The Coddling of the American Mind is a book that has helped me analyze and understand student behaviors I have seen and heard over the last few years. Things have changed and some would argue that “not for the better.” I remain an optimist and believe that the “worst” of behaviors are overblown in conversation and media.
In The Coddling of the American Mind, authors Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff argue that well-intentioned parents and educators are unwittingly harming young people by teaching them in ways that implicitly convey three untruths:
Fragility: Avoid challenges for they make you weaker.
Emotional Reasoning: Make decisions and take action based on your feelings.
Us vs. Them: Life is a battle between good people and evil people.
The authors suggest to succeed in pursuing your own goals, you do three things:
- Seek out challenges “rather than eliminating or avoiding everything that ‘feels unsafe.’”
- Free yourself from cognitive distortions “rather than always trusting your initial feelings.”
- Take a generous view of other people, and look for nuance “rather than assuming the worst about people within a simplistic us-versus-them morality.”
Read the book and make your judgment; I am reminded of three positive teaching practices which overcome the coddling untruths. These are, Appropriately Challenge Students, Nurture Critical Thinking, and Avoid Judging People by Actions or Beliefs
Following are examples to remind you of how to apply each of these.
Appropriately Challenge Students
- Create a supportive learning environment: It is important to create an environment where students feel safe to take risks and make mistakes without fear of judgment or ridicule. This can be achieved by providing positive feedback, encouraging teamwork, and building a sense of community within the classroom.
- Set clear expectations: Clearly communicate to students what is expected of them and the learning goals. Students are more likely to take on challenges when they know what is expected of them.
- Use real-world examples: Use real-world examples to illustrate the importance of taking on challenges and the rewards that come with overcoming them.
- Model taking on challenges: As an educator, model taking on challenges and show students that it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them.
- Provide opportunities for self-reflection: Allow students to reflect on their learning and their challenges. This can help them to identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop strategies for future challenges.
- Use positive language: Use positive language to encourage students to take on challenges. For example, instead of saying “this is difficult”, say “this is challenging, but I know you can do it”.
Nurture Critical Thinking
- Provide examples: Provide examples of situations where emotions may lead to poor decision-making and contrast them with examples of situations where rational thinking is the better approach.
- Practice mindfulness: Encourage students to practice mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing and meditation, to help regulate their emotions and stay focused on rational thinking.
- Provide opportunities for debate: Provide opportunities for students to engage in debates or discussions that require them to present evidence and use logical reasoning to support their arguments.
- Highlight the consequences: Highlight the potential consequences of emotional decision-making and help students understand how their decisions can impact themselves and others.
- Incorporate metacognition: Incorporate metacognitive strategies, such as think-alouds or self-reflection prompts, to help students become more aware of their own thinking processes and to monitor their own decision-making.
- Celebrate successes: Celebrate instances when students demonstrate rational thinking and decision-making, and provide positive feedback to reinforce these behaviors.
Avoid Judging People by Actions or Beliefs
- Model open-mindedness: As a teacher, model open-mindedness and demonstrate that you value diversity of beliefs and opinions. This can create a positive learning environment where students feel comfortable sharing their own beliefs without fear of judgment.
- Encourage empathy: Encourage students to develop empathy for others and consider the perspectives and experiences of those with different beliefs.
- Emphasize the importance of respect: Emphasize the importance of treating others with respect, even if we disagree with their beliefs or opinions.
- Incorporate diverse perspectives: Incorporate diverse perspectives into the curriculum, including texts, activities, and guest speakers who represent a variety of beliefs and viewpoints.
- Challenge stereotypes: Challenge stereotypes and biases that students may hold about people with different beliefs. This can help students to recognize their assumptions and to approach others with an open mind.