Tag Archives: success

Failures are as important as successes

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By Sara Keinath, Michigan State University Extension


In this season of graduations and the school year ending, it is easy to focus on accomplishments and successes as we reflect on the past year as well as a student’s entire school career. However, failure is an important part of our learning process and can be a powerful educational experience. It takes some practice and humility to see failure as a good thing, as so often it is portrayed as a negative experience or something people don’t want to talk about. Teachers, coaches and 4-H leaders can help youth reframe failure and reflect on what they learned.


Think back to a time when you feel like you failed at something. Did you work on a project that didn’t turn out like you hoped? Did you plan an event that didn’t attract enough people? Did you overspend on a budget? Did you run out of food or supplies for a project? Did you say something that offended someone? Did you miss a deadline?


How did you feel immediately after the experience? How did that change over time? Often, the passage of time helps us to see how we could have done something differently to affect a different outcome, but right after the experience our feelings of shame and embarrassment may hinder our ability to learn from it. We can help change the culture of how we talk about failure so that the youth we work with can learn to see failure as part of their normal development.


Here are some common situations youth experience and some tips for how to talk about them in a way that encourages growth.


Sports team doesn’t win a game or tournament. Student doesn’t win a competition or scholarship.

  • Encourage discussion on the entire experience, not just the final result. What were the things that worked well? What did they observe the other team/contestants do well?
  • Extended activity: Good Sports Greeting Cards

Youth misses a deadline for entering a project in the fair.

  • Encourage discussion about what was learned in the project experience. What could help them meet deadlines in the future? Are there other places they could share their project besides at the fair?
  • Extended activity: Juggling with Elephants

Youth work on a community service project that didn’t raise as much money or didn’t engage as many community members as they wanted. Or perhaps they work on something where there were more people than expected and they end up overspending on a budget or didn’t buy enough supplies.

  • Encourage discussion about all the different skills learned through the project. What were the things that worked well? Where could they ask for help or more resources next time?
  • Extended activity: What/So What/Now What?

Avoid shame or blame in these discussions and pay attention to how you express your feedback. Helping youth to see what they can learn in these situations can often be as much about our phrasing and attitude as the actual questions we use. It may help to remind everyone involved about the bigger picture of learning and developing skills to be better in the future.


Learning to see failure as an experience that can teach us as much or more than a success takes practice and patience. Model this in your words and feedback to youth about their experiences, and they will be able to see the value of failure!


To learn about the positive impact of Michigan 4-H youth leadership, citizenship and service and global and cultural education programs, read our 2017 Impact Report: “MSU Extension: Developing Civically Engaged Leaders.” Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan State University Extension and Michigan 4-H have positively impacted individuals and communities in 2017, can be downloaded from theMSU Extension website.


Michigan State University Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development help to prepare young people for successful futures. As a result of career exploration and workforce preparation activities, thousands of Michigan youth are better equipped to make important decisions about their professional future, ready to contribute to the workforce and able to take fiscal responsibility in their personal lives. For more information or resources on career exploration, workforce preparation, financial education, or entrepreneurship, contact 4-HCareerPrep@anr.msu.edu.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

The key to success is failure

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Courtesy MSU Extension

By Kylie Rymanowicz, Michigan State University Extension

 

No one is great at something the first time they try it. Success comes from hard work, practice and, yes, even failure. When young children are learning to walk they have to fall down again and again and again in order to master the balance they need to stand upright (and even then, they will still fall down). When learning to feed themselves, tie their shoes or master long division, children have to try, practice and learn from their missteps and try again in order to master their new skills. You can help your child learn from their failures and use those failures to work towards great successes.

 

Michigan State University Extension suggests the following ways to help your child learn to succeed through failure.

 

Encourage your child to take risks and try new things. Trying new things can be scary, especially if we are worried that if we try, we will ultimately fail. Give your child encouragement to try things outside of their comfort zone, and attempt things they might not be good at right away. By taking risks and trying new things, your child can overcome their fear of failing and learn that when you take risks, you learn so many new things and practice new skills.

 

Emphasize your child’s efforts. Not every effort will result in success. When your child is trying to draw a unicorn for the first time, it likely won’t be a perfect picture. This may be discouraging for your child, but try focusing on emphasizing their efforts. You can talk about their work they put into the project, “You worked so hard on this drawing. You tried something new, you did your best! I’m proud of you for working so hard!” Remind your child that great things happen over time; even famous artists start with a rough draft.

 

Teach problem-solving skills. Failure often makes us feel stuck and can make someone feel like giving up. Teach your child that through hard work and effort, you can work to solve problems. If they are trying to learn a new skateboarding trick and they just can’t seem to pick it up, help them think about what they can do to solve their problem. Is there someone who knows that trick who can help them? Can they watch a video on YouTube that will help them figure out what they need to do differently? Help your child think about what they can do to keep working and trying.

 

Value hard work. Show your child that you value hard work by noticing it happen all around you. Notice those who work hard around you and in your child’s life. Point out the construction workers who are working hard in rain to repair the roads. Write a thank-you note to your mail carrier who works extra hard during the holiday season to help deliver gifts and goodies. Showing gratefulness and appreciation for those that work hard will show your child that hard work is to be valued.

 

Engage in self-praise. When children hear you praise yourself, they learn to do the same. Show off your hard work and that you can be proud of yourself for not giving up on tasks that are hard. When you work hard, say out loud, “I’m so proud of myself! I was having a hard time figuring out how to fix the TV, but I kept trying and I did it! Go me!”

 

Help your child adopt a growth mindset. Show your young child that making mistakes and failing is normal and something that happens to everyone. It means you tried something new. Failure doesn’t mean an ending—it’s just the beginning. You can teach your child to be a hardworking problem solver that can turn their failures into successes.

 

For more articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the Michigan State University Extension website.

 

To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2017 impact report. Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2017, can be downloaded from the Michigan 4-H website.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Calvin making history at Handlon

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During the Commencement ceremony, President Michael Le Roy recognized the students who received their associate’s degrees. (Courtesy: Arrae Photography)

By Matt Kucinski, Calvin College

 

On Monday, May 21, 2018, 15 inmates from Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility (1728 Bluewater Hwy) in Ionia, Michigan, received an associate’s degree from Calvin College. The students are the first in the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI) program to earn a degree behind bars.

 

The program, launched in 2015, provides up to 20 inmates each year with an opportunity to begin pursuing a bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership. The partnership between Calvin College, Calvin Theological Seminary, and the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) provides inmates with their only bachelor’s-degree option behind bars in the state. The program, funded entirely by private donations and grants, seeks to improve prison culture and curb recidivism rates by equipping prisoners with an education.

Collaborating for success

“When I did my masters, I did thesis work on how education reduces recidivism. That’s what made me actually pursue trying to get Calvin to be here at the Handlon facility,” said DeWayne Burton, warden of the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility.

 

“Those partnerships are absolutely essential, critical to our success as a department and to our ability to help create successful people,” said Heidi Washington, director of MDOC.

 

Students in this year’s class have taken hold of this opportunity. The class has a cumulative GPA above 3.6, has created an award-winning prison reform conference (with another one in the works), and has started a community garden—their efforts resulting in a $2,500 donation to Safe Haven Ministries.

 

While the practical examples of success are significant, leaders of the program see the impact being far greater, and in missional alignment with both the college and seminary.

Restoring hope, human dignity

“It fits with the mission. Like every square inch, a prison is certainly a space where God’s light needs to shine,” said Chris DeGroot, co-director of CPI. “We take with us the understanding that everyone is created in the image of God, he wants all people to flourish, and wants justice to happen. So making education possible for the least of these absolutely fits with our Christian calling.”

 

“This is what we believe Christ calls us to do. It’s a living illustration of our own lives. In our sin, we are without a hope, and yet God out of his abundant grace and love comes to us anyway,” said Todd Cioffi, co-director of CPI.

 

“There aren’t parts of creation we give up on, that’s not the God we serve,” said David Rylaarsdam, professor of historical theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. “We believe all people are made in the image of God. We believe when God’s light shines in the darkest places of life, renewal is possible.”

 

The Calvin Prison Initiative currently enrolls 55 students. Inmates from any of the 30 men’s prisons in the Michigan Department of Corrections system can apply to the program, and each August about 20 admitted students are transferred to Handlon. To date, more than 30 faculty members and dozens of students from Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary have served in the CPI program. A few professors from other area colleges and universities have also taught courses in the program.

Grateful students

“This program has changed my life. It’s given me an opportunity to be the person I feel like I was always meant to be. College in prison is something that’s becoming almost non-existent. For an institution to come in here and offer a fully accredited bachelor’s degree is unbelievable.” – Dustin

 

“Everyone wants their humanity affirmed, nobody wants to be judged for the worst of life. We have PhD profs coming in and they’re tutoring us. Only in God’s kingdom.” – Michael

 

“Every person has the potential to affect, as Kuyper calls it, God or Christ’s every square inch. So we might not be able to change a lot of things, but there’s a sphere of influence that each one of us has.” – Raymond

 

“Calvin College coming into the Handlon campus, bringing in the CPI program, has been such a tremendous blessing in my life, one that I will be forever grateful for, one that I will be paying forward for the rest of my life.” – Dustin

 

Employment Expertise: The Informed Job Seeker — What Employers Want You to Know

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By West Michigan Works!

 

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a four-part series about how to stand out in your job search.

 

Hiring managers look for lots of qualities in job seekers during an interview, including ones not listed in the job description. These qualities are important to help you get and keep a job. Make sure you stand out from the rest by showing employers you are loyal, accountable and have a good attitude.

 

Loyalty matters

Loyalty doesn’t mean you will stay in the same job for 20 years. It means you won’t talk poorly about your manager or the company. You take pride in your work and give 100% each day. If you do switch jobs, you leave the position respectfully, not burning any bridges.

 

Accountability counts

Showing up and leaving on time is important to employers. Take sick days only if you are ill and leave your vacation days for relaxing. Make childcare arrangements before starting a new job to avoid unnecessary absences. Show hiring managers you’re accountable by listing any attendance awards on your resume. In your interview, make sure to mention ways you are accountable at your current job.

 

Attitude is everything

Employers can teach you new skills and processes for a job. But, they can’t teach you a new attitude. Hiring managers look for candidates who will bring a genuine, positive attitude to work every day. Communicate this in your interview by walking in confidently with a smile on your face. Don’t be afraid to talk about challenges you’ve faced in your last job, but make sure to let them know how you resolved it appropriately.

 

Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.

Employment Expertise: Five Things You Need to Know After the Interview

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By West Michigan Works!

 

You breathe a sigh of relief once your interview is completed. But not so fast! You still have a few important things to do. Hiring managers look through hundreds of resumes a week and interview a lot of people. Follow these steps to make sure you stay top of mind.

 

Ask about next steps. Before the interview ends, ask the interviewer about their timeframe for making the hiring decision. You’ll know when to expect an answer, and when to follow up if they haven’t responded during that timeframe.

 

Send a thank you note. Write a thank you note to each person in the interview. Send it within a day to show the interviewer you’re eager to join their team. Email or postal mail is appropriate.

 

Follow up. Has it been longer than the interviewer indicated in the interview? Send them a quick email to check on the status. Let them know you’re eager to begin the job and look forward to an update. Avoid asking direct questions like “Did I get the job?” or “Do you have an answer yet?”

 

Keep your conversation offline. Waiting to hear back from an interviewer can get frustrating. Do not express this frustration on any social media profiles. Keep those conversations offline to close family and friends.

 

Wait, and then move on. Resume your job search within a week after an interview. Don’t lose job search momentum by waiting too long.

 

 

Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.