GRIT

What is Grit?

I first started learning about Grit by reading the great Carol Dweck. It was a mandated Book study class and like all things that are imposed, I was not a big fan but as soon as I started to read it I converted completely. I started to recognize people in my life that had grit and my father popped up in my head. Growing up in small town in Venezuela, his family owned the only gas station in miles so they were considered the privileged ones as in those days the currency was gold. But, his father died after a long battle with his health so when he was 13 his life changed. Along with his older brothers they would start to work and go to school, and after paying all their debts, they lost their properties and had to move to the big city with nothing. Some of his friends made fun of him as he worked at the gas station when the family was trying to make ends meet just before selling it, and as he tells the story something in his gut was ignited. He just felt a fire that awoke inside of him. He said to them: I'll show you. From there he went onto work and pay his way through college, have a family and become a very successful engineer at an Oil refinery until he became the General Manager. I remember watching him studying every night as he went through his different degrees to improve on himself and became better. Always better. Headphones, notepad and typewriter sounds clic clac. I remember the big sacrifices he made and all the hard work he put day in and out.On his job, his continual learning, his family and himself. Grit to continue even when life events shattered him at 13 and many years after. 

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As his daughter I have been confronted by many challenges myself and always ask myself: what would my father Marcos have done? Easy, keep working to make myself better.

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To be honest it is a hard value to teach.I have tried to install grit in my son Fernando through playing music. He goes to drum class and has suffer some setbacks because he lacks the discipline to practice everyday. He is 6 years old so I keep a chart but if I am not on top of him, he will not practice on his own. So our conversations evolve around how talent and skills alone will not make him a better drummer and musician but how practicing everyday will make him better. A recent recital showed him what more advanced students are capable of doing. He turn to me and said: I know Mommy, I need to practice if I want to play like that. He has practiced his music with more conviction now, and when he skips a beat he asks for a hug. But he is practicing more which for me has been exhilarating. Finally showing that he is capable  of grit.

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In my classroom I try to teach my students about grit through Class Dojo big idea videos. They are amazing and the students love them. We create the power of yet posters were they write that subject that is more difficult for them to understand and master.We also create our FAIL (First Attempt In Learning) Posters. And while reteaching

talk about the power of learning from our mistakes.