Explore the Value of Resilience with New Classroom Resource
Do you see failure as a verdict, or as a challenge?
That's one essential question at the heart of growth.
"Embarrassment is a learned disease. It can be cured. It’s about willingness to fail," according to bestselling children's author Mo Willems in a recent interview. "We prescribe so much. ...It doesn’t open anything up to brand-new worlds. You don’t know what it opens you up to." (Read the full interview here.)
That message about failure and how important it is for kids to see and experience lies at the heart of a new classroom resource, The Failure Book: How 22 Extraordinary People Persisted to Beat the Odds and How You Can Too.
"Even the greatest often fail," Rabbi David Wolpe recently said.
The Failure Book profiles 22 such people, like Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Michael Jordan, and Serena Williams. All of whom faced challenges, stumbling blocks, and even outright failures on their way to the top.
Use the book to help tweens bring alive the values of resilience, perseverance, and grit.
From these inspirational profiles, discover how failure can actually serve as a tool that helps foster the growth that can ultimately lead to success. Drawing prompts, thought questions, and other engagement activities after each profile encourage children to apply the lessons of extraordinary people to their own challenges and everyday experiences.
Here are some ideas for using The Failure Book with students:
- Connect the idea of growing from mistakes with t'shuvah, the Jewish process of getting ourselves back on track and committing to making better choices.
- Use the short biographies as discussion starters about resilience, then brainstorm problem solving ideas for a current challenge they are facing themselves
- Discuss how successful people choose to focus their energy on things within their control and focus on the present and future instead of looking back. Jewish prayer is like that too - focused on ways to move forward.
- Create fun Kahoot quizzes using the information about famous people.
Download the Failure Book free teaching guide with more ideas and tips for use in remote settings.
Download a sample activity page.
Contact us about a 30% discount for classroom use or review.
Keep up with the latest information by subscribing to our newsletter and connect with us on social media!
