The latest SPEAK presenter, Alex Yannacone, offered an informative and interactive talk on Wednesday. The focus was on “Building Resiliency Within Our Teens” -- a very timely and informative topic.

 

In recent years, as the topic of grit (or perseverance or resiliency) comes up, those of us in education have asked ourselves: are kids less resilient than they used to be? We are worried that perhaps they are. There are signs and symptoms that our students are more “bubble wrapped” and protected from disappointment and setbacks than ever before. Some parents spend a lot of time and energy clearing the way for their children, meaning their kids never have the chance to learn some of the essential resiliency skills that can only come through experience. How do we know how a person will bounce back from a setback if they are always protected from having them in the first place?

 

And yet, there are countervailing trends as well. For example, students are much better than ever at self-advocating. While they are not perfect in their communication with their teachers, they are much better and more articulate about conveying their needs and engaging in honest dialogue with their teachers, who in turn are more receptive and open-minded about hearing those needs expressed. Meanwhile, books like Wendy Mogel’s The Blessings of a Skinned Knee, along with new brain research, have helped parents and educators understand the importance of allowing students safe opportunities to fail, so that they can build up the sort of resiliency skills we know are important for adults to have.

 

At Colorado Academy we are aware of student needs in this area, and we are having open conversations in classrooms, advisories, class meetings, and through the SPEAK series. Mental health and wellness is not relegated to the shadows anymore but is instead considered to be a major component of school life. We know that when students build their capacity for perseverance, when they know how to grow and learn from setbacks, and when they establish strong coping mechanisms, they are better all-around students and more complete human beings.

 

We now know that resiliency is a skill that can be built, just like critical thinking, or persuasive writing, or public speaking, or any of the other many skills we foster and teach here at school. Yes, many people are “hard-wired” to cope more effectively with unpredictable circumstances, but that does not mean everything should be left to nature. Like any skills, resiliency gets better with practice, so we must give students the chance to learn from mistakes.

 

Obviously, like many of the skills on which we focus, it is critical for the school to be in alliance with parents so that the messages we send to our young people are in agreement. Accordingly, adult role models are extremely important in the lives of children. Whether they are seeing behavior of teachers, or parents, or coaches, children learn so much about coping with the world simply by observing how the grown-ups do it. If they see a lot of adults “freaking out” over every problem, they will assume that is what they too should do, even if we tell them (in our calmer moments) that they should do otherwise.

 

Over the past few years, Alex Yannacone has been a tremendous resource to our community. She has given talks to many different groups—parents, students, and faculty—on topics such as resiliency, depression and anxiety, suicide prevention, and mindfulness. As part of CU-Boulder’s incredible Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, she has helped us spread the word about the importance of mental health awareness.

Listen to the podcast of the SPEAK lecture.

View the handouts.