Character and Resiliency

Character and Resiliency
What is the secret to success?
Paul Tough


I would have to agree with the last quote that randolph believed in that we must first learn how to fail. I think 

we need to teach our students resilience, if no one learns that and figures it out years later that can be 

tremendously devastating. Just because one thing is done wrong, or you fail, does not mean that you should 

give up or quit, you can keep trying. I think that is a problem with students and people who have never known 

failure, you will not be great at everything that is not a reality, you must try and put work in it and even when 

you mess up keep going. I think an influential speech that I had recently that would also be good for my 

students would be to have a book writer come in and tell of how they got a book published, how none of their 

books were published, how they were seen as not up to par but here they are living their dream. I think 

resiliency is what helps build character in anyone, it has many effects such as being humbling, appreciative, 

helping others and etc. How do we know what age character develops or is there some sort of period where if 

you don't learn character it will not develop. Why can character not be seen as something that can continually 

grow or be added to, why is it that in a high school level it should be developed so you can be ready in the real 

world. Randolph developed his after and that is fine, as people we are all on different levels in life and learn 

differently. Back to failure, students that do not know it when faced with it shut down, when they realize they 

are not perfect they crumble and we need to ensure that they know this reality so we can be there to help 

them through it.