How Struggling with Challenges Develops Courage in Academics

December 14, 2022 byBob Engler

6 min to read

A mother is reading a book with her daughter at a table

Courage, Harvard Business Review notes, is a teachable, life-enriching skill that is distinct from a flash of bravery that a student might be able to summon to get over an anxious moment.

The article is for business professionals, but if you substitute a few words, you’ll find a principle that applies to students as well as executives: “Courage lives within us, even when we don’t feel brave.”

Nurturing that inherent quality takes coaching. Kids just starting to glimpse the possibilities of the future are in the prime years for learning confidence and healthy self-esteem. Those values inspire persistence—Don’t give up!—and support a growth mindset.

It’s amazing what can happen then: Students become self-motivated and strive to understand and connect concepts on their own. They accept the responsibility for what they learn, how they learn it, and when. Students who challenge themselves to achieve in school thrive.

It sounds circular: You have to be courageous to become courageous. Think instead of coaxing students out of their comfort zone a little bit at a time. Soon enough, they’ll gain enough confidence in themselves and their abilities to meet challenges as they arise and crush them.

When you think of how to develop courage in your student, consider the following educational strategies and ideas from the business world.

How Does Embracing Risk Help Develop Courage in School?

In an article on the psychology of courage, Forbes magazine reports that business leaders who take measured risks and learn from setbacks are more successful than those who don’t.

Academics call that “productive struggle.” It is an instructional strategy in which teachers, parents, and coaches allow students to muddle through problems themselves rather than jumping in immediately with solutions.

Don’t abandon your student, though. Know the early warning signs of fear of failure—rolling eyes, sighing, fidgeting, and such. Let them go as near as they can to the brink of quitting, but still have the grit to pursue a solution.

Take your time. Let your student ease into the idea of pushing themselves to the point of failure.

Struggle builds courage in academics the way lifting weights builds strength. You wouldn’t ask a kid to start resistance training by hoisting three times their body weight, so don’t expect a third-grader to take on The Brothers Karamazov.

But if you challenge your youngest learners with age-appropriate literature that may be just beyond their grasp, they could be reading at a college level before getting to high school. Let your middle-schooler wrestle with STEM courses and they could be ready—literally—to shoot for the stars.

It’s never too late to encourage productive struggle. However, the sooner students start experiencing how persistence pays off, the earlier they begin developing the courage to:

Push themselves—even it means making a mistake on the way to achieving a goal
Admit when they are in over their heads without feeling like they’re failing
Ask for help before they get overwhelmed
Take responsibility for their educational success

“Many of us assume that helping students learn means protecting them from negative feelings of frustration. But for students to become independent learners, they must learn to persist in the face of challenge,” according to the teaching and learning resource ACSD.

Why Is Being Intentional a Way to Show Courage at School?

Another common attribute that Forbes found among successful executives is their ability to stay focused on their purpose, not the problem. It says that leaders who understand the why of their intentions have “a higher likelihood of overcoming fear and achieving courageous goals.”

In a learning environment, setting intentions and focusing on achieving them can be useful for students who are wary about why they should take on extra assignments or enroll in advanced courses.

Among the many benefits of online school, parents and students often mention the scheduling flexibility that enables them to enrich their curriculum requirements with related activities that:

Motivate kids to tackle honors and advanced courses by scheduling outside activities that directly support their coursework. Students interested in Advanced Placement®* (AP) history, for instance, can gain new insights into their studies by visiting museums.
Relieve the stress that seniors may feel about going to college. Dual enrollment, for instance, can bolster their confidence by giving them a sneak peek of the higher-education experience. Some programs offer opportunities to earn college credits and participate in special curricula
Stoke students’ enthusiasm for extra-credit work with interest-based learning. This teaching method allows students to align their passions with their studies. A dedicated makerspace, stimulates hands-on learning to help students connect concepts with the real world.

Students who have courage in academics tend to be open to new possibilities and different perspectives. Encouraging your child to try some of these ideas can help them develop a willingness to embrace tough tasks rather than shy away from them.

A parent showing his online student how to develop courage in school.

How Do Students Develop Courage to Recover from Setbacks?

Even with the best of intentions and preparation, things don’t always work out the way we want them to. Kids get sick. A mid-term relocation can interrupt their education. Sometimes the material is just too much for them.

Credit recovery gives high school students who tried but were unable to earn course credit an opportunity to try again and get back on track to graduate on time.

Finding ways to show courage at school after a setback should begin with an honest, non-judgmental conversation. An international education association suggests asking your student what went well in their previous attempt and not to get hung up on why they did not finish.

Concentrating on even partial success strengthens a can-do attitude. Once the work starts, keeping their eyes on the prize builds momentum to overcome anxiety and stress. Online students are spared the distractions of the brick-and-mortar school by taking advantage of remote-learning opportunities to:

Create a safe, inviting study space tailored to your students’ learning style. Kids who deal with classroom distractions tend to rush through their studies and experience more stress, higher frustration, and pressure.
Give your student a say in setting up a schedule. They have to meet the curriculum requirements, of course. But sharing ownership of the school day with them shows that you have confidence in their ability to complete the work.

Most important, stay positive! It’s contagious. When you stay centered on the gains through encouraging feedback and assistance when needed, your student will be more confident and resilient—in other words, more courageous.

Learn How Courage in Academics Pays Off in Personal and Educational Success

Whether you call it academic courage, heart, a can-do attitude, or grit, helping your student develop the ability to make a real effort and stick with his or her studies can make a big difference. With this ability and the confidence it builds, your child will have two important tools for academic and career success.

Find out more ways to help your child build the confidence, healthy self-esteem, persistence, and focus by visiting our Resource Hub, joining a virtual event to hear from Connections Academy® educators, staff, and parents, or request a complementary Connections Academy® eGuide.

*AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.