From the Director’s Chair April 2008
Posted by usnl in : From the Director's Chair, April 2008 Edition , trackback“Grit is defined as the perseverance and passion for long term goals.”
Angela Duckworth
As I have been thinking about teaching pedagogy and curriculum, I find myself repeatedly returning to an article in the Fall/Winter 2007 edition of Penn Arts & Sciences titled “True Grit:Perseverance and Passion”. In it, Penn associate professor of psychology Angela Duckworth shares her research about the non-intellectual traits she has observed in successful professionals in a variety of fields. Through interviews with many prominent individuals, she noted one personal characteristic that all seemed to share – grit.
In this article and in her paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Duckworth defines grit as “…perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” While grit is closely related to self-discipline, she characterizes self-discipline as “the ability to resist temptation and to stay focused on accomplishing tasks immediately at hand.” Self-discipline helps high school students complete nightly homework, organize for the next school day, and create a plan to tackle a large project like a term paper. “Self-discipline has proven to be an excellent predictor of academic achievement,” according to Duckworth. Going further than self-discipline, an individual with grit remains focused on very long-term goals, even when faced with failure or adversity.
Through her research with study participants, including Penn undergraduates, West Point cadets and 2005 Scripps National Spelling Bee finalists, Duckworth developed a grit scale that related one’s grittiness to other characteristics and achievements. Grittier individuals tended to have higher GPAs, to practice and review more, to have more
formal education, and to have more physical and intellectual stamina. At the end of her paper, Duckworth writes, “…in every field, grit may be as essential as talent to high accomplishment. If substantiated, this conclusion has several practical implications: First, children who demonstrate exceptional commitment to a particular goal should be supported with as many resources as those identified as ‘gifted and talented.’ Second, as educators and parents, we should encourage children not only to work with intensity, but also with stamina. In particular, we should prepare youth to anticipate failures and misfortunes and point out that excellence in any discipline requires years and years of time on task. Finally, liberal arts universities that encourage undergraduates to sample broadly should recognize the ineluctable trade-off between breadth and depth. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, the goal of education is not just to learn a little about a lot, but also to learn a lot about a little.”
So, in this age when children seem to want immediate results and are unsure of how to handle minor setbacks and when parents seem to over plan their children’s schedules and over-protect their children from experiencing challenges, how can we develop children with true grit? Duckworth’s advice is valuable. We need to support our children’s goals. We need to help children live the old adage “practice makes perfect.” And, we need to insist on schooling that balances exposure to many ideas with time for young people to study certain things deeply.
Beth Glascott
Director of Upper School