Scaling 9 Brick Walls: How Learners Persist Through Productive Struggle
By Dr. Caleb Collier, Director of The Institute for Self-Directed Learning
What do you do when you get stuck trying to learn something new?
We’ve all experienced it at some point: things are going smoothly, concepts are making sense, we’re able to move along in our work and then—SMACK!—we hit a brick wall. Things get hard. Concepts aren’t clicking. We feel like we’re spinning our tires in the mud, not getting anywhere. We get overwhelmed. Anxious. Frustrated. Tired.
It may seem counterintuitive, but this is when learning is deepest and most authentic. Unfortunately, we as parents and educators often keep children from experiencing this level of frustration by not giving them challenging tasks outside of their comfort zones. Or we intervene too quickly to “rescue” learners when they are struggling through a concept. Researchers have called on educators to not step in and keep learners from “productive struggle,” but rather equip young people with the mindsets to persist through challenging learning.
At The Institute for Self-Directed Learning and our two lab schools, The Forest School: An Acton Academy and The Forest School Online, we feel a deep responsibility to help young people develop habits, mindsets, and strategies to persevere through productive struggle.
Recently, our learners in our Middle School Studio dove into the topic of becoming self-directed learners. Connected with previous research we’ve done, learners navigated the four phases in the Pathway of Self-Directed Learning: 1.) Building the desire to learn; 2.) Becoming resourceful; 3.) Taking initiative; and 4.) Persisting when it gets challenging.
For the last phase, persisting through a learning challenge, learners utilized a concept called The Learning Pit. Developed by James Nottingham, The Learning Pit is a visual metaphor that communicates to learners that struggle is something to be embraced, not avoided.
It goes something like this: When we’re learning something, we can quickly be overwhelmed trying to make sense of new concepts. The downward slope of The Learning Pit feels exactly like that—like the ground is giving way beneath our feet. Still, we plod on, even if it feels like each step is a challenge. Then, we hit the metaphorical brick wall. We don’t know how to keep moving. The things we’ve tried aren’t working. We can’t find the motivation to go on. We take on a fixed mindset, with thoughts like “I can’t do it” and “It’s too hard for me.”
What happens next?
For some students, learning is short-changed. Adults step in with answers or shortcuts, or the learner gives up and walks away.
Or, the learner puts in the effort, scales up the brick wall, and makes it to the other side. Adults are there to offer encouragement, ideas, and resources, but they recognize that the learner themselves must be the one to make it over the wall. The rest of the way through The Learning Pit becomes a welcome challenge. Learners take on a growth mindset, fueled by questions like “What if I try…?” and “Maybe if I practice…?”
Providing this experience—learners encountering productive struggle and developing strategies to persevere—is perhaps our greatest role as educators.
In their study of self-directed learning and The Learning Pit, our Middle School learners identified common brick walls they encounter. Here are the nine most common, most formidable ones they named:
Getting stuck on a math problem on an e-learning platform. At our lab schools, we don’t offer direct instruction. Instead, we utilize gamified, adaptable e-learning platforms for learners to practice and master core skills like math and grammar. But what happens when a learner gets stuck? In a teacher-led environment, the educator’s role is to make sure the learner gets over the brick wall, even if the teacher themselves is the one putting in the effort. But that’s not deep learning. In a learner-led environment, young people employ an array of strategies— like trial and error, using other resources to learn and practice the concept, tapping a mentor, or creating a study group. Educators provide support and motivation, but not instructivism. Not only does the learner eventually persist and scale the brick wall, but the skills they’ve learned in persevering through the challenge can be applied to any learning experience, in or out of school. They’ve learned how to learn anything. Anecdotally, graduates of our K12 schools report getting good grades in colleges not because our schools’ math programs were incredible, but because they learned in our environments how to learn and manage their time.
Catching up after being absent for a week. Our lab schools don’t have an attendance policy. Families have freedom to travel and make the best use of their time as they see fit. But what happens when a learner has missed a substantial amount of class time? For us, it’s not so different from the current world of work. If you take a leave of absence from your job, there are certain responsibilities you take on. You follow company policies. You communicate in advance with your supervisor. You make plans to continue toward your work goals when you return. And if you’re a member of a team, you make sure that your team isn’t burdened by your absence. We coach our learners to take the same mindset. Ultimately, this brick wall teaches learners to develop self-management, responsibility, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, all essential for navigating real-world challenges.
Being “behind” on your learning plan. At our lab schools, each learner customizes their own learning plan (we call them Badge Plans). With their parents and educators, they craft their own learning experiences that become a part of their portfolio of mastery. When this plan is made, the learner decides the pacing (how quickly they will advance through the learning plan). But what happens when they fall behind? Unlike traditional environments, learners at our schools aren’t behind on some preconceived academic track based on the outdated notion of the average student. Rather, they are “behind” on the pace they decided to meet their own goals. When they hit this brick wall, we meet with them to help them think through their options. They could continue their current pace, which means it would just take them longer to complete their Badge Plan. Or they could change their pace and work toward getting back on schedule. The choice is theirs. Navigating the challenge of being “behind” teaches learners self-awareness, goal-setting, time management, and decision-making skills.
Navigating conflict with a friend. Not all brick walls are academic. Perhaps the greatest learning challenges, especially in a learner-led school, are social dynamics with peers. It’s important to us as educators to equip young people with strategies and mindsets to mediate and resolve conflict on their own. It’s not easy, but like all brick walls, pushing through the challenge of mending a friendship is a skillset that is useful throughout one’s life. Never in our country, it seems, has learning to live together been more important.
Prioritizing what to do and how to focus during quiet work time. Learners at our lab schools have blocks of time to choose their own work. They set goals at the beginning of this time, choosing what to prioritize for how long. Making those choices, though, can be tricky. Like the real world, there are competing priorities learners must choose between. We help them by discussing goal setting strategies, reflect with them on their overall progress during one-on-one check ins, and provide systems for accountability. Their choices, though, are their own. Learning this skill of time and task management can be frustrating (and often the greatest learning comes through failure, when a learner hasn’t made the best choices with their time). But once again, cultivating the ability to persevere and choose wisely has ripple effects across all areas of life.
Others not valuing your opinion or contribution on a collaborative project. We do a lot of collaborative learning at our lab schools. Learners work together in pairs and groups daily on a variety of tasks. But what happens when a learner feels their contribution isn’t valued? In a traditional classroom, they have little recourse than having a teacher intervene. In a learner-led environment, however, every person is empowered to act. Learners can engage in a conflict resolution process with their group, take their complaint to a council of peers, or utilize peer-review and 360 feedback systems to communicate with co-workers and hold them accountable for collaboration.
Peers not upholding their commitments. In every social setting, the problem arises: someone falls short of their commitments. In most school settings, this may not affect the wider community. But in a learner-led environment, one person’s actions impact the entire group. So, our young people get a lot of practice at working through situations where they feel like their peers aren’t upholding their responsibilities. In doing so, they develop the skills and mindsets of self-governance, of being able to hold each other accountable to the commitments they’ve made to themselves, the group, and to the school.
Being confused on a challenge. In our lab schools, educators are seen as gamemakers. They design and employ thoughtful challenges that engage and provoke learners. They don’t lecture and don’t over-explain. So what happens when a learner lacks clarity on a challenge? Once they hit this brick wall and choose to go over it, they realize there are a wealth of options. They ask their peers. They revisit the instructions and design constraints. They clarify the deliverables and time expectations. They study a world-class example of this type of work. If needed, they go to the educator with clarifying questions. What learners that have mastered the Pathway of Self-Directed learning don’t do is throw up their hands, say they don’t understand, and give up.
Fear of public speaking. Learners at our lab schools get a lot of practice in speaking in front of audiences. These types of presentations can be anxiety-inducing for a lot of us. But over time, with more experience, communication strategies, and feedback, our young people become master communicators and facilitators. Again, scaling this brick wall at a young age pays dividends far beyond completing school work.
Do you see the value of young people naming these brick walls and strategizing ways to scale them on their own? The highlight of all of this is the fact that once learners can conceptualize productive struggle (using a visual like The Learning Pit), and can anticipate that authentic, deep learning should be challenging, then they can make a plan for how to overcome the obstacles that will inevitably come their way. All heroes must face a dragon at some point in the journey.
During their final Exhibition of their unit on self-directed learning, learners presented the brick walls and had parents/caregivers collaborate on how they would “scale the wall.” Learners then evaluated the suggestions that parents provided against the four phases of the Pathway of Self-Directed Learning. For this demonstration, the learners were the masters of self-directed learning, imparting their wisdom to us visitors who will inevitably encounter our own brick walls as we continue to learn.
Here’s the important takeaway: learners gained deep exposure to the learning science around productive struggle and had an opportunity to invite their parents and caregivers into their learning. A common understanding and language emerged that could help the whole community move forward through the challenges that arise when we truly learn how to learn.
If you are a school leader or educator looking to cultivate self-directed learning and the mindsets of productive struggle in your classroom, reach out to us for support! You can email our Director, caleb@selfdirect.school to learn more about our services.
Our next offering is the Fall Cohort of the New School Models Design Lab. Developed originally at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, the New School Models Design Lab is a 27-session self-paced course that empowers forward-thinking leaders to create a blueprint for an innovative school model. Created for individuals and team members who work on or support those who affect the design of learning environments, the Design Lab focuses on understanding how and why today's learning environments can be improved to better support students. Participants will leave the Design Lab with their own “Blueprint” for a New School Model, along with resources to help pursue their vision. At the end of this course, you will have the knowledge and skills to design beyond the limits of traditional school design. As a member of the Fall Cohort, you will also participate in three virtual meetings with Institute staff and fellow school founders to reflect on the design process together. We do have a few scholarships available for reduced rates. Please reach out to the Director of the Institute for Self-Directed Learning, Dr. Caleb Collier (caleb@selfdirect.school) for more information.
Dr. Caleb Collier is the Director of The Institute for Self-Directed Learning and leads our research, networking, and consulting efforts. Caleb has a PhD in Teaching and Learning from Georgia State University with a research focus on self-directed learning. He served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture as a research member of the Moral Ecology Project. He has authored many articles on learner-led education and his book, Theoretical and Historical Evolutions of Self-Directed Learning, is a foundational text in the field. Caleb’s greatest passion (and greatest adventure) is his family, and he gladly spends most of his time with his wife and three children at their home in Atlanta
