Monday, November 5, 2018

COMPELLED: Week 9 - Grit



When you see or hear the word grit, what synonyms come to mind? Tenacity, fortitude, perseverance, persistence? Why would grit be a characteristic of a compelled educator? It's because being an educator is the HARDEST and BEST job there is, and having and teaching grit is important.

Edutopia wrote a great article on teacher Amy Lyon and the GRIT curriculum she created based on the work of Angela Duckworth. You can watch a video below. 




If you can't see the embedded video above, click HERE


Educators try new things all the time in their classrooms. Trying something new and failing is part of the equation for developing grit. Having a coach for support in those times can maximize the positive impact of trying, failing, recovering, and trying again. All of this is part of the process when trying to achieve the long-term goal of being an effective educator. 



"Adversity gives us power ~ the power to change our lives and to give ourselves the gift of transformation. Our problems and challenges are change agents. Without the grain of adversity, there are no pearls." 
- @MelissaRathmann


In an article by Patrik Edblad, he shares 5 ways to "grow your grit." 

  1. Pursue your interests. Find something that fascinates you.
  2. Practice, practice, practice. Get a little bit better every day.
  3. Connect to a higher purpose. Ask yourself how you are helping other people.
  4. Cultivate hope. Remove your inaccurate, limiting beliefs. 
  5. Surround yourself with gritty people. Create positive peer pressure. Do you work in a "culture of grit?" Are the 5 people you spend the most time with considered gritty people?

You can gauge your grit on Duckworth's website by answering questions on her "Grit Scale." Click HERE to go to the site. 

Bonus:
Here's a great resource for you if you have teen children or work with teens:




How do you teach and/or model grit?


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