ASCD Arias Publication

For too long, educators have focused only on getting students ready for the next test, for the next grade, for graduation or maybe for college. Students must be prepared to succeed in school, and they must know how to read, write and calculate. But that's only the beginning. Our job – whether we teach foundation, primary or high school, or we lead a school or region – is to prepare students for success in the real world. To do so, we must also teach grit. Grit is a combination of tenacity and perseverance – a willingness to take risks even if it means sometimes failing and starting again. Knowing how to respond to frustration and failure is essential whether a student struggles or excels.

In Fostering Grit: How Do I Prepare My Students for the Real World?, veteran school leader and popular Educational Leadership columnist Thomas R. Hoerr shows what teaching for grit looks like. The book provides a sample lesson plan and self-assessments, along with a six-step process applicable across year levels and content areas to help students build skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

Fostering Grit is part of the ASCD Arias series of publications providing concise answers to challenging questions in a convenient format that you can read in one sitting and immediately put into practice. Arias books are the next-generation, immediate-need resources for everyone committed to the success of each learner.