2nd May 2025
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
IS IT SAFE? Last weekend I enjoyed following the coverage of the London Marathon. Like many of you I often know someone running in it. This was the first time I could not claim such a link and in turn use such an association to make me appear fitter than I am. The closest I have come this year in using my association with people so much fitter than me is that our very own Mrs Bansropun successfully completed the Milan Marathon over the Easter break - well done Mrs Bansropun. Every time I see a marathon I am reminded of the brilliant but unnerving Dustin Hoffman movie, Marathon Man. The steely determination and mechanical precision of Laurence Olivier’s Nazi dentist, Szell, makes me tremble every time I hear “Is it safe?”. What strikes me about his incessant “Is it safe?” is that it is often a question that many learners or adults ask themselves before they try something new. If the potential for failure runs high then the perception of how safe it is to attempt an activity can be affected. Risk, or more importantly fear, forms a big part of developing a growth mindset. So, Szell’s “is it safe?” is as good a starting point as any and a handy little prompt to support us to tackle the issue of mindset in learners or indeed in ourselves. Those of us that prefer safety to risk, that avoid fear of failure, that like to know all of the parameters we are working within, that already know that we know the answers - we exhibit the characteristics of a fixed mindset. However, those of us that are not afraid of failing, of staying within the parameters of safety, of experiencing something for the first time - we exhibit the characteristics of a growth mindset. Now let’s not throw everybody out of their comfort zone as that just causes panic, instead let’s start to think about how our learners are approaching the work we give them or how we are approaching our
work. Are they/we too preoccupied in whether it is safe? Or are we gently encouraging them or each other to move outside of the comfort zone? Language is a powerful force in fostering a growth mindset and a can do attitude. Indeed how we speak to our learners, our children and each other, and how others speak to us can have a powerful influence. Here are a few language tips to help others rephrase things they are having difficulty with: •
I don’t understand – What am I missing?
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I give up – I’ll use some of the strategies I’ve learned.
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I made a mistake – Mistakes help me improve.
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This is too hard – This may take some time and effort.
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It’s good enough – Is this really my best work?
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I’ll never be as smart as her/him – I’m going to figure out what she/he does and try it.
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I can’t make this any better – I can always improve; I’ll keep trying!
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I can’t read – I’m going to train my brain in reading.
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I’m not good at this – I’m on the right track
With Marathon Man on my mind, I would like to share the inspirational story of Rob Young Marathon Man Interview - Business Insider and his astonishing feats of physical endurance as a marathon runner. A man that demonstrates growth mindset by the bucket load, Rob began his running career by accident. When sitting on the sofa one weekend he had an argument with his then partner Joanna; he would rather watch the London Marathon than spend time with his family. She bet him that he’d never be able to run a Marathon; he said he could run 50. And so the next day he