Building Resilience Through Study Challenges

The moment a student says "This is too hard!" most teachers rush to rescue. But here's what years in the classroom taught me: The magic happens in the struggle—if we scaffold it right. I watched a 7th grader spend 20 minutes on a single algebra problem. She erased her work three times, groaned twice, and almost gave up once. Then she solved it. The smile that spread across her face? That's what real learning looks like. According to ASCD research, productive struggle builds perseverance, problem-solving skills, and self-efficacy—but only when students work within their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): that sweet spot between "too easy" and "impossible." Here's my scaffolding formula: • Start with a challenge just 10% beyond their comfort zone • Offer hints, not answers ("What pattern do you notice?") • Use peer collaboration before teacher intervention • Celebrate the struggle, not just the solution • Gradually fade support as confidence builds What changes when we embrace productive struggle: • Students stop asking "Is this right?" and start asking "Does this make sense?" • Mistakes become data points, not defeats • The quiet kids suddenly have something to prove • Math anxiety drops as struggle becomes normalized The hardest part? Resisting the urge to save them too soon. I've learned to count to 20 before offering help. To ask "What have you tried?" before showing the way. To celebrate effort phrases like "I'm figuring it out" over "I don't get it." Because students don't need us to remove every obstacle. They need us to teach them how to climb. What's your go-to strategy for scaffolding struggle in your classroom? #Education #Teaching #ProductiveStruggle #Scaffolding #MathEducation #PedagogyThatWorks #TeacherLife #LearningScience

On why we need to feel stupid from time to time to become great scholars (or a really short high impact article. My first #PhDAdvisor used to routinely let me mistakes. He said that it was so that I would not make them later, when on the tenure track. I thought he was being mean. 30 years later, I know that he was right. If I ever see him a gain, I'll buy him a beer and thank him. That memory came to me, after reading this very short paper by Martin Schwartz. See here: https://lnkd.in/eKwWAV4R Martin argues that when training students, we need to let them make mistakes, or feel a little bit stupid, in order for them to become great scientists and scholars. By letting students make mistakes, they learn many things, such as: (1) Feeling "stupid" is normal – Good science involves exploring the unknown, leading to uncertainty, and mistakes. If there were no mistakes, there would be no need for discovery. (2) Productive stupidity is valuable – The best students accept that ignorance fosters curiosity, and resolving that tension, drives them to discover new knowledge. (3) Research is different from coursework – Letting students feel stupid, means that they learn that research does not always have clear answers or solutions (whereas coursework usually does). (4) Overcoming stupidity requires learning persistence - top scholars develop resilience in the face of unanswered questions and to overcome repeated failures. (5) Ph.D. programs should prepare students for coping with uncertainty – Normalizing the discomfort of "not knowing" (or being stupid) can help young researchers cope with challenges faced, when studies don't work out. (6) Discovery comes from discomfort – The feeling of inadequacy or stupidity should be reframed as a sign that you are engaging with meaningful, complex problems. (So much truth in this insight). (7) Science is about asking, not just answering – Embracing uncertainty and stupidity allows for deeper inquiry and more significant breakthroughs over time. If you are always right, you are not asking deep enough questions. Finally, and I think this is the most apt observation, overcoming feeling stupid from time to time teaches students to develop self-compassion. It helps students understand that struggling with difficult problems is part of the process, not a personal failing. Check the article out, discuss it with your students, it'll make them better scholars! #academicjourney

Good teachers don't deliver content. They empower students to grow. They inspire curiosity. They foster resilience. 8 tips to make your classroom the space where students want to engage, even when they’re scared of the challenge: ✅ Encourage students to “do it scared” ↳ Fear of failure holds students back. ↳ Share personal stories of times you overcame fear. ↳ Remind them growth happens on the other side of discomfort. ✅ Break it down ↳ Stop with overwhelming assignments. ↳ Break them into achievable milestones. ↳ Celebrate small wins to build confidence. ✅ Embrace the chaos ↳ Allow students to grapple with uncertainty. ↳ Encourage them to ask and explore rather than be “right” ✅ Make failure part of the process ↳ Shift the narrative around failure. ↳ A low-stakes “failure journal” helps students document what they learned from mistakes, reframing them as steps toward mastery. ✅ Engage through action ↳ Hands-on learning beats passive lectures. ↳ Simulations, role-plays, real-world challenges. ↳ This turns engagement into a habit. ✅ Teach the power of “why” ↳ Help students connect coursework to their goals and passions. ↳ "Why does this matter?" ↳ "How will it help me achieve my dreams?" ↳ Purpose drives engagement. ✅ Create safe spaces for risk ↳ Emphasize effort and creative thinking over “getting it right.” ↳ When students know they won’t be judged for trying something new, they’ll take risks. ✅ Celebrate growth, not perfection ↳ Regularly highlight how far your students have come. ↳ Acknowledge effort, process, progress. ---------------- 🚨 Remember: ↳ A disengaged student needs your encouragement to reignite ↳ Show them challenges are stepping stones to growth ↳ Foster lifelong learners. ---------------- What’s your go-to strategy for keeping students engaged? Let’s share ideas below! 👇 ---------------- 🔔 follow me for more content like this ♻️ repost to inspire your colleagues Image credit: Janis Ozolins