Lecture by Joseph Geni on Teaching and Grit

Background

Left a demanding job in management consulting at age 27 for a more demanding job: teaching.
Taught seventh grade math in the New York City public schools.
Observed that IQ was not the only determinant of student performance.

Highest performers did not necessarily have the highest IQs.
Convinced that students could learn the material (ratios, decimals, area of a parallelogram) if they worked hard enough.
Realized the need for better understanding of motivation and psychology in education.

Left teaching to study psychology.
Researched who succeeds in various challenging settings and why:
- West Point Military Academy (predicting which cadets would stay)
- National Spelling Bee (predicting success)
- Rookie teachers in tough neighborhoods (effectiveness and retention)
- Private companies (retention and earnings of salespeople)

Grit emerged as a significant predictor of success across contexts:
- Not determined by social intelligence, good looks, physical health, or IQ.
Definition of grit:
- Passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
- Stamina and consistent effort over years.
- Viewing life as a marathon, not a sprint.

High school juniors took grit questionnaires.
Grittier students were significantly more likely to graduate.
Result held even when accounting for variables like family income, test scores, and perceived safety at school.

Science knows little about how to build grit.
Common questions from parents and teachers:
- How to build grit and work ethic in kids?
- How to keep kids motivated?
Current Answer:
- Talent alone does not make someone gritty.
- Data shows grit is often unrelated or inversely related to talent.
Best current idea: Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck at Stanford University)
- Belief that ability to learn isn’t fixed; it can change with effort.
- Students aware of brain's ability to grow are more likely to persevere despite failure.

More research is needed to understand how to build grit.
Important to test ideas, measure success, and be willing to fail and start over.
Need to be gritty about making kids grittier.