Waldorf Academy Toronto Shares Advice On Dealing With Failure

Waldorf Academy Toronto recently published a new report titled ‘Learning the Lessons of Failure.’ The article discusses ways in which one can stand before adversity and persevere.

“Resilience is a buzzword that has been around a few years now, but it’s an important one because it recognizes that there will always be obstacles that need to be overcome, and what’s important is how we react to them,” asserts Waldorf Academy. “Here at Waldorf Academy, a Toronto Waldorf school, we don’t judge failure, but learn from it.” Read more about the academy here: Waldorf Academy Toronto News.

Education is, according to Waldorf Academy, designed to prepare children and young adults for their future and for their interactions as global citizens. Waldorf Academy believes that education is an environment created to help children and young adults learn, experiment, be curious, and observe. Children who have had their curiosity encouraged and nurtured are able to objectively take note of their experiences and learn from them. The Academy makes it their goal to ensure that each child’s learning experience includes more than just acquiring knowledge and applying it, approaching education in a way that helps students learn how to cope with failing to achieve the desired results.

At Waldorf Academy, FAIL is taken as acronym that stands for First Attempt In Learning. The goal of this is to make failure appear less negative and encourage children to view unexpected outcomes as an opportunity to learn and grow. This approach, “takes the judgment out of failure, and reframes it as an important step in achieving one’s final goals,” says the Academy. By interpreting failure as an outcome with different consequences, Waldorf Academy allows its students to experience and learn from failure in a safe environment. Every child will experience both success and failure, and their school years are the best chance they have to experiment with it—and experience both fully without having to deal with any of the negative consequences.

While failure is not seen as a negative thing at Waldorf Academy, students are still encouraged to learn from their failures and learn how not to repeat them. “Failure teaches us all what doesn’t work, which is almost as important as learning what does,” notes the academy. “Imagine a world without inventors—these are people who have become comfortable with failure, and it has resulted in some serious advances for mankind.” Read about Waldorf’s approach and how successful it has been here: Waldorf Academy Toronto Yelp.

Resilience comes as a result of failure, and is an important quality for any adult who is in pursuit of success. By teaching their students to accept failure as a part of life and then learn from it, Waldorf Academy aims to ensure that all their students go into life prepared to handle failure and eventually do better, a quality that is important when trying to achieve success. “We tell our children to be a good sport, but we also don’t give them the opportunity to experience what this means,” says Waldorf Academy. “When their schoolmates are all held to the same standard, and it’s one that doesn’t involve shaming them for their failures, they learn that it’s acceptable to learn in this way. By learning grace in the face of failure, it gives them the space to truly analyze what got them there, and to investigate and implement changes to achieve the success they desire.”

Failure doesn’t have to be scary, according to Waldorf Academy. When given the opportunity to experiment, children learn that failure is a possible outcome with its own consequences. This makes them more comfortable with experimenting in the first place. Having a safe space in which to try things out without having to fear the negative consequences of failure creates a willingness to try new things and find new and unique solutions to problems.

Waldorf Academy’s approach also teaches children that some things are beyond their control and they may fail anyway. “A life lesson that even some adults struggle with is that circumstances of chance can result in your failure, despite a valiant attempt. Sometimes, it’s possible to commit no mistakes, but still lose. But that is not a weakness—it’s part of life,” says the Academy.

Those interested in learning more may contact Jennifer Deathe of the Waldorf Academy Toronto. Furthermore, the academy has an Instagram page which posts regular updates on life at the school, which allows parents and visitors alike to stay in touch with the Academy’s recent events. Connect with them through the following link: Waldorf Academy Toronto Instagram.