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10 Tips for Harnessing Grit in the Classroom!
India White • May 23, 2023
10 Tips for Harnessing Grit in the Classroom!- Dr. India White
Harnessing Grit in the Math Classroom!
As a math teacher, you know that perseverance and resilience are essential qualities for success in the subject. However, not all students come to your classroom with these traits fully developed. Studies have shown that the acheivement gap has increased since the pandemic, and since the year 2020, about 2 million students continue to drop out of school each year. With these straggering numbers, it is imperative for educators to know how to bounce back in the face of failure, anxiety and uncertainty. Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to help your students harness grit in the math classroom. Here are ten tips to get you started: 1. Set high expectations: Let your students know that you believe in their ability to succeed in math. Encourage them to set high goals for themselves and work hard to achieve them. NCTM speaks about setting high expectations, and that when a math teacher does this effectively they implement 5 strategies:
As you continue to set high expectations, students will begin to trust and open up in the classroom, being willing to take a risk during mathematical discourse and productive struggle, which will lead to conceptual understanding.
2. Emphasize effort over talent:
Teach your students that success in math is not just about being naturally gifted. Emphasize the importance of hard work, practice, and perseverance. Duckworth found in her research that students who perseveared over those who solely relied on talent had more grit. It is imperative that educators choose to stay focused on developing grit versus being impressed off of how talent students are. There's nothing like a "hard work ethic"; this can be established in the math classroom.
3. Provide challenging tasks:
Give your students tasks that are challenging but achievable. This will help them develop their problem-solving skills and build their confidence. Students that do not feel challenged lack motivation and tend to get bored during instruction, causing them to veer off into disciplinary situations.
4. Encourage collaboration: Encourage your students to work together on math problems. This will help them develop their communication skills and learn from each other's strengths. As students are involved in mulitple opportunities during a lesson to collaoboration their engagement increases, which has a positive affect on their ability to perform at a level of proficiency in the classroom.
5. Celebrate mistakes: Teach your students that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process. Encourage them to learn from their mistakes and use them as opportunities for growth. Experts from Art Innovation discovered that celebrating mistakes helps lead to innovation in the classroom.
6. Provide feedback: Give your students feedback on their work that is specific, actionable, and focused on improvement. This will help them develop a growth mindset and see mistakes as opportunities for learning. Dr. John Hattie recognized that teacher feedback
is one of the main effective teaching strategies that attributes to student gains in the classroom.
7. Use real-world examples:
Use real-world examples to help your students see the relevance of math in their lives. This will help them stay motivated and engaged in the subject. Further, this helps with culturally responsive teaching, which helps teachers to truly hook students in learning and strengthen relationships with their students.
8. Teach self-regulation:
Teach your students strategies for managing their emotions and staying focused on their goals. This will help them develop the self-regulation skills they need to persevere through challenging tasks.
9. Model grit: Model grit in your own behavior. Let your students see you working hard, persevering through challenges, and celebrating your own mistakes as opportunities for growth. Teachers are a child's best role model, and being able to model out for students how to remain gritty
during instruction is key for develop students who will remain studious, hardworking and motivated to always perform at their best.
10. Provide support: Finally, provide your students with the support they need to succeed. This might include extra help sessions, one-on-one tutoring, or access to online resources. Students might also need emotional support as they continue to work through math anxiety, and personal emotional hardships they may undergo while learning in their math class.
Conclusion
By using these ten strategies, you can help your students develop the grit they need to succeed in math and in life. Remember, grit is not just about talent or intelligence – it's about the willingness to work hard, persevere through challenges, and never give up on your goals. With your help, your students can develop these essential qualities and achieve success in math and beyond.
For more information regarding how you can harness grit, feel free to watch my TEDx talk: The Power of Grit!, or, grab one of my workbooks on Grit! Contact me at India.White.123@gmail.com for more information on these amazing resources!
Join us on the Let's Get Gritty Podcast with Dr. India White. On this show, we will repeat a show from the Grit and Equity talks Podcast with Dr. India White, where we walk through the recently released NAEP data from the National Report Card and speak about moving the needle forward. Listen on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/india-white3 #grit #equity #naep #drindiawhite #nctm #ncsm #bwxme #math #teachers #students
🌟 Just wrapped up an incredible G.R.I.T. Training session with the amazing leaders from Imagine Schools! 💪✨ We took a deep dive into the G.R.I.T. framework, and I can't wait to see the results unfold! 🚀🙌 #drindiawhite #grit #imagineschools #tedx #nctm #ncsm #bwxme 🎉 (I don’t own music copyright
Check out my Feb. 2025 Newsletter!
Thankful for Partnership and Recognition: A Shoutout to Dr. Matthew Joseph and X-Factor EDU Network I am incredibly thankful to partner with Dr. Matthew Joseph and the amazing leadership of the X-Factor EDU Network! It is truly an honor to collaborate with such a visionary leader who is dedicated to amplifying voices in education and creating spaces for impactful conversations. This month, I was deeply grateful to be mentioned in Dr. Joseph’s newsletter during Black History Month. His recognition means so much, not just for me, but for the work we are all doing to inspire and empower educators and students alike. You can check out the newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drmxj_stongertogether-activity-7291502796753809408-0zX3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAmqD2wBkz8Qc7EA0bvwxWyMJH2HykCUA-Y But beyond the shoutout, I’m even more excited about the opportunities ahead—including the chance to have a podcast on Dr. Joseph’s platform! Partnering with X-Factor EDU Network opens doors to share insights, engage in meaningful discussions, and continue championing grit, resilience, and equity in education. Thank you, Dr. Matthew Joseph, for your support, encouragement, and belief in this mission. Looking forward to what’s to come! 🚀 #StrongerTogether #GRIT #XFactorEDU #BlackHistoryMonth #EducationalLeadership #Thankful
Fired Up for FDLA/FAMTE Keynote: Let’s Build Grit Together! I’m beyond excited to take the stage as the keynote speaker at the FDLA/FAMTE Conference tomorrow! 🎤🔥 We’ll be diving deep into the power of G.R.I.T.—Great Resilience in Time—and how it transforms both educators and students. This opportunity means so much, and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported this journey. Grit isn’t just a concept; it’s a movement. It’s about growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management, and it’s what drives success in the classroom and beyond. Let’s empower educators and students across the nation to push past obstacles and embrace productive struggle. Who’s ready to get gritty? 💪🏾 #Grit #DrIndiaWhite #TEDx #FDLA #FAMTE #Education #GrowthMindset
Had an Amazing Time at the Imagine Summit! I had a fantastic time speaking at the Imagine Summit on G.R.I.T.! 🙌🏽 We engaged in powerful breakout sessions, had meaningful discussions about NAEP data, and explored strategies to build **growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management** in education. Thank you to everyone who participated and brought such great energy to the conversations! Let’s continue working together to bridge gaps and empower students through grit and perseverance. 💪🏽 #GRIT #ImagineSummit #Resilience #Education #GrowthMindset #EquityInEducation #drindiawhite
Building Grit in Teachers at the Imagine Leadership Summit I am beyond excited to be speaking at the Imagine Leadership Summit today, sharing insights on how we can build grit in teachers and empower them to foster resilience, self-efficacy, and growth in their students. 🌟 This summit is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with principals and education leaders who are committed to supporting and strengthening teachers. When we invest in teacher grit, we build stronger, more effective classrooms where students develop the perseverance to tackle challenges and achieve success. A huge thank you to the Imagine Summit leaders for this amazing opportunity! It’s an honor to be among such an outstanding lineup of speakers, including the incredible Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr. Join our sessions today and take GRIT with you—because when teachers grow in resilience, our students thrive! #GRIT #Teachers #Principals #DrIndiaWhite #NCTM #NCSM #ImagineSummit 😊
🌟 What an incredible time at the ICTM conference in Indiana! The lineup was amazing, and the energy was contagious! 🎉 Since I missed the snow back in Florida, I embraced it fully here and made my very first snow angel! ❄️ So grateful for the fun and gritty spirit of the ICTM rockstars! Huge thanks to Angela and every rockstar for this fantastic opportunity! 💙 #drindiawhite #grit #ictm25 #math #teachers #students #indiana #nctm #ncsm
✨ Today’s Grit training at Stockton Unified was absolutely amazing! We had a fantastic time connecting with friends and meeting some incredible rockstars in California. 🌟 I can’t wait to see how gritty Stockton becomes! Huge thanks to Andrew and the tribe for the opportunity to train your amazing leaders. Let’s all take grit with us as we move forward! 💪 #Grit #Leadership #StocktonUnified #drindiawhite #tedx #nctm #ncsm #nabse
🎊Super excited about this opportunity! Looking forward to connecting with these amazing leaders! 🥰🥳🎉 Please register below and let’s connect so we can bridge the achievement gap together! hashtag#drindiawhite hashtag#ncsm hashtag#grit hashtag#math hashtag#teachers