is what every child needs if they are to succeed at school and face the future with confidence and grit.

Research affirms the importance of perseverance if individuals are to succeed in life (Duckworth, 2016; Dweck, 2017). Duckworth’s research (2016) into the importance of students having grit and perseverance, claims that perseverance is a more accurate predictor of achievement than aptitude and talent.

Parents as well as teachers, play a vital and influential role in enabling their children to persevere, even when things become challenging. We need to nurture and support children to be more self-sufficient, courageous, and agentic. When children take responsibility for their learning, they develop greater autonomy and competence (Deci and Ryan, 2011).

Some of the ways that parents and teachers can enable this in young people, include:

• Reinforcing the findings of the research (Blackwell, Trzesniewski & Dweck, 2007) into the plasticity of the brain that affirms how our brain is highly adaptive and malleable. New skills and knowledge can be acquired by all students and academic performance can improve through persistent practice and exposure to deeper learning and opportunities to apply the learning.
• Emphasising the phrase “not there yet”. It is not failure when a child does not achieve the marks or grades they desired or they struggle to grasp new concepts. It just means that they are not yet ready. With further practice, support, and feedback they will get there. Mistakes need to be seen as an opportunity for gaining greater knowledge and growth.
• Encouraging agency and resilience by encouraging children to have a go themselves, to pick themselves up after a setback and to keep on trying with courage and optimism.
• Encouraging your child to set goals and develop study plans so they are focused on the process rather than the end result and are equipped with the strategies needed to deal with any challenges or struggles.
• Helping them see the importance of accepting and acting on feedback and using it to help them adapt their approaches and improve their learning.
• Supporting them to see learning as an amazing opportunity regardless of how challenging it is and that learning new skills and gaining new knowledge takes practice and patience.
• Praising effort and attitude rather than performance by focusing on value adding instead of the mark or grade.
• Resisting the temptation to intervene straight away if your child is struggling. Encourage them to persevere and work through any problems. Only step in when they become overly frustrated or anxious.

Einstein said, “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” If our children learn the value of effort and perseverance, they will have a greater chance of success at school and in life. We need to empower our children to take greater responsibility for their learning, so they become confident, life-long learners who enjoy new challenges and have the courage to persist and grow so they can contribute meaningfully to society propelled by a strong sense of purpose and hope for their future.

In 1944, the influential educational philosopher John Dewey insightfully stated, “The world is moving at a tremendous rate; going no one knows where. We must prepare our children, not for the world of the past, not for our world, but for their world – the world of the future.”

Karen Yager | Principal