Laura Di Giorgio

Just catching up on the forum after 8 weeks away in Europe. Isn't the important thing how we deal with failure both as teachers, parents and as individuals? Everyone will fail at something, it's inescapable and it seems to be even more part of our lives than ever with reality TV, quiz shows, sport etc.

I believe it's essential that children are taught to accept failure graciously, treat it as a learning experience, don't get too hung up on it, but look for the next challenge if that's what they want.

I am highly uncompetitive. I am an only child with very non-competitive parents. Winning and losing are not big in my life. But with my own children I encouraged them to participate in whatever they were interested and cheered them when they won, consoled them when they lost and encouraged them to do better next time if that's what they wanted. Surely that's just simple common sense reaction to life's competitions.

Children must learn that they CAN fail or they are going to grow up very dicontented adults. Then they need to learn how to handle it.

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One one hand I agree with you, how can one enjoy the true pleasures of success if they don't have failure to compare it to? However, our schooling system lets students down in that it doesn't facilitate learning in the best possible way for everyone. A system of competitive markers and levels works for some and not for others. I think debating the issue of semantics is not the most important point. "Fail" or "deferred success" is the same thing. We need to shift our focus. I have always been taught that it is the process, our journey (life), and not the destination (death), that is of key importance. Shouldn't this be the case with education too?

Laura Di Giorgio

My name is Laura Di Giorgio and I am a postgraduate student at Curtin University of Technology. As I commence work next year, I am interested in discussions with current teachers on subjects such as the Curriculum Framework currently in use, as well as Outcomes Based Education. I am also keen to collect ideas for the classroom! My major is English and my minor is Society and The Environment.