Welcome back to school! This year marks our school’s 30th anniversary, and I am energized at a new year and the prospect of what lies ahead. At last week’s State of the School dinner, I acknowledged the heartwarming support that we have received from the community. I am deeply grateful to our families for their overwhelming generosity to our school.
The theme of my address at the state of the school centered on the new strategic plan and its core ideas. In the 21st century, essential habits of mind such as capacity for sustained effort, perseverance, resilience in the face of difficulty, and the skill to engage and organize complex learning tasks will enable our children to have courage in the face of confusing challenges and to think outside of the box. I shared an anecdote about the founder of Pandora radio (Tim Westergren), a successful start-up venture that recently went public. Westergren had to pitch his idea to over 300 venture capitalists and was rejected time after time until he found someone who would invest. Now, Pandora is a publically traded company with a valuation of nearly $2.6 billion. And all because Westergren would not give up – now that’s perseverance. As adults, we can recognize these habits of mind when others demonstrate (or fail to demonstrate) them, and the general belief is that some have these skills and others do not. However, character traits and habits of mind can be learned, and it is up to us as adults, parents, and educators, to teach them to our children. Here’s an example in the classroom; a math problem for 6th and 7th grade:
What do you think would be worth more – a cup filled with dimes or a cup filled with quarters? Assuming we don’t have enough coins to fill, decide how you would guess which has the most money, and come up with questions to help your team find out which cup would hold more in value. You can’t pour out the whole cup and count the money, but you can measure it in five ounce cups. You’ll have these tools: a bag of rice, a pitcher of water, two small cups, and two large red cups. Write a list of questions you’d like to answer, what information would be helpful to know, and what you already know about the relationship between dimes and quarters. Develop a strategy and submit a plan – be ready to explain and defend your ideas to the class. The class will vote and choose a strategy and execute two plans.
When you hear this type of problem, some may recognize the value in the ability to problem solve in collaboration with others, but wonder how this translates to “practical” skills. In 8th grade algebra, 29 of 38 students scored 36 or higher in the algebra readiness test (developed by University of California, in consultation with California State University and California Academic Partnership program). The state says that students need 33-45 correct answers to be ready for algebra class. At SFDS, 76% of our 8th graders scored above that threshold, and last year’s 8th grade class scored higher than any class preceding them. The connection between flexible thinking and performance is there. Furthermore, our students also scored significantly higher in math assessment and ERB scores – we are seeing very real progress in teaching kids high level thinking, but we need to do more.
Fortunately, we have science on our side. We know that what our brain can do is not fixed – and science can now validate that fact with a growing body of research that can prove it.
There are recent scientific studies that examine the physical responses the body produces in reaction to a cognitive challenge (chemicals such as epinephrine, adrenaline and dopamine). The research findings show that the body produces a different chemical response in a situation that is perceived as a threat versus a challenge, and these responses impact how a person performs. This is because these chemicals can either inhibit or encourage blood flow and oxygen to the brain – for example, the more dopamine you have in your system, the better you are able to perform. Better yet, how we respond can actually be determined by how we are taught. For example, one experiment studied two groups of college students who taking a practice exam for GREs (Graduate Record Exam). Both groups’ saliva levels were sampled before and after the test. The control group was told they were being studied for hormonal response to taking a standardized test. The experimental group was given a different prompt: “People think that feeling anxious when testing will make them do poorly. However, research indicates that this arousal doesn’t hurt performance, and can even help performance. You shouldn’t feel concerned if you feel anxious during this exam…if you do, remind yourself that the arousal can actually make you do well.” It turns out that how students perceive their own reaction (threat versus challenge) actually changes their physiological response thereby hindering or helping their performance, which scientists can measure in their saliva. The students in the experimental group had a much stronger math performance on the GRE than the control group. When their saliva was tested, scientists found their saliva had more adrenaline and dopamine than in the control group. These results were reinforced when the same groups took the actual GRE exam three months later, with the same results. When asked how they felt while testing, the experimental group reported they worried less even when they felt anxious, and felt more confident as students. This small change in attitude had a huge effect on performance.
As educators, we must continue to find ways to reinforce this behavior. At SFDS, our teachers use exercise to help focus, teach mindful moments to help children center and reflect, and even develop slogans like “mistakes are expected, respected and inspected” to encourage children to embrace challenges and temporary setbacks. As an example, one of our teachers has a “risk necklace” hanging on the wall of her classroom. When a student is given a difficult problem and wants to take a risk and answer the question, he or she can wear that necklace and feel empowered, with a stronger sense of confidence. Energy and oxygen flows to their brain and they feel less worried about taking on a challenge. This kind of personal connection between an individual teacher and their students is the most powerful tool we have. The teacher who knows their students specifically, who has unconditional regard for them, not just in spite of their idiosyncracies and flaws, but because of them. The teacher who believes in their students even more than those students believe in themselves. When students are in the presence of that teacher who points to that necklace on the wall, urging kids to take a risk without having to say a word, our students will learn to be more than they think they are. And that is the greatest gift we can give to our children.
