From the Learning Specialists

Over the past few weeks our staff have been immersed in exciting learning, challenging our thinking about the ‘productive struggle’. This is a phrase you are sure to hear more of at Wonga Park Primary School.

What is productive struggle?

• a process of learning that takes a lot of effortful thinking
• exploring a variety of solutions to problems and accepting that there may be more than one explanation 
• thinking through challenging learning tasks with grit, persistence and resilience
• not giving up when problems we face stretch our thinking 

I know how I feel when I attempt to learn something new. I need to try it out a few times; I fumble, I pause, I fail and I think of another way to succeed. In our classrooms we work hard to build a learning culture that encourages the same, a culture where mistakes are expected and respected and where students are encouraged to try with effort when learning something new.

Below are some suggestions for things we can all do to help support a culture where productive struggle is valued;

• give children time to struggle with tasks to lead them to need to ask questions
• feel comfortable with the thought that confusion and mistakes are a part of learning
• accept that a struggle to learn something new will take time
• provide suggested strategies for what children can do when they are stuck, but don’t provide the solution

“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort and keep on learning.” Carol Dweck