This thoughtful talk by John Wooden gives some valuable insights into ways in which we can get the best out of our learners. John Wooden is referenced in a number of books I’ve read recently, including Carol Dweck’s “Mindset: The new psychology of success” and Daniel Coyle’s “The Talent Code”. There are some great links between his words and the work that Dweck, in particular has developed. I met with a teacher recently who is working to develop a whole-school culture of growth mindsets, with teachers, students and parents & carers alike.
I am excited to see what the change will be as a result of this very deliberate work. It would be great to hear from other schools who are embarking on similar journeys, so please leave your comments below for everybody to share.
This talk is pretty much an all-encapsulating journey into the mind of a powerfully inspirational coach. Sit back and simply immerse yourself in the experiences and love of learning that he shares here.
Full On Learning 
Completely agree with his comment that "the journey is better than the end." I’m doing some coaching work in a school over the next few months to explore just these ideas. Would be interested in what the teacher you’ve mentioned is up to and any other comments you receive on here.
There is quite a bit of work going on where I’m based which is looking into practical strategies that can be adopted to develop Growth mindsets. Little ideas are being put into action for the students, but we’re finding that the best place to start is with the adults. The challenge is to avoid those times when the bar is set unintentionally low for learners by our own fears, don’t you think?
I’d agree, though (and apologies for stretching the metaphor, but it is appropriately sporting) sometimes I think the opposite can happen – the bar is raised without thinking through how to make a pole long enough to support the vault or what we can do if the pole snaps.Learners – and I include teachers within that group – need both the belief that they can aim higher, the confidence in their support mechanisms and the resilience and skills in reflection to consider what to do when things don’t go as planned.
I love the way you write that last paragraph and I couldn’t agree more!