Inspiring Grit!

Last week we began our new semester. As I was preparing my lesson on  Enlightenment and the French Revolution I decided to take a detour. I had been reading an excellent post on Edutopia by Vicki Davis regarding "grit." The beginning of the new semester seemed a perfect time to discuss the meaning of grit and it's impact on a student's life.

Tuesday morning, the day after grades had been released, my students slowly streamed into my classroom. Some of them looked excited for the new semester, while clearly some of them looked dejected and disappointed. It was clear to me that this lesson on grit was perfectly timed!

I began by asking the students what they believed determined their success in life. Interestingly enough only a few of the students answered "intellect." Most of them responded with ideas related to hard work and perseverance. Next, I had them take a test  which would show their "grit level" provided by Angela Duckworth. After taking this test we discussed whether or not this "grit score" was fixed, or if it could be changed. If it could be changed, how so? Again it was a wonderful discussion because the students all realized that they controlled their future - it had not been determined for them, like their IQ.

Finally we watched the TED video by Angela Duckworth and her research on the power of grit. The students all noticed that according to Ms. Duckworth's research, IQ does not necessarily determine success. Grit determines success.

As we concluded, and students took a moment to write down their goals for the next semester, I remarked that my students that came in with the dejected or downtrodden faces were now smiling and hopeful. Honestly, it was an exceptional moment for me as a teacher.