Perseverance

I've  been looking forward to discussing perseverance with my class and this month I had the chance to focus on it! We started our discussing by watching Lex's video. It was very powerful for the students to hear his story again. Lex has overcome a lot and we are inspired by his perseverance.

Our school is focusing on growth mindset this year and my class has heard a lot about it. The students and I talked about how having a growth mindset helps you persevere. Students were then asked to think about a time they that was difficult. They wrote about those times and explained how they got through them. My students have been through a lot! Some students focused on how they coped with the loss of a family member, while others focused on new skills they've learned. One student wrote a great story about how she learned to tie her shoes!

The next week we studied the poem by Myra Cohen Livingston. It's about a girl who gets roller skates and falls as soon as she puts them on. Even though she skins her knee and gets dirty, she brushes off the dirt and gets back up to try and skate. The students discussed the girl's attitude (she never gives up even though it would be easy to quit). It reminded them that persevering isn't always easy and that they must stay motivated.