Failure vs. Success

This week in class we talked about failure in school and personal life.  We watched a ted-talk by Carol Dweck and some of her points were grading with not yet instead of failure and having a growth-mindset.  Grading with not yet is supposed to be a way of saying "you didn't fail, you just aren't there yet. Keep trying." I really like this idea because everyone takes failure differently and some people give up when they consider themselves a failure. The idea of "not yet" would be an encouraging way to help students get through challenging obstacles.  Her other point was the growth-mindset.  A person with a growth-mindset looks at obstacles and is excited about facing them.  The last thing she said in her ted-talk that stuck out to me was that we should praise wisely.  Instead of praising inteligence or talent, praise effort.  This stuck out to me because it can be hard to watch someone be praised for something that is so easy for them and then no one praises or acknowledges your effort.  Some days when you are tired of facing challenges and you want to give up, you need that praise because it keeps you going.  The class discussions this week changed my views on failure vs. success in school and life because I realized how easy it is to give up and not want to face your obstacles, but having a growth-mindset helps you conquer your obstacles because you know you can improve and do better.