How can you teach students to be more resilient?

Resilience is the ability to cope with challenges, setbacks, and failures, and to bounce back stronger and wiser. It is a crucial skill for students of all ages, as they face academic, social, and emotional pressures in their learning journey. How can you teach students to be more resilient? Here are some strategies and tips to help you foster a resilient mindset and behavior in your classroom.

1 Model resilience

One of the best ways to teach resilience is to model it yourself. Show your students how you deal with difficulties, mistakes, and feedback in your own learning and teaching. Share your stories of overcoming obstacles, learning from failures, and finding solutions. Demonstrate how you use positive self-talk, coping skills, and gratitude to deal with stress and frustration. By being a resilient role model, you can inspire your students to emulate your attitude and actions.

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M.R. PARACHA

College Lecturer @ Army Public School | Master's in Zoology
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To foster resilience in students: Encourage Growth Mindset: Teach them that challenges are opportunities to learn and grow, emphasizing effort and perseverance. Set Realistic Goals: Help students set achievable goals, breaking larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Promote Problem-Solving: Teach problem-solving skills and encourage them to approach challenges systematically. Provide Constructive Feedback: Emphasize the learning process, offering specific feedback to help students understand and improve.

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Fábio Rebouças

Professor | Consultant | University Teacher | Epidemiologist | Health Information Analyst | Sanitarist
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Ensinar resiliência aos alunos é um processo multifacetado. Começa por modelar comportamentos resilientes, compartilhando histórias de superação e destacando a importância do enfrentamento positivo diante de desafios. Estimular a autoconsciência emocional é crucial, ajudando os alunos a reconhecerem e lidarem com emoções complexas. O desenvolvimento de habilidades de resolução de problemas e tomada de decisão também é vital. Isso pode ser feito por meio de atividades práticas que incentivem a busca por soluções e a avaliação de consequências. O estímulo ao pensamento crítico e à flexibilidade mental permite que os alunos se adaptem a situações adversas.

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2 Teach growth mindset

Growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be improved through effort, feedback, and practice. It is the opposite of fixed mindset, which is the belief that abilities and intelligence are innate and unchangeable. Students with a growth mindset are more resilient, because they see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, rather than as threats to their self-worth. They also embrace feedback, seek help, and persist in the face of difficulties. To teach growth mindset, you can use praise, feedback, and questions that focus on the process, not the outcome, of learning. For example, you can praise your students for their effort, strategies, and improvement, rather than for their grades, talent, or speed. You can also give feedback that is specific, constructive, and actionable, and that encourages your students to try different approaches, learn from mistakes, and seek feedback. Additionally, you can ask questions that stimulate curiosity, reflection, and self-regulation, such as "What did you learn today?", "What did you find challenging?", "How did you overcome it?", and "What can you do better next time?"

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Tamar Cunha

Science Department Chair and Director of Community Service at Tabor Academy
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Some things we do in our department: a. Raising expectations and not accepting work that doesn’t really meet expectations- returning presentation/lab that didn’t address a key aspect, explicitly stating what was missing, and giving time to address the shortcomings b. Gently forcing student to complete the entire assignment- leave nothing blank, dig deep into your past experiences and education, give yourself (and me!) something to consider. c. Public speaking builds resilience opportunities (small class group helps overcome fear, practice makes better…). d. Create space for as many possible answers, each the product of a different individual’s process, allowing students the freedom to use knowledge creatively and with imagination

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3 Provide support and challenge

Another way to teach resilience is to provide your students with a balance of support and challenge. Support refers to the resources, guidance, and encouragement that you offer to your students to help them achieve their goals and cope with stress. Challenge refers to the tasks, expectations, and feedback that you set for your students to stretch their abilities and push them out of their comfort zone. To provide support, you can create a safe and positive classroom environment, where your students feel valued, respected, and accepted. You can also build rapport and trust with your students, and show them that you care about their well-being and success. Moreover, you can scaffold your instruction, and differentiate your activities and assessments to meet the diverse needs and interests of your students. To provide challenge, you can design meaningful and engaging learning experiences, that require your students to apply their skills and knowledge to real-world problems and situations. You can also set high but realistic expectations for your students, and hold them accountable for their learning outcomes. Furthermore, you can provide constructive and timely feedback, that helps your students identify their strengths and areas for improvement.

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4 Teach coping skills

Coping skills are the strategies and techniques that your students use to manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors when they face challenges, stress, or adversity. Coping skills can be positive or negative, depending on whether they help or hinder your students' well-being and performance. Positive coping skills include relaxation, mindfulness, exercise, hobbies, social support, problem-solving, and seeking help. Negative coping skills include avoidance, denial, procrastination, self-criticism, substance abuse, and aggression. To teach coping skills, you can help your students identify and understand their emotions, and how they affect their learning and behavior. You can also help your students recognize and replace their negative coping skills with positive ones. Moreover, you can teach your students specific coping skills, such as breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, affirmations, and goal-setting. Additionally, you can encourage your students to practice their coping skills regularly, and to seek help from you or other sources when they need it.

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Bonnie Nieves

Authentic learning for every student | STEM Education Innovator | AI-Enhanced Teaching | Professional Learning | Curriculum Design | Learning Experience Design |🦩
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Be explicit. Let students know that you prioritize teaching coping skills because they are important. Replace a warm-up with an activity about automatic negative thoughts (Harvard Health has wonderful supports for this). Start class with a mindful minute (Headspace is free for educators). Use short reflection prompts to bring awareness to self-management strategies (Check out Along.org and Alongside app). Similar to a sub plan on a day with a disrupted schedule such as early release, fire drill, etc. replace the planned lesson with one on perseverance strategies or core values and goal-setting. This will build rapport with students and alleviate the stress of the disrupted day for you and for them.

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5 Celebrate resilience

A final way to teach resilience is to celebrate it. Celebrating resilience means acknowledging and rewarding your students' efforts, achievements, and progress, especially when they overcome challenges, learn from failures, and show improvement. Celebrating resilience also means creating a culture of appreciation and recognition, where your students celebrate their own and each other's resilience. To celebrate resilience, you can use verbal and non-verbal praise, certificates, stickers, badges, or other incentives to recognize your students' resilience. You can also use portfolios, journals, or showcases to document and display your students' resilience. Furthermore, you can use peer feedback, compliments, or shout-outs to encourage your students to appreciate and support each other's resilience.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you teach students to be more resilient?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Model resilience

2 Teach growth mindset

3 Provide support and challenge

4 Teach coping skills

5 Celebrate resilience

6 Here’s what else to consider

Teaching

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How can you teach students to be more resilient?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Model resilience

2 Teach growth mindset

3 Provide support and challenge

4 Teach coping skills

5 Celebrate resilience

6 Here’s what else to consider

Teaching

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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