During COVID-learning, resilience can be the difference between students who make progress and students who fall behind.
So what exactly is resilience and why is it so important for children in 2021? We often associate the word resilience with athletes who battle through injuries before reaching glory, or artists who get their breakthrough after many rejections.
But resilience is much more than that: Resilience is turning obstacles into learning opportunities, continually improving, and working toward your goals despite any newfound difficulties.
For students, it means starting with accepting that some subjects might be harder to grasp than others, and that some days their ability to focus and energy level will be lower. “Accepting” is the key word — it’s only by understanding that certain roadblocks are out of their control that they can persist.
Developing resilience can be a tough task, especially for younger children. That’s why our Revolution Prep tutors and advisors came up with a list of ways you can help your child get there:
- Emphasize strengths
- Failure is okay!
- Learning from mistakes
- Positive, supportive environments
- Focus on reactions
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Emphasize strengths
Students who lack confidence in their skills are constantly discouraged. By reminding your child of their strengths, you boost their belief in tackling any objects that may come up.
Failure is okay!
Children who understand that, as humans, we all fail at times, are better off. Sharing examples of well-known people who failed often before succeeding (such as Michael Jordan or Walt Disney) will shift how your child sees and deals with failure.
Learning from mistakes
Resilience requires self-awareness — tell your child that, while a catchphrase, history doesn’t have to repeat itself. Looking back at what went wrong (and why it went wrong) can prevent them from making the same mistake twice.
Positive, supportive environments
Build a learning environment that reinforces positivity while offering — if needed — additional support. For children to believe in themselves, they need to know we believe in them.
Focus on reactions
Resilient students react well to adversity. Whether it is through a breathing technique, meditation, or simply venting to you, your child needs to understand how their bodies work and react to stress.
Overall, it’s important to remember that resilience is always a work in progress. Just like any other positive trait, children are slowly developing, learning, and improving. Taking small steps to assure they are heading in the right direction is essential — especially during COVID-learning, where face-to-face interactions with educators and friends are almost non-existent.
If you need help, reach out. Our professional tutors aren’t just teachers: They are mentors who help your child develop positive habits and traits that lead to success in the classroom and beyond.