A reflection inspired by the upcoming Science Fair and 4th Grade Robot (Spout Bot) Construction Project through STEM:

My first grader was soaring her recently constructed Lego creation (a Star Wars flight vehicle) around the living room when it crashed to the ground and scattered into numerous pieces.  Alex’s disappointment and devastation was profound.  She had worked for hours and followed the manual so very carefully.  Her proud accomplishment was destroyed.

As my husband and I coached her out of her emotional spiral, we were reminded of the power of parenting and the opportunity before us to impart a lesson on resilience.  It was absolutely appropriate for Alexandra to feel sadness at the loss of this design feat, but she now had choices in front of her in regards to expressing those emotions and addressing how to move forward.  She could be flexible in her approach and bounce back, or she could allow this setback to keep her from using her imagination to fight further galactic battles.  We certainly weren’t in favor of the latter.

Once the tears had been wiped away, we talked through options.  We could deconstruct the wing and backtrack only as much as needed, or take it all apart and start from scratch.  This was just a bit too much for this 7 year old to ponder at that moment, so we completely took a break and changed activities.  We put the pieces in a bag, committed to coming back to it later, and moved forward.*

In the coming months, many Almond students will be working on their Science Fair Projects.  This opportunity affords students the experience of progressing through the scientific inquiry process:  observe, define a problem, form a question, investigate the known, articulate expectations, carry out the study, interpret results, reflect on findings to ultimately communicate findings.  This arduous process will put our student’s diligence and commitment to the test.

In addition, our 4th grade students will be constructing a robot named Spout Bot through our STEM program. Students will delve into the principles of matter, energy, magnetism and electricity.  Precision will be essential and this journey will require relentless focus. 

These undertakings will challenge and push our children’s thinking and limits.  Numerous failures may result along the way and our children will have choices in how they respond to adversity.  We, their mentors, will be able to guide their choices towards resiliency.  When frustrated and unable to see the big picture, let’s support our students in stepping back, taking a break and looking at the question/task from a different perspective.  Sometimes that means playing a game of basketball, listening (maybe even dancing) to our favorite song, or taking a walk in the fresh air.  Giving up though is not an option.  Let’s remind them that we always come back, because we are unstoppable. 

Remember, this is 2014, the year where we expect great things of ourselves!

*Two weeks after the dreaded crash of the Star Fighter, it was reconstructed and now adorns a spot on a display shelf with an Alex-made plaque celebrating the proud triumph.