Grit, Perseverance, Resiliency

Too much stress STINKS! Students in grades K through 6 will identify the negative side effects of experiencing too much stress and develop healthy strategies for dealing with stressful situations. Reinforce the lesson from the storybook, Stress...

Initiative is the ability to start an activity, plan, or task. Learning how to take initiative and get things done is an important executive function skill for children. Author and educator Bryan Smith has developed five activities to accompany the...

Problem solving involves many other executive functioning behaviors, including reasoning, attention, planning, initiation, working memory, and self-monitoring. Teach your students problem solving skills with these activities that accompany the...

The more people focus on the positive things happening in their lives, the more zest they will have. All students should be encouraged to find ways to look at their world through a positive lens. In this activity from ZEST: Live It! Activity Guide,...

Students will practice gathering information and persevering on the task of writing a survival guide. This activity will allow students to understand that many famous people displayed grit when they continued to try very hard even after experiencing...

By identifying areas within the school that they could improve, students will gain the knowledge of the steps needed to stay on task and work effectively as a group. Place students in groups and ask them to search for the top "100 Best Of..." This...

There are several items that exist today because they were discovered by mistake or by accident. As a class or in small groups, think of several ways of how an item that was invented by mistake has proven to be beneficial in our daily lives. This...

The purpose of this activity is for students to recognize and identify how to alter one's environment to improve a situation.  Students will review qualities that some people have that make it easier for them to overcome obstacles or challenges, and...

Students will practice self-correcting their behavior and take responsibility for their actions with this activity allowing the class to explore the idea that effort, not blaming others, will improve their future. To start off the activity, students will...

Students will stay on task while trying to move a heavy object. They will have the opportunity to keep trying very hard to complete the task even after experiencing failure, which in turn, students will learn to practice self-control. Enjoy the book GRIT...

Students will practice zest by showing enthusiasm, optimism, and pride in their accomplishments when creating and sharing their “Zest Books.” This activity will help to identify what zest is and is not. Read the book ZEST: Live...

Students will display effort as they perform tasks and will gain an understanding of the advantages of delaying gratification. Students will also display grit by continuing to work at accomplishing tasks, even after experiencing failure. Enjoy the book...