Fail Challenge: Video, Reading, Questions | Social Emotional Learning SEOT 006

If your students did this one trick, they might improve.

• SEOT Step to Success 006 is to FAIL Challenge.

• NO PREP reading passage with discussion questions and answer key.

• Print the PDF, show the optional video, and discuss.

• Give students opportunities to develop Self Awareness and Self Control by setting goals.

UPDATED Feb 06, 2024: This new version is now much easier to use.

• There is a single PDF to print. Links to the Microsoft Word and Google Docs are included in the PDF.

• The student handout now includes a QR code to the YouTube video. If students are allowed to use phones, they can scan the code at the bottom of their handout to go to the video.

NOTE:

• Here's the FREE YouTube video lesson - show it IN-PERSON in class or use it for ONLINE learning

• The handout article is a tidied up transcription of the video with questions

• Please look at the preview file (besides the product cover images.) It shows you exactly what you get.

• You can edit the Microsoft Word and Google Docs files

• Includes Digital Version (Easel by TpT)

SEOT is a way to think about how to achieve your goals. It’s an acronym. It stands for Strategies, Effort, Optimize, and Tinker. 

FAIL CHALLENGE

SEOT Steps to Success #006

Nobody likes to fail. Nobody wants to feel like a failure. Some of us go to great lengths to avoid mistakes. Sometimes, it feels like it’s better not even to try than to take a chance and mess up.

Here’s the thing. Effort is about failing. Think about it this way: we often say that people who tried really hard were able to find a way to persevere and overcome obstacles. In other words, they hit a setback; they failed. They made a mistake, or something didn’t go their way, but somehow they found a way to pick themselves up, overcome the obstacle and keep going.

SEOT is an acronym to help us get past mistakes. The E stands for effort. 

SEOT Step to Success #6 is to MAKE MISTAKES and FAIL!

Think of failing like challenges or levels in a video game. The first failing challenge is to see if you can fail three times. I’m not talking about failing on purpose or failing because you didn’t try. That doesn’t count. This challenge is about trying but still failing or having things not work out the way you wanted.

Getting things wrong is discouraging. But the more we mess up, the more opportunities we have to learn about what doesn’t work. Or what doesn’t work yet. It’s easy to try once and then give up. Set a goal and try three different ways to get there. Once you give it your all for three tries, then you can give up. You’ve mastered the first stage of failing.

The second failing challenge is to see if you can fail five times. This level is for people who mastered the art of failing three times. It’s hard to really try and still end up failing. But the more you learn to keep going, the easier it gets. Success is around the corner. See if you can fail five times.

The third failing challenge is to see if you can fail 10 times. If you’ve made it this far, you’re doing some serious learning. Keep track of what’s not working. Write down why you think the first plans failed and then change the plan. What tweaks could you make? Don’t give up! See if you can fail 10 times.

The fourth failing challenge is to see if you can fail 26 times. Failing 26 times may seem like an odd choice, but it’s because there are 26 letters in the English alphabet. Start with Plan A, then try Plan B, and then keep going until Plan Z. I bet you succeed before you can fail 26 times.

Finally, the fifth and ultimate failing challenge is to see if you can fail 1000 times. Thomas Edison invented a new battery after trying thousands of ways that didn’t work. Each time you fail, you learn a way that won’t work. Each step brings you closer to victory! Failing a thousand times is for epic dreams.

Think about your goal. How many times have you failed so far in trying to achieve your dream? Usually, we think of failure as a bad thing, but this time, let’s flip that around and see it as a measure of progress.

Discussion Questions

1. What are some obstacles that prevent people from getting more out of life?
2. Explain the strategy in your own words as if you were teaching someone.
3. How might this strategy help people to achieve their goals?
4. Why might this strategy not help people to achieve their goals?

TAKE ACTION: Think about a goal that you want to achieve. List all of the things that you’ve tried that didn’t work. For each list item, briefly explain why that action might have failed. Also, give that list item a score out of 10 for how much effort you tried (10 = maximum effort… 0 = no effort.)

THIS LESSON GOES WELL WITH...

• FREE slideshow: teach students HOW to achieve goals and work SMARTER

• Growth Mindset section in Chapter 1. Character (8 lessons)

• Growth Mindset posters

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CHANGELOG

QR Code Update - v2024-01-12qr

• Content change: The student handout now includes a low-ink version of the icon. It also includes a QR code at the bottom which links to the video. Removed digital versions (PowerPoint / Easel handout)

• Simple Organization: Updated to the Educircles Single PDF format with one-click links to keep it simple.

For all changes, please see the START HERE PDF.

If you have any questions, just ask below or send me an email at Mike@educircles.org