Doing Things the Hard Way is Worth It

As easy answers and digital shortcuts are changing education today, scientists, teachers and other educators are rapidly bringing attention to the importance of productive struggle in childhood.

“You build critical thinking skills like you learn to ride a bike. You have to practice it over and over,” says Rebecca Winthrop, education policy expert at the Brookings Institution, in an interview at PBS. “Kids have to struggle. They have to make mistakes. That is how we learn.”

As easy answers and digital shortcuts are changing education today, Winthrop joins other scientists, teachers, and educators emphasizing the importance of productive struggle in childhood.

Experts say the ability to continue working toward a goal, despite setbacks or slow progress, is essential to learning. Resilience fuels the complex and critical thinking that is required for advanced academic study. Research has even found that struggling—and making mistakes!—makes our brains grow.

“Kids have to struggle. They have to make mistakes. That is how we learn.”

At Portland Waldorf School, our program and pedagogy are designed to build resilience in our students through hands-on and multidisciplinary projects that requirepatience, concentration, and sustained effort.Throughout the grades, students write essays in cursive, read full chapter books (rather than excerpts), and master manual tasks that require practice and patience, like learning to knit and play the violin. They memorize verses and tackle complex math problems, without the use of technology. When winter comes to Portland, our students don’t wait out the weather indoors; instead, they pull on their rainboots and enjoy the puddles.

These experiences—even those that aren’t strictly academic—lay the groundwork for learning in high school, when our school’s multidisciplinary and well-rounded curriculum inspires and challenges students to reach their potential in a wide range of subject areas, from thermodynamics to Shakespeare. Every student plays an instrument, performs class plays, sings in choir, participates in service learning projects, and joins their classmates on challenging outdoor expeditions, away from the classroom and the comforts of home.

These diverse opportunities are deeply rewarding, but they aren’t always easy—and they aren’t designed to be. Part of being a Portland Waldorf School student is stepping outside your comfort zone. Over time, learning to persevere through a complex topic, or to stick with something when it doesn't come naturally, builds confidence and resolve in our students. As many of our students learn, challenges often result in the most rewarding experiences at school.

Grade 8 students in Waldorf education complete a years-long endeavor that entails a creating a passion project, writing an accompanying research paper, and presenting the project to several large audiences. Here a student wrote and drew forty comic strips chronicling the highs and lows of her eighth grade year.

Give your child the opportunity to struggle, learn, and grow! Join us on a tour of Portland Waldorf School to learn more about what we do.