Many people start the new school year looking the syllabus, discussing and practicing procedures and rules, and playing getting to know you games.
I start the year by talking about failure- getting things wrong and resilience. Over the years, I have come to realize that risk taking in the face of inevitable failure is a value that I want in my students. Having the fortitude to take a chance, and risk everything in front of their peers over and over, is one of those vital skills that they can take with them as they leave my class and high school.
It all started years ago, when I began teaching the fundaments of learning and memory to my biology class from the very first day. I decided to start with the types of learning: imprinting, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning. One of the properties managers was gracious enough to build a Skinner Box for me. Since then, this is my favorite first day activity.
I go outside and one by one I call my new students out to me. I've warned them ahead of time that they can't chat with each other and that we are going to run an experiment. I put my Skinner Box (a closed wooden box with a double light switch screwed on) on a picnic bench and I stand behind it. As each student comes up to me their faces show their confusion. I smile at them, but don't say anything.
Some students try and ask me questions-- "What am I supposed to do?", "Do I flip the Switch", "Can you tell me what to do?". They look confused and some even start getting frustrated. Others don't even walk up to the table, but instead join the line of students that is growing besides me. The students in the line already know the answer and there is giggling. Then come the special few, the ones who take the risk and try. The hesitantly touch the switch and flip it. Immediately I give them a small piece of candy. The spectators groan. The tester flips the switch again. More candy. They keep going until I motion for them to join the line too.
Once all of my students have made it through the experiment I ask them what the point was. Most won't volunteer an answer, but some do. They tell me that the point was to flip the switch to get candy. We spend a few minutes discussing if that's the whole point. We discuss what might happen if we run the experiment again. Then we do.
More students give it a shot. This time I'm looking for a specific pattern. Students try everything; some even try and open the box, only to see a tangle of wires on the inside.
My point, of course, is that failure is a dynamic part of learning. It's impossible to grow without it. I come back to this over and over throughout the course, reminding my students to be risk takers, to admit to being uncertain, but giving it a go anyways.