3.3 Failure, Quitting and GRIT
Instructor Preparation and Summary
In this unit, students are introduced to the concept of GRIT and how it relates to failure and quitting. There are a number of videos in this unit that demonstrate the concepts being discussed. In particular, the video by Angela Duckworth about GRIT is an essential element to understanding the concept of someone having GRIT in order to succeed. The game of ” Scramble” is a fun game for all levels of learners and is meant to be frustrating to students. I would not recommend this game for students who become aggressive when frustrated. During the debrief after the game, students are taught how the game relates to real life and how we deal with frustration and wanting to quit.
This unit is lengthy and may be best suited for students to break down into smaller units. The principles of Universal Design for Learning are incorporated into the variety of activities in this unit.
This unit will help some students to:
- Explain the important role of failure on the road to success.
- List real-life examples of successful people who have failed.
- Discuss how and why the brain grows when someone makes a mistake.
- State when quitting is a viable option.
- Describe a strategy for deciding whether to quit something or not.
- Write activities that can improve someone’s life when they are feeling overwhelmed and want to quit.
- Define the term GRIT.
- Identify the small short-term goals (steps on a GRIT ladder) needed to achieve their long-term goal.
- Compose a small short-term goal for the semester on the GRIT/GROWTH WALL that they want to become more comfortable with.
Classroom Activities
Videos
Click through the following interactive video carousel to view each video. There are 8 in total.
Grit Ladder Activity
Applied Learning Assessments
Text Description
- Complete the When I Want to Quit Worksheet (PDF). Answer the questions on the worksheet and set a goal to change your response when you feel overwhelmed and want to quit.
- Complete the Celebrity Path to Success Worksheet ( PDF). Use the internet to research a successful celebrity/athlete that you like and find out how they got to where they are today. Did they go to school to learn their acting/music/sports/ skill? How many hours a week did they have to practice/develop their skill? Submit your work to the teacher.
- Complete the GRIT/Growth Zone Goal activity:
Step 1: Print on an index card something that you want to do but do not feel comfortable doing yet. It is not in “Your comfort zone” yet. Examples: speaking in front of the class, asking for help, talking to people, speaking in a group, etc.Step 2: Place that card on the board where the “Comfort Zone” poster is.Step 3: Place your card based on how comfortable you are with the goal right now. (the more comfortable = closer to the poster, the less comfortable= the farther away from the poster) Throughout the term, you can adjust your card placement based on how close you are to being comfortable with the skill you set in your goal. This will help you see your progress towards your goal!
- Complete the When I Want to Quit Worksheet (PDF). Answer the questions on the worksheet and set a goal to change your response when you feel overwhelmed and want to quit.
- Complete the Celebrity Path to Success Worksheet ( PDF). Use the internet to research a successful celebrity/athlete that you like and find out how they got to where they are today. Did they go to school to learn their acting/music/sports/ skill? How many hours a week did they have to practice/develop their skill? Submit your to the teacher.
- Complete the GRIT/Growth Zone Goal activity:
Step 1: Print on an index card something that you want to do but do not feel comfortable doing it yet. It is not in “Your comfort zone” yet. Examples: speaking in front of the class, asking for help, talking to people, speaking in a group, etc.Step 2: Place that card on the board where the “Comfort Zone” poster is.Step 3: Place your card based on how comfortable you are with the goal right now. (the more comfortable = closer to the poster, the less comfortable= the farther away from the poster) Throughout the term, you can adjust your card placement based on how close you are to being comfortable with the skill you set in your goal. This will help you see your progress towards your goal!
- Complete the GRIT Ladder Activity (PDF):
Step 1: Think of a long-term goal you would like to achieve. Type that at the top of the ladder.Step 2: Now, type under that top goal the step that you would need to achieve right before the top goal.Step 3: Continue down the ladder in this manner, always focusing on the step above and what step you can take to achieve that small goal on the step above.
Step 4: At the bottom of your ladder, you will have a step that you can take today to help you start moving up the ladder to your long-term goal.
Step 5: Once you have completed a small goal on this step, CELEBRATE your success!
Step 6: Then you focus on reaching the goal on the next step up the ladder and continue this pattern until you reach the top and your long-term goal!
- Complete the When I Want to Quit Worksheet (PDF). Answer the questions on the worksheet and set a goal to change your response when you feel overwhelmed and want to quit.
- Complete the Celebrity Path to Success Worksheet (PDF). Use the internet to research a successful celebrity/athlete that you like and find out how they got to where they are today. Did they go to school to learn their acting/music/sports/ skill? How many hours a week did they have to practice/develop their skill? Submit your work to the teacher.
- Complete the GRIT/Growth Zone Goal activity:
Step 1: Print on an index card something that you want to do but do not feel comfortable about doing it yet. It is not in “Your comfort zone” yet. Examples: speaking in front of the class, asking for help, talking to people, speaking in a group, etc.Step 2: Place that card on the board where the “Comfort Zone” poster is.Step 3: Place your card based on how comfortable you are with the goal right now. (the more comfortable = closer to the poster, the less comfortable= the farther away from the poster) Throughout the term, you can adjust your card placement based on how close you are to being comfortable with the skill you set in your goal. This will help you see your progress towards your goal!
- Complete the GRIT Ladder Activity (PDF):
Step 1: Think of a long-term goal you would like to achieve. Type that at the top of the ladder.Step 2: Now, type under that top goal the step that you would need to achieve right before the top goal.Step 3: Continue down the ladder in this manner, always focusing on the step above and what step you can take to achieve that small goal on the step above.
Step 4: At the bottom of your ladder, you will have a step that you can take today to help you start moving up the ladder to your long-term goal.
Step 5: Once you have completed a small goal on this step, CELEBRATE your success!
Step 6: Then you focus on reaching the goal on the next step up the ladder and continue this pattern until you reach the top and your long-term goal!
- Complete the GRIT Movie Activity Worksheet (PDF):Step 1: Watch one of the following movies: Remember the Titans, Miracle, The Pursuit of Happyness, Cool Runnings, Rocky, or Rudy.
Step 2: Fill out the Movie Worksheet and think about the process that the person/people went through to become successful. Reflect on how they dealt with failure. Do you think they have GRIT?
Instructor Resources
Slide Deck
- Unit 3.3 Failure, Quitting and GRIT (MS PowerPoint)
Worksheets
- Unit 3.3 Grit Ladder Template (MS Word)
- Unit 3.3 Grit Ladder Template (PDF)
- Unit 3.3 Failure Quitting and GRIT – When You Want to Quit Worksheet (MS Word)
- Unit 3.3 Failure Quitting and GRIT – When You Want to Quit Worksheet (PDF)
- Unit 3.3 Failure Quitting and GRIT – Celebrity Pathway to Success Worksheet (MS Word)
- Unit 3.3 Failure Quitting and GRIT – Celebrity Pathway to Success Worksheet (PDF)
- Unit 3.3 Failure Quitting and GRIT – Movie Worksheet (MS Word)
- Unit 3.3 Failure Quitting and GRIT – Movie Worksheet (PDF)
- Unit 3.3 Failure, Quitting and GRIT – GRIT Ladder Image (PNG)
Web Resources
- E-Book for GRIT and Growth Mindset Activities:
Mielke, C. (2016). G words: 20 Strategies for fostering grit and growth mindset. Affective Living.
References
Mielke, C. (2016). G words: 20 strategies for fostering grit and growth mindset. Affective Living. https://affectiveliving.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/g-words-20-strategies-for-fostering-grit-and-growth-mindset.pdf
