"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." - Frederick Douglass
When we turn on the evening news and see the police tape, it's too late.
There is a lot of finger pointing and hand wringing to be done when the latest tragedy plays itself out. It is an honor student who is caught running with the wrong crowd. It is the bullied student who violently lashes out after being ignored for so long. It is a neglected child who decides that it is better to drop out of school.
This begs the most important question, "How can we protect our children from failure?"
The simple answer is that we cannot child-proof the world. There will be challenges that face our children. The challenge for us is to best prepare our children for whatever comes their way.
Having taught middle school since 2002, I can attest the importance of training our young people to be resilient. I cannot lie, however. I did not refer to it a resilience until it has become a topic of conversation in educational circles these days. The principle, nonetheless, is the same.
Dr. Steve Piscitelli recently interviewed me about what I think of developing resilience in young people. Please click the link to his podcast for my thoughts on resilience. I hope that you gain something from our interview!
Middle School Resilience: Do We Build or Do We Mend?
