If your students cannot fail then they are not being challenged. The key of course is trying to scaffold the situations so they don't fail. As Hartl for Expeditionary Learning as been oft quoted this fall, students who do this kind of work are forever changed. The heart of differentiation is changing the scaffolding so that all students can be successful while realizing that failure awaits them should they quit.
But what about teachers? Are you challenging yourself in your classes such that you face failure? Are you pushing the envelope in such a way that you are growing in some fashion?
Administrators, do you foster a climate where teachers can try new things in an effort to promote innovation in your school(s)? I can say with conviction (and the knowledge that my administration doesn't read my blog) that allowing our staff to innovate is one of my principal's greatest strengths, and one he actively lives. Do all of our initiatives work out perfectly? No, some are undeniably failures but we learn from them and try to constantly improve our practice and school.
Too often we try to get our learners to take chances and risk failure without being willing to do so ourselves. My challenge to you is to go out on a limb and see what you can innovate if you don't take failure off the table.
Comment with how you're going to let failure be an option in the new year.
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