You've "Failed" Again.

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It amazes me how many teachers still use the word "failure" in our public school systems. I'm not clear what the word means anymore, but I believe the words we use (casually or formally) can either assist or disrupt our attitudes and mindset. The gurus call it "verbal programming." I call it ignorance.

Our attitudes create behaviors (or habits) that create a lasting result and effect. Young children are often in a constant form of self-hypnosis or hypnotic state and their attitudes can drastically shift when hearing words like "failure" or "loser." Learning often involves stumbling (like a child learning to walk) Its ok to fall down and its better if you get back up. 

Your Thoughts Create Your Words and Actions. Your Thoughts Create your mindset. Your Mindset = Your Results.

While in Navy Flight School, we often "failed." To this day, I'm still impressed how the US Navy can take a handful of college graduates with no prior flight experience and train them to solely launch and land an airplane within only twelve flights.

The training is intense and the students continually "fail". While the flight student is failing, however, he's learning critical skills, skills that may someday save him from crashing into the water.

Life often serves up many lessons to teach us to grow and learn. Whether we launch a new business or we start a new job, career, marriage, we may often "fail."

Its ok to fail, because if not we're not failing, it generally means we're in our comfort zones, afraid to "fail, learn and grow." 

Consider the American game of baseball. If a batter hits the ball 4 out of 10 times, he would be most likely considered as an inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. If a student correctly answers 4 out of 10 questions on a geometry exam, he risks "failing" the class.

The difference is obvious and its only fair that we point out that comparing the two examples is like comparing apples to oranges.

Baseball is considered by many as one of the most challenging sports in the world. In contrast, our school systems have been designed for the student to succeed.

My only point is that its been my experience that 'failing' can be a 'teacher' and perhaps we can re-evaluate how we can implement better ways to allow our children to safely fail.

I'll save that debate for a different day and article.