English & Language Arts Teacher Blog

Here’s to another week of touching hearts and changing lives!

Helping Students Develop Grit: A Teacher’s Guide Part 8:

Tip #8: Allow Controlled Failure

Controlled failure is a safe way for kiddos to experience setbacks without feeling discouraged. 

I give them tasks that stretch their abilities, but that are still within reach if they put in the effort. 

When students experience these “small fails,” they learn how to handle frustration and disappointment. 

I also remind them that “failure” is temporary —it just means they haven’t gotten it down *YET*. 

Key Principles for Controlled Failure

1. Safe Environment: Make it clear that mistakes are expected and valuable for learning.
2. Growth-Oriented Feedback: Focus on improvement and effort rather than penalizing errors.
3. Reflection: Encourage students to reflect on their *temporary* failures and identify ways to improve.
4. Iteration: Provide opportunities for revision, practice, and retrying tasks.
5. Explicit Grit Development: Teach students the value of perseverance by sharing real-world examples, including your own struggles.

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​Try these out and let us know how it goes! Don’t forget to tag us in your posts on Instagram and Facebook!
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Because our headspace matters when we are trying to show up as our best selves for our students, our loved ones, and ourselves!

We’d like to think of this as a little bit like life coaching for teachers :-)

Another week of touching hearts and changing lives!

Helping Students Develop Grit: A Teacher’s Guide Part 7:

Tip #7: Encourage a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that we can improve our abilities with effort. 

When students understand this, they’re more likely to push through tough times. 

I talk to my students about how the brain grows and changes as we learn new things. 

Praise hard work and improvement, not just talent. 

Share stories of authors who overcame setbacks, and assign tasks that push students to grow. 

Use reflective activities like journals and give feedback that’s specific and focused on growth. 

Create a classroom where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. 

Try these out and let us know how it goes! Don’t forget to tag us in your posts on Instagram and Facebook!
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The possibilities are endless!
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In his book Buy Back Your Time, Dan Martell talks about a game-changing idea: the only way to win back your time is to value it more than your money. 

And honestly, this hits harder as we get older. 

If you can swing it, why not outsource some of those time-sucking tasks like cleaning or grocery shopping? 

Something like Walmart+ is around $10 a month (sometimes even less with special offers after the free trial!) and it’s a small price to to pay and get some valuable time back!

If you're anything like me, when you go shopping with your little ones that $10 is a lot less than what I would’ve ended up spending for snacks and small toys!  

So, where can you start freeing up your time?

Because our headspace matters when we are trying to show up as our best selves for our students, our loved ones, and ourselves!

We’d like to think of this as a little bit like life coaching for teachers :-)

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​​Sharing is caring—so please forward this to any teacher that could benefit from this message and help spread the love!

The goal of these messages is to help ourselves improve—for our students, for our loved ones, and for ourselves. 

You can always reply to this message or message us on Facebook here!

Keep touching hearts and changing lives!
Charlie with Shining Scholar Education
Our podcast is back—check it out!
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