Eleanor Wade
Head of Secondary
DBSJP VALUES IN FOCUS: DETERMINATION AND EXCELLENCE
In this series, our leaders will explore one of our key values each month.
‘All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.’ Walt Disney
We all want our dreams, our children’s dreams and our friend's dreams to come true. We are encouraged to reach for the stars, aim high and work hard, have determination to achieve our dreams and desires. To be the best that we can be. The pursuit of excellence!
It sounds so simple – be the best that you can be, but the reality is very different, it is hard work. So how do we go about achieving this as we know the road to success is never easy. Some say that excellence is the key to success and that the journey will not be a smooth one, with many struggles and setbacks before we can reach ‘Excellence’. In the world that we are living in it is easy to see the people around us, our inspirations celebrating success whether in academic achievements, by performing on the stage or producing a stunning piece of art but what we often don’t see is the setting of smaller goals and the hard work that went into getting there.
To achieve this, we need to set ourselves goals and targets along the way as we strive for ‘Excellence’. In education, we often talk about setting manageable goals, SMART targets, and making small changes as these will help to focus your efforts and make achieving your goals more likely. This is also true for achieving excellence, it is the driver towards a planned clear vision of your preferred future and how you will get there (2).
In addition to our goals, there needs to be not only a desire to achieve excellence but a strength of character, determination and perseverance even in the face of adversity. It is the ability to overcome setbacks, to struggle, to fail but still have the ability to not give in. We often refer to this as the learning paradox which is at the heart of ‘productive failure’, that the more you struggle with new learning the better you will understand it and apply it later e.g. Learning from our mistakes and striving not to repeat them. This phenomenon was identified by Manu Kapur that allowing for struggle to take place when learning is a good thing, allowing better transfer of knowledge to new situations (3).
In education, feedback following ‘mistakes’ is key for us to become more effective learners. The ability to reflect on how improvements can be made, encouraging and adapting to new information. To continue to work towards targets it is important to identify why the mistake has occurred, was it because it was beyond our current level of ability, due to a lack of understanding, a lack of concentration or because we were in a high stake situation. By identifying the cause of the mistake we can create a learning opportunity. This is explored by Cath Proffitt’s work on the ideas of putting the ’Feed’ into feedback (4).
However, it is also about having a strong mindset, not being dissuaded from your goal and having the determination to keep going. Michelle Obama reflected on this by saying ‘instead of letting hardships and failures discourage or exhaust you. Let them inspire you. Let them make you even hungrier to succeed'. It is about putting it into perspective, acknowledging your disappointment, celebrating successes and taking risks to achieve your goals. When you have mastered a task or skill the self-esteem that you feel will help you in your drive towards excellence. The balance between the control you have over your life, the actions that you take, and the support that you seek will help empower you to make decisions on the path to your goal.
Striving for Excellence through Determination
Know yourself - your strengths and areas you want to develop.
Set clear goals/targets – and challenge yourself to achieve difficult goals.
Have belief in yourself – and have people around you who are positive and encouraging.
Forgive your mistakes/failures – but learn from them.
Be Brave.
Keep closing the gap between who you are now and who you want to be.
When we look back to the idea of excellence it is important to remember that this will change over time, in the situation that you are in and the people that are around you. It is about providing yourself with opportunities to achieve beyond what you have ever achieved before, to be a better version of yourself and to remain determined to achieve this goal. It isn’t about seeking perfection, it is important to remember that this is relative to you now, it isn’t relative to others it is a personal journey, one that can be shared by those around you to celebrate in your journey, pick you up when you need kindness, push you to stay on track, to challenge yourself when things become hard and ultimately to thrive in today's society. It takes courage but will empower you to continue to strive for excellence and become an inspiration to those that are around you to become extraordinary.
Organisational Leadership and Culture – Edgar Schein
Productive Failure – Manu Kapur
Putting the FEED into Feedback – Cath Proffitt 2018
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