Dakota Aikens dealt with homelessness, a rare staph infection and his mother having cancer during the past year. Despite the setbacks, he will graduate from high school in May.
Aikens' actions show perseverance and grit, which is the ability to work toward a goal without giving up, despite setbacks along the way, according to a research statement by Angela Duckworth, an associate psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Source: University Of Pennsylvania
People with a "growth mindset" are more likely to persevere, said Rebekah Evans, a clinical psychologist with the Arkansas Psychological Association. They understand that with effort their abilities can grow and develop.
Teaching students to have that mindset is one of five main goals for teachers and administrators at Rogers New Technology High School, said Lance Arbuckle, principal. The point is for students to concentrate on their growth while learning.
The goal is called "agency" and 10 percent of a student's grade in each class is based on a rubric around the goal, said Teisha Weisenfels, technology and academic facilitator. Students are taught, practice and graded on seeking challenges, taking risks, building self-confidence and analyzing and overcoming barriers.
"Kids aren't born knowing how to do those things," Weisenfels said.
Jennifer Veilleux, an assistant professor of psychological science at the University of Arkansas, recommends parents and teachers praise children on their effort instead of intelligence and abilities. Praising effort helps a child develop a "growth mindset."
"We get messages that ability is really important," she said. "Mindsets can change. We can shift them."
Aikens, a 19-year-old senior in the Alternative Learning Education Program in Springdale, said he's learned through overcoming obstacles he can meet his goals if he puts in the effort. He had a few moments during the past year when he wanted to drop out of school, get a job and help his family, but his mother convinced him to stay in school.
"She's been my driving force behind it all," Aikens said.
Despite his challenges, Aikens is an excellent student and works hard, said Cathy Roland, instructional facilitator with the program.
"He has every excuse in the book, but he doesn't use them," Roland said.
Roland said all of the 300 students in the program have had to overcome challenges to pursue their education.
Teachers do their best to help students, Roland said. If she sees a student is having a bad day, she will talk with him. "My office is always open for students who are hurting and students who are confused," Roland said.
Persevering in their education is important for their future, Roland said. Many employers won't hire someone who doesn't have at least a high school diploma.
"This gets into survival, because we're talking minimum wage jobs," Roland said.
Students who lack perseverance and have a tendency to give up can get lower grades and might have to retake classes, said James Swim, assistant principal at Bentonville High school and Advanced Placement coordinator at the school.
Grit plays a large role in Advanced Placement classes, Swim said. Some students will ask to remove an advanced placement class from their schedule because they over-committed their time. Others want to leave a class because they are having trouble with the coursework.
The second type is the one that needs encouragement not to give up, Swim said. Teachers will contact parents to make sure the student has what they need, like a tutor.
Other students, who have done well in school, will give up when they encounter a challenging subject, Swim said.
"They've always been taught that they are smart," Swim said.
However, challenges are necessary and beneficial, Swim said. "You don't grow if you're not challenged," Swim said.
In order for a student to learn, sometimes they have to fail, Evans, the psychologist, said.
"There isn't anything to be scared of," Evans said. "It's part of the growing and learning mindset."
Students need to persevere outside the classroom too, said Vance Arnold, baseball coach at Fayetteville High School.
Arnold said the most repeated word at practice is "relax." Players get frustrated when they have trouble hitting the ball. Arnold said he tells them to take a break and practice something else. He talks with the player about why he is frustrated.
Arnold said baseball is a mental game. If a player strikes out, team members have to let it go and not worry about it. They have to persevere through the frustration so it won't affect the way they perform throughout the rest of the game.
Whether grit leads to success depends on the student, Arnold said. Some players keep trying and never give up but don't have as much talent as other players. On the other hand, some players have a lot of talent but don't persevere as well as others.
Some players may not succeed, but learning perseverance helps them develop character, a trait that will help them throughout the rest of their lives, Arnold said.
NW News on 04/06/2014