Story Name:  Failure will be part of your life:  Use it wisely and make it work for you

Teacher’s Notes:

a.  Key Topic

Through this story the kids will learn about failure and they will explore the relationship between failure and success.  It is important for the kids to understand that failure is part of everyone’s life and that there are lessons to be learnt from every failure.  We stress that how we use failure, determines whether we will succeed in the future or not.  The kids are encouraged to learn from failure and utilize what they have learnt in a positive manner.

b.  Concepts Introduced to the kids through the Story

• Realize that failure is connected to success
• Understand that failure is not bad as long as it teaches you something
• Lear that failure is part of everyone’s life

c.  Learning Objectives for the Kids

• Understand the connection between failure and success
• Discover the process of succeeding through failure
• Create conditions that will help kids use their failures to succeed

d.  Tips for Teaching through Storytelling

When teaching youngsters we need to use a slightly different approach than when teaching adults, meaning that youngsters relate better to visuals, examples and stories (real life examples/stories are even better) and interactive technology.  Also, young kids do not need a lot of jargon, they need a much simpler vocabulary that they can understand.  In addition, the teacher has to figure out a way to relate to the kids and there are a number of things that can be done in this direction from the type of clothes the teachers wear, to the language they use, the way they move about in the class, etc.

Storytelling is more than just reading the words of a story out loud.  It takes other skills as well.  It is important for teachers to use different tones in their voice when they are telling a story.  If the teacher’s voice stays at the same level it becomes boring!  The teacher will want their voice to go higher and lower, louder and softer.  Teachers should try to use different voices for different characters and make sure that they speak loud enough so that everyone hears them, and say the words clearly so that everyone can understand them.

Teachers should also have in mind that storytelling is not just words; it is motion as well.  They will have to move around when they tell their story; they should use their arms, legs, hands and their face to tell the story.  In addition, they have to make sure to maintain eye contact with their audience.  Eye contract is one of the most important non-verbal ways to connect with other people.  It helps keep the attention of the audience and it also conveys a sense of confidence and truthfulness.  It is best that teachers always look directly into the kids’ eyes; they will connect with them and keep their attention longer.

e.  In-class discussion after the storytelling

• Explain what failure is and ask the kids for some examples from their life.  Follow with a discussion of their examples.
• Explain how failure can turn into something good and ask the kids for some examples from their life.  Follow with a discussion of their examples.
• Ask the kids the following questions and discuss their answers.  Usually there is time to take and discuss the answers of 2 to 3 kids.

• • Do you think that Lucius’ failure is something that can be fixed?
  • How can Lucius’ failure help him get better?

The Story

Let’s visit our friends Madya, Lucius and Fiducius, at the sunny island of Soccertopia, to see how they are doing.  They are all in second grade now and very happy that they are not amongst the youngest in the school.  They still have soccer practice three times a week at the Soccertopia Eagles Academy and they still have their weekly chats with their coach, Mr. Soccerball.

During one of their weekly gatherings with their coach, our three friends Madya, Lucius and Fiducius, are sitting next to each other and both Madya and Fiducius are trying to calm down Lucius who is angry, mostly at himself, because he got a really bad grade in his essay at school.

-I am a failure guys, said Lucius.  All I could come up with was three lines instead of the twenty I was supposed to write.  My brain stopped working, I could not think of anything to write.

-Oh stop that, said Madya.  You are not a failure just because you did not do well in writing an essay once!

-Madya, this is what I am trying to tell you, said Lucius angrily, this is not the first time, it is the second time this month that I had this happen to me.

-What’s the matter here guys? asked Mr. Soccerball, is everything OK?

-No sir, nothing is OK, said Lucius, nothing is OK.  I am such a failure…

-Take it easy son, said Mr. Soccerball.  Why do you say that?

-I got a really bad grade in essay writing for the second time this month, said Lucius.  I don’t know what is wrong with me, I just go blank when I have to write essays, I cannot come up with any ideas of what to write and I do not write much.

-This is not the end of the world Lucius, believe me.  Failure can actually turn into a good thing, said Mr. Soccerball.

-But how can that be? asked Lucius, very confused.

Madya cut right in and said:  This is what I have been trying to tell him sir.  If we fail at something, once, twice or maybe more, it does not mean that we should give up.  We have the chance to get it right next time, as long as we want to get it right.

Madya turns to Lucius and says:  I think I know what you should have done here Lucius.  Remember the superpower of self-awareness?  I think you should use it here to figure out what went wrong when you were writing these essays.  And after you figure out what went wrong you can come up with a plan to fix it.  By using the superpowers of discipline and consistency, you can keep working to get better at it until you actually become better.

-Son, Madya is right, said Mr. Soccerball to Lucius.  She knows first-hand!

-That is right Lucius, said Madya.  Remember what happened to me a last year when I didn’t make the team because I tried out as a striker instead of my usual position of defender?

-I do remember Madya, said Lucius, but this is different, it is school we are talking about.

-No Lucius, it is not different at all, it is the same thing said Madya.  When I realized that I needed different skills to make the team as a striker, I told Mr. Soccerball that I wanted to start training for a striker’s position.  And this is what I have been doing during the past year, plus I have been practicing a lot on my own. You know what happened after that!  I made the team as a striker!

-You see, Madya said, there is no such thing as a failure, it is just a chance to spot out what you need to do to get better at whatever you failed.  It is as simple as that!

What Madya said got Lucius thinking about what is wrong with his essay writing skills.

He looked at Madya and said:  I think I am beginning to see what went wrong here.  I don’t really read books except when I have to, for homework. That kind of puts a limit to coming up with any ideas when I write essays.

Mr. Soccerball turns to the kids and says to them:

-Kids, what can we do to help Lucius come up with a plan and get better at writing essays?

-Well, said Fiducius, he can start by reading a different story every week.  That will give him ideas he can use when writing essays.  I have this book with stories from around the world which he can borrow from me.  It has some really good stories, and when you read them they make you feel as if you know all these different countries where the stories take place; plus, you get to learn so many new things!

-An excellent idea Fiducius, said Mr. Soccerball.  What do you think Lucius?  Do you think this is something you could do?

-Yeah, I think so Mr. Soccerball, said Lucius.  Reading one story a week is not so bad.  Perhaps I could also write a summary of the story, to practice my writing.

-And you know what else you can do? said Madya.  Every week-end you can write a page about how your week was, something like a diary.  This way you will also practice about thinking what to write and it will help you come up with ideas of what to write.

-Hmmm, not a bad idea, said Lucius with a smile, that doesn’t sound very difficult.

-So, kids, what have we learned today? asked Mr. Soccerball.

-That I am not a failure sir? asked Lucius.

-Yes, that too, said Mr. Soccerball with a smile.  But what else have we learned today which is very important?

-That we should not be afraid to fail, said Fiducius with a determined look on his face.  Because failure can turn into something good by teaching us what went wrong.  And when we know what went wrong, we can try to fix it and get it right the next time.

-This is cool, said Madya and started singing:

When you fail don’t be sad

You have the chance to make things up

Figure out what went bad

And turn it around into a blast!

-That’s right kids, said Mr. Soccerball.  So next time you fail at something, don’t be sad, be glad!