A Conversation with Angela Duckworth
Angela Duckworth, the author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance and founder of Character Lab, visited St. Bernard’s on May 3, 2018. Current parent, Samantha B., led a discussion with Ms. Duckworth focused on the concepts of grit, practice, and character.
Parents, students, Old Boys, and former parents were eager to hear Ms. Duckworth elaborate on grit, which she believes is an important indicator for success, and “can be instilled and cultivated by anyone, anywhere, and at any time in life.”
Ms. Duckworth described grit as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. She was quick to stress that grit is one of many characteristics found in well-rounded individuals. She believes it is an important skill to develop in young people. She explained that grit is different than talent. Grit allows you to make mistakes and hold onto a goal even when you fall down. Through the conversation, Ms. Duckworth encouraged parents and teachers to find ways to encourage children to make mistakes and gave some concrete examples of how to do so.
She also highlighted the importance of allowing children to have a say in their extracurricular activities. She believes that if children feel passionate about activities, they will be more motivated to practice them deliberately, an important element in developing grit. Through focused or purposeful practice the length of practice time may be reduced, and children will have better rates of success. Fun is an important element to include in focused practice. She believes that a child will have more fun if they get to help choose which activities to pursue.
As Ms. Duckworth discussed Character Lab, a nonprofit organization which she co-founded in 2013, she stressed the importance of combining “strengths of will,” such as grit, with “strengths of heart” and “strengths of mind.” This message resonated with the St. B’s community and parents asked thoughtful questions in the Q & A following the discussion.
