Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed

Debbie Silver

Corwin Press, May 22, 2012 - Education - 240 pages

A fresh approach to getting kids to work smarter and better, not just harder

Award-winning teacher and best-selling author Debbie Silver addresses the relationship between student motivation and risking failure, calling failure a temporary “glitch” that provides valuable learning opportunities. She explains motivational theory, provides down-to-earth—often humorous—real life examples, and outlines concrete, applicable guidelines for helping students overcome setbacks and failure to foster lifelong success. Key topics include:

• How to help students become autonomous, enthusiastic, lifelong learners
• Why failure is not only an option, but a very concrete way of gaining ground
• The difference between a “pep talk” and specific, relevant feedback that enhances self-efficacy

Contents

• SELFMOTIVATION WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO WE USE IT TO EMPOWER CHILDREN?: 1
• Albert Bandura and SelfEfficacy: 4
• Motivation or SelfMotivation?: 5
• Try This: 8
• TUHTuhTuhDAH for Kids: 9
• Amy Chua Author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother: 10
• Adults Need to Work in Tandem With Childrens Motivation: 11
• Entitlement or Empowerment?: 13
• ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT ZPD: 17
• Mastery Learning Experience: 18
• Lev Vygotsky and Zone of Proximal Development: 20
• Scaffolding: 22
• A Very Simplified Illustration of ZPD: 25
• ZPD Situations: 27
• SELFREGULATION DELIBERATE PRACTICE AND FAILURE: 35
• Instant Gratification and Its Implications: 36
• SelfRegulation: 38
• Adults Modeling SelfRegulation: 41
• Magic Words: 43
• Why Is Practice So Important?: 44
• Ericssons Deliberate Practice: 46
• Expertise and the TenYear Rule: 48
• Failure? Theres an App for That: 50
• Helping Kids Deal With Failure: 52
• Adults Modeling Recovery Practices: 53
• ATTRIBUTION THEORY WHY DID I SUCCEED OR NOT?: 55
• More on A Simplified Version of Attribution Theory: 58
• Learned Helplessness: 59
• Working With Learned Helplessness: 61
• Effective Feedback: 65
• The Littering Experiment: 67
• Rosenthals SelfFulfilling Prophecy: 69
• MINDSET THE KEY TO SELFMOTIVATION: 75
• Fixed MindsetGrowth Mindset: 79
• Differences in Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset: 82
• Students Puzzles and Mindsets: 83
• Taking the Joy From the Artist: 84
• Gifted Kids and Coping With Failure: 86
• Gifted Kids and Fixed Mindsets: 88
• Fostering a Growth Mindset in Children: 91
• Feedback That Changes Perspectives: 92
• Conclusion: 94
• WHAT DO I GET FOR DOING IT? EXAMINING REWARDS: 95
• My Parents and Rewards: 97
• My Love Affair With Rewards: 98
• My Aha Moment With Rewards: 99
• My Reward Fiasco: 101
• Paul Chance The Voice of Reason: 103
• Praise as a Reward: 106
• No More Stars Stickers or Trophies? Really?: 108
• Motivating Kids to Do Unexciting Tasks: 109
• Rewards as Affirmations: 111
• AUTONOMY TIME AND FLOW: 113
• Autonomy: 114
• Promoting Autonomy in Learners: 116
• Stepping In Too Quickly: 122
• Time Allocation: 124
• Optimal Learning Environment and Flow: 126
• Being in a Flow State: 127
• Creating Flow in the Classroom: 129
• HELPING STUDENTS STAY MOTIVATED AS THEY GET OLDER: 131
• Procrastination: 132
• Procrastination and the Zone of Proximal Development: 134
• Helping Older Children Cope With Failure: 139
• Example of an Adult Trying to Have Power Over a Student: 142
• INSPIRING YOUNG CHILDREN: 145
• Wiped Out: 146
• Be Careful About Indirect Communication: 148
• Examples of Appropriate and Inappropriate Feedback for Young Children: 150
• Helping Kids Who Are Afraid: 155
• The Zip Line Expedition: 157
• A Side Note to the Zip Line Story: 159
• FAQS ABOUT TEACHING STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL: 161
• The Story of a Phoenix: 173
• GLOSSARY: 175
• DISCUSSION GUIDE: 185
• REFERENCES: 197
• INDEX: 203

About the author

Learn more about Debbie Silver's PD offerings Debbie Silver is truly a “teacher’s teacher!” She is a former science teacher and an award-winning educator with 30 years experience as a classroom teacher, staff development instructor, and university professor. Her numerous recognitions include being named the 1990 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year and the 2007 Distinguished Alumnus from the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University. Along the way she has taught almost every grade level and most every kind of student.Debbie is one of the most popular keynoters and professional development presenters in the United States. Audiences everywhere respond to her use of humor and sensitivity to remind them of how important teachers are in the lives of children. Her insights into student and teacher behavior are extraordinary. Through research-based theory, poignant stories, and hilarious characterizations she connects with the souls of all who are involved in education.Dr. Silver has been an invited author for several educational journals and has given keynotes at state, national, and international conferences in 49 states, throughout Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Middle East, and Asia. Debbie is the author of the bestselling book, Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers: Finding the Rhythm for Differentiated Learning. She is a co-author of Because You Teach and Middle School Matters. Songs she co-wrote with Monte Selby are featured on his latest cds. She and her husband, Dr. Lawrence Silver, have five grown sons, three daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren (so far). They live with two dogs in Melissa, Texas.Debbie can be reached through her website: www.debbiesilver.com

Bibliographic information

• Title: Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed
• Author: Debbie Silver
• Publisher: Corwin Press, 2012
• ISBN: 1452279829, 9781452279824
• Length: 240 pages
• Subjects: Education / Curricula; Education / Leadership