I've been reading Seth Godin's Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, and he wrote this:

How to be Wrong: “The secret of being wrong isn’t to avoid being wrong! The secret is being willing to be wrong. The secret is realizing that wrong isn’t fatal. The only thing that makes people and organizations great is their willingness to be not great along the way. The desire to fail on the way to reaching a bigger goal is the untold secret of success.”

The real failure is failing to take the risk for fear of failing!

I think I'm going to share this video with my school at the start of the year… I look forward to the conversation that will follow!

Tumbleweed Tango from HUMBLE TV on Vimeo.

Godin uses a unicorn in a balloon factory as an analogy in his book. I think he'd like this video too!

What do you do to encourage students and educators to look for the rewards and take risks with their learning?

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4 comments on “Risk and Reward

  1. Ha. I’ve always called education “The Dance of Danger” where the rewards tend to be commensurate with the risks of failure. When people learn of my background as a police officer, they are quick to applaud the bravery of those in such a career. I have always responded that with few exceptions, my days in the classroom, walking the fine line, taking hold of those “teachable moments,” usually required considerably more courage. Thanks David for this visual reminder of both the challenges facing us as teachers, and the soaring potential that comes with embracing them.

  2. Love the video and the idea of using it as a conversation starter with teachers. I know at least one who will show it to her 11-12 year olds and can’t wait to hear their responses! It’d be a good provocation for over protective parents too 🙂

  3. Love the video! My students have said over and over that what helped them most was the opportunity to share and discuss and work together. They identify collaboration and conversation as the way to transform themselves and others around them from what they learned together.

    I hope to learn more about the Inquiry Hub. Any Tango lessons planned?

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