In our society, we are constantly being pushed to succeed. This is especially relevant in our modern schools, but this emphasis on success often glosses over the many lessons to be learned from failure. Shenk argues that in order for children to develop to their fullest they should: 1.Be spoken to early and often, 2. Read early and often, 3.Be nurtured and encouraged, 4. Have high expectations, 5. Have a growth mindset, and 6. Embrace failure (47-48). However, much too often this last point can be left out.
How do you think failures should be explained and addressed to young children? Is it beneficial to focus on failure, or should the focus be on the successes a child has? Does focus on failure increase motivation in children, or does it catapult them into hopelessness? What is the evolutionary basis for a focus on mistakes and failures, and how can this be applied to help children become as successful as they can? Is the ability to focus on failure and past mistakes due to environmental factors, genetic factors, or a combination of both according to Shenk?
David Whisler (dwhis428@gmail.com)
In the beginning of the book, Shenk talks about Ted Williams (6-9) and his dedication to practicing baseball even as a small child. This dedication to baseball would propel him into the major leagues. His dedication came not from focusing on success, but from learning from failures. Whenever he succeed in batting, he didn't become complacent and then stop practicing. He used his mistakes as teachers to improve himself so that next time he would be even better.
ReplyDeleteEven as babies, people are able to differentiate between good and bad. They try to replicate their successes while avoiding their failures. The problem with this is that if they encounter a situation where they failed before, they will fail again, because they have not faced their losses and improved from them. It would be hard for children to come to terms with things they are not good at, but it is the only way they can truly improve themselves. By setting realistic goals and encouraging their child regardless of their success, parents can shape children into better learners. Too much emphasis on what a child did wrong might discourage them, but that is because they will view failure as something to be avoided at all costs, instead of a chance to improve themselves.
In nature, animals also learn about failure and success. Through operant conditioning, organisms learn that some behaviors bring good results while others bring bad ones, and avoid bad behavior while repeating good ones. This is a lot like what children do. Cognition and problem solving are also used to create solutions that work out. Animals that are able to learn from their mistakes will have a higher chance of surviving and passing on their genes. However, they cannot totally change their responses to everything, which is why they avoid behaviors instead of truly learning from failure.
While some behaviors are innate and come from genetics, a lot of how people act is influenced by their environment. Experiences in a person's life change the way they view the world and the way they interact with it.
I believe that adults should focus on the success a child has and feed off their positive energy. Focusing on success allows for a parent to emphasize and reward what the young child is doing right. Focusing on failures might also prove successful in some cases, but can also be unwise because parents might highlight and punish the repeated mistakes and wrongdoings and by doing so, might unwillingly “catapult them into hopelessness.” Overall, though some rare cases may exist, focusing on the young children’s successes will help them further continue their successes.
ReplyDeleteDavid Shenk argues that Nurturance and encouragement are essential for raising children (Shenk, 47). Dr. Benjamin Spock also argued a more gentle and affectionate approach to bringing up children in his book The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care in 1946.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Common_Sense_Book_of_Baby_and_Child_Care) From this, it can be observed that from the mid 1900s, society has agreed to the same policies and ways of child rearing as Shenk suggests.
Like the previous poster stated, failure and success has been extremely beneficial biologically because of operant conditioning (Campbell, 1127). Operant conditioning, also known trial-and-error learning, helps an animal learn what to do and what not to do in order to survive through a series of failures and successes. If the animal only experienced successes, it might have endangered itself by overexerting its limitations. But, because the animal experienced failures, it knows its limitations and physical and mental boundaries to its life.
Sachin Vasikaran (sachinvasikaran@gmail.com)