Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

I just finished reading Angela Duckworth's book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.  I'm sharing a few personal highlights below. The book is a must read for those who work with children.  Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”

Staying on the treadmill is one thing, and I do think it’s related to staying true to our commitments even when we’re not comfortable. But getting back on the treadmill the next day, eager to try again, is in my view even more reflective of grit. Because when you don’t come back the next day—when you permanently turn your back on a commitment—your effort plummets to zero. As a consequence, your skills stop improving, and at the same time, you stop producing anything with whatever skills you have.

Many of us, it seems, quit what we start far too early and far too often. Even more than the effort a gritty person puts in on a single day, what matters is that they wake up the next day, and the next, ready to get on that treadmill and keep going.

What I mean by passion is not just that you have something you care about. What I mean is that you care about that same ultimate goal in an abiding, loyal, steady way. You are not capricious. Each day, you wake up thinking of the questions you fell asleep thinking about. You are, in a sense, pointing in the same direction, ever eager to take even the smallest step forward than to take a step to the side, toward some other destination.

My own experience, and the stories of grit paragons like Jeff Gettleman and Bob Mankoff suggest that, indeed, grit grows as we figure out our life philosophy, learn to dust ourselves off after rejection and disappointment, and learn to tell the difference between low-level goals that should be abandoned quickly and higher-level goals that demand more tenacity.

Hope does not define the last stage of grit. It defines every stage. From the very beginning to the very end, it is inestimably important to learn to keep going even when things are difficult, even when we have doubts. At various points, in big ways and small, we get knocked down.

Instead, interests are triggered by interactions with the outside world. The process of interest discovery can be messy, serendipitous, and inefficient. This is because you can’t really predict with certainty what will capture your attention and what won’t. You can’t simply will yourself to like things, either. As Jeff Bezos has observed, “One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves.” Without experimenting, you can’t figure out which interests will stick, and which won.

John Wooden, was fond of saying, “Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.

Expressing Some Frustration

In the past I have written about The Classics Academy.  The theme-based academy for 12th grade students is in its third year of existence.  Next year we are extending the academy down to 11th grade.  Part of the rationale for extending the program is to create a feeder system. It has always been a struggle to build our numbers for senior year due to scheduling conflicts or graduation requirements which still need to be fulfilled.  The academy has run but we have always operated under a cloud of whether, due to numbers,  the program will continue.

In particular we have lost interested students due to conflicts with advanced placement courses or because taking a fourth year of science and or math looks "good" on a college transcript.  Most recently, we lost two students who initially enrolled in the academy but this week decided to go in another direction their senior year.  As was the case for the most recent cases and in the past, I speak with students who are weighing whether to enter the academy or decide to leave after enrolling.  Never once was I truly convinced that students were making a decision purely for the love of learning.  Decisions it appeared were more along the lines of following a prepared script that had been handed down from one generation of learners to the next.

I wonder about the long-term costs when a system is created where a love of learning and personal passion for the content takes a back seat when it comes to constructing a schedule.  I started by referencing the Classics Academy but similar decisions impact other programs.  I'm not sure who decided what the perfect college resume looks like and to an extent I do not think an answer to this question matters.  It comes down to those who are involved in helping students make decisions about where they want to spend their time.  We have to coach / collaborate with students to put them in classes where a love of learning is fostered and personal interests flamed.  Think about what is lost or what is ever gained if these two core principles are muted?

I offer this story in closing.  The other day two recent graduates returned to say hello to a few teachers.  Both students happened to be alumni of The Classics Academy.  One student shared an experience from college.  This student happens to be a Classics major but is also minoring in education.  As part of a teaching fellowship this student taught a lesson on the Trojan War to 6th graders.  The Classics alum shared that 6th graders were spellbound learning about the "wrath of Achilles, Odysseus, the horrors of war and the difference a journey makes."  The Classics alum also said that it was one of the best experiences of her life and has caused her to consider pursuing a career in teaching. 

This story is a bit revealing and offers a juxtaposition against filling out a prescribed template.  The Classics alum was able to share her passion with 6th graders and invite them in on her personal quest to see the relevance in studying the Classics.   For this particular student genuine and sustaining inspiration was realized by simply having the chance to make a free and unrestrained choice.  I imagine that her love of the Classics was only furthered by this teaching experience.  The great fear is whether the story briefly explained above is a rare an unique experience. 

Are values such a choice, lifelong learning, curiosity, experimentation and play pushed aside in favor of an arbitrary set of rules, procedures and expectations?

Thinking About Homework

I wanted to share a recurring conversation from this past week. I am in the process of reviewing 504 Plans.  A determination has to be made as to whether or not a plan will continue into next year and if so, do we need to revise accommodations to better address needs and the academic environment.  To ensure that an informed decision is reached data is collected from various stakeholders.  Included in the data collection process is a meeting with parents and students.  We ask parents to come in and share their own observations about what transpires after the school day ends.  On several occasions the conversation drifted towards a discussion of homework.

For a variety of reasons, several students struggled to hand in homework assignments. Unfortunately, students were receiving zeros on these assignments.  Overall grades were being adversely impacted by a failure to complete homework.  What was interesting is that a majority of these students performed well on formal summative assessments. In a fair amount of cases there was disconnect between homework grades and summative assessments.

This disconnect has been a recurring theme throughout this year both in discussions about 504 Plans and with other young learners I routinely work with.  I work with bright and creative students who perform well on tests and performance-based tasks.  However, a progress or marking period report grade does not mirror this high level of academic achievement and a comment often refers to a problem with homework.

The concern I have is why, at high school, we still attach weight to the completion of homework.  I fail to see the value in assigning points to homework assignments.  It seems that weight should be directed towards measures that assess growth over an extended period of time as opposed to a quick turnaround between instructional sessions.  Moreover, homework or work completed outside of class presents an opportunity to cultivate a sense of ownership amongst students.  In contrast to dictating to students what should be accomplished, an avenue could be established where learners are making critical decisions about work flow and how to address specific needs.  The definition of homework  should change as we further distance instruction from the industrial model of schooling.

In my conversation with families from last week I tried to draw distinction between compliance and performance.  The idea is simple we should acknowledge growth and comment on performance and refrain from assigning academic rigor to compliance. For work to be meaningful there needs to be a sense of personal onwership and empowerment as well as motivation that is intrinsic and not solely extrinsic

Author in Residence

Last night I attended a special program at my daughters' school.  For the past 6 weeks, 3rd graders at the Marshall School  have been working with their teachers and also with the children's author Peter Catalanotto to publish their own  stories.  During a publishing party held last night, students presented their stories to parents, family members and fellow classmates.


Before the girls (twin daughters) and other students read their stories, Mr. Catalanotto shared with parents his experience working with the third grade and also talked about his journey as an artist.  Mr. Catalanotto graduated from Pratt Institute and worked as a painter and cartoonist.  At one time he was hired to illustrate for a children's book.  An editor from the publishing company was struck by Mr. Catalanotto's images for the story and expressed that the illustrations and not the text, moved the tale forward.  The editor encouraged Mr. Catalanotto to write his own children's book.  From this initial exchange, Mr. Catalanotto has gone on to write dozens of children's books.

Mr. Catalanotto shared this story because in elementary school he was diagnosed with dysgraphia.  However, in the third grade, Mr. Catalanotto had a special teacher.  His third grade teacher (I forget her name) realized his struggles with writing and instead encouraged Mr. Catalanotto to express understandings through his artwork.  His passion for drawing and talent was evident.  As other students worked to construct a narrative, Mr. Catalanotto created a visual representation.  Eventually, his third grade teacher  asked him to include text beneath his drawings.  Subtly, a bridge was formed between his love of drawing and struggles to express thoughts through writing. 

I believe Mr. Catalanotto shared the story to further highlight the work accomplished these young publishers.  For 6 weeks creativity was valued as well as the unique interests of each third grader.  Students were empowered by the opportunity to create a story that was personal.  Just as important, the Author in Residence program connected students to expertise.  This is not offered to criticize teachers.  My daughters love their teachers and are excited to attend school everyday.  Instead, third graders were allowed to interact with a professional who has deep and intimate knowledge of what it means to be an artist.  As a result of this interaction and by privileging time for students to craft what turned out to be unique and personal tales, true inspiration occurred.

My opinion stems from the author's and principal's presentation, talking to my kids through the process and ultimately listening to them read their stories.  The pride exhibited by the twins and their classmates in sharing their stories was impossible to miss.  However, I was also struck by a conversation that happened hours before the publishing party.

On the way home from work I picked up one of my daughters and two other third graders who live on our block from and after school program.  I was picking everyone up early so families could have  eat dinner before attending the publishing party.  In the car the three of them talked about their experience in the Author in Residence program. Outside of asking whether they were excited about reading their stories, they talked about their efforts until we turned onto our street.  At a point during the ride home, one boy shared how he used to hate writing, but now loves it.   As both a parent and educator I'm not sure if there is anything you would rather hear.

Last night was a great event.  I was proud of my daughters' work and grateful they had this experience.  It also served as a reminder of what education can be about if we value creativity and personal passions and support structures that allow for exploration and promote personal connections.