Defining Success

I believe first and foremost we need to identify the definition of success.  Today’s schools and society as a whole have a version of success that may or may not align with our students or even you and I.  We need to make sure we are not blindly following to reach a destination that does not align with our own beliefs and ideals.

It is essential we hold high expectations for every student and make it our mission as educators to help each student reach their full human potential.  We need to make sure that we focus on a student’s strengths and gifts rather than on their perceived deficits.  I know I have mentioned this in other posts, but I do feel that Carol Dweck’s book, “Mindest: the New Psychology of Success”, is an excellent read for understanding the power of learning perception.  It is important that we understand the power of growth rather than limiting ourselves to focusing on a fixed standard. It is about getting better every day and understanding that learning is messy.  Learning includes failure.  Paul Tough describes eloquently in his book, “How Children Succeed”, that success is dependent on strengthening an individual’s grit, optimism, curiosity, and character rather than limiting ourselves to a math score.  Maybe the best way for us to support a young person to get out of generational poverty is to help build his or her character.  Are schools doing this?  Strong character does not just happen.  It does not just magically appear.  Therefore, it should not be left up to chance.  It is our responsibility to help foster a school environment that promotes daily growth and character education.

Finally, I think we need to ensure we as educators are continually examining our own power, privilege and bias.  Do our own beliefs interfere with the growth of our students?  If we are in the business of helping our students reach their full human potential then we may need to check our own ego at the door.  We should include discussions of power, privilege and bias in our teaching as we help our students identify their place in our dynamic society.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: the new psychology of success. New York: Random House.

Tough, P. (2014). How children succeed: confidence, curiosity and the hidden power of

         character. London: Arrow Books.

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