From the Head of Curriculum Ms Victoria Kelleher
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. Theodore Roosevelt
getting it wrong. But, if we take the risk and we fail, the critics are always going to be in the arena, so you might as will invite them in, and not forget to invite yourself too. It is scary to show up and be seen, but it is not as scary as getting to the end and thinking “What if I had shown up? What if I had taken a risk? What would have been different?”
We all have a choice in life whether to put ourselves out there or hide behind our fears. In her book, Daring Greatly, Dr. Brené Brown, references President Theodore Roosevelt with a quote that she believes changed her life by making her realise three things. As we approach the final weeks of Term 4, I First, that she wanted to be the person in the encourage our students to take a risk, to show arena. The one to take the risk, to perhaps fail, up and be seen. I encourage them to think about but to give it a go. The second is that far too their strengths and abilities as constantly often, the people who never take the risk are developing. They have an opportunity to use the people to criticise those that do. The third their final assessments to do something culminates everything Brown has learned in her remarkable, and if they are not successful, use twelve years of studying vulnerability and shame. the experience to improve. The feedback they That it is not about winning, it is not about get from assessments will provide them with losing, it is about showing up and being seen. information that they can use to learn from and set new goals for the future. This approach is So often we slam on the brakes before we even described as a ‘growth mindset’. turn the key.Vulnerability often stops us from doing something remarkable because we are In a ‘growth mindset’ skills and abilities are not afraid of failing. Anyone who has ever taken a set. Students can develop their skills and abilities risk and stepped out of their comfort zone, will through hard work, planning, and with help and know that it never works out perfectly. There mentoring from others. Using the feedback from are always compromises. We are, far too often, their teachers, students should ask themselves afraid of being vulnerable, of taking a risk, of the following questions: 5
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