In my assembly this week I talked about resilience. Springing back from disappointment or failure can often be difficult. In learning, resilience is a valuable attribute indeed, allowing us to recover from mistakes, and become stronger and better for them. It is an old cliche perhaps, but if we perceive the word FAIL as a First Attempt in Learning then we can free ourselves from the fear of failure that so often prevents us from trying new things.

But how do we top up our resilience? How do we maintain it? I think the answer lies in motivation. When we are engaged in an activity that motivates us, we feel energised and self-confident. We display all the characteristics of effective learning, often without realising it. The trick is knowing what motivates you – recognising the signs of feeling energized and bold. This is why we are always so keen at HSW to enrich our curriculum with different educational experiences and after school clubs, precisely so that students can find their thing, find their motivation. When our motivation is high, our resilience is high too – high enough to see us through challenges that we find far less motivating. Recognising when we are our best selves and channelling that person when life becomes tougher is the secret to success, I believe. I certainly haven’t achieved it yet, but like many of us, I am trying.

I hope you have a great weekend, during which time you may find something to top up your resilience.

Yours,