Managing Frustration

Posted by Lindsay

This week the students in division one and two headed to the Think Tank with the overarching goal of 'Managing Frustration'. The students were asked to engage the Habits of Mind: Preserve and Think Independently, however, the students soon discovered that there are several Habits of Mind that can be tapped into when one is frustrated.

We began this session with our opening circle where we asked students questions such as 'Have you ever been frustrated before?',  'What do you do when you are frustrated?', 'Why is it important to manage frustration?' Many of the students responses centred around being frustrated by younger siblings and parents. After deeper questioning, the students described activities and situations that brought out frustrations in them. It was encouraging to hear that the students had some very good strategies in place to deal with their frustrations. The students in both division one and two have been working through the 'Mind-Up' curriculum throughout the course of the year. Many of their responses to dealing with frustration were examples of mindful behaviour.

Who's been frustrated?

Before exploring the inquiry beans, the students were asked to notice when they began to feel frustrated with their task and or with their learning partner. As with other Think Tank sessions, students were also asked to notice what Habits of Mind they were using. It also important to understand that some students might not feel frustrated with their task or their partner…and that is a good thing!

Once engaged in the bins, some students did experience frustration.

The 'Tower of Hanoi…renamed by this students as the 'Tower of Annoy'

3D Tic Tac Toe can also be frustrating

The students were asked to reflect upon their Think Tank session by responding to the following writing prompt.

This was also an opportunity for frustration to set in. Students were once again using Habits of Mind such as 'Preserve' to complete this task. Luckily, we have found that scaffolding the students reflection writing has helped limit frustration in this area. We have found that adaptations in the students' reflective writing component has led to success for all learners.

Managing frustration during reflective writing

Students' reflective writing represented a strong ability to manage frustration. The examples that the students used to draw upon for their connections were real and personal to them. Furthermore, the strategies that they are using to manage their frustrations demonstrated a strong understanding of mindful behaviour!