The Foundation for Challenge

Lay the groundwork and reap the rewards.

Learning is change. Change occurs when we challenge ourselves to try new things. Students develop greater brain capacity and skills when they are consistently, appropriately challenged. Here's how to lay the groundwork for creating growth through challenge:

 

1. Safety
   Create a fully inclusive environment that values emotional safety.
   
   
2. Standards
   Your classroom needs a Code of Honor. Create 3 transparent, visible and declared standards that let students know how this classroom works.
   
   
3. Choice
   Give students choices. Every choice gives them an increased level of ownership for their experience.
   
   
4. Work Product
   Compress time-frames and work in iterations. Each iteration should have a deliverable/work product. This trains students to output value every time they work. It enables them to see progress.
   
   
5. Feedback
   Built in traditions and mechanisms so that students get regular feedback with every iteration of their work. Use peer to peer tools, self-reflection, mentoring, acknowledgment and various assessments.