Embracing failure as a path to success with Theresa MacPhail

Take Notes with Jen Rafferty

As educators, we've all seen the fear in our students when they're afraid to make a mistake, the anxiety that bubbles up at the thought of failing. We can recognize it in ourselves too.

It's a common experience..

So how do we help our students understand that failure isn't just a part of learning, but a crucial step toward growth?

Join me and my guest, Theresa MacPhail, as we explore the power of embracing failure in education. Theresa, a medical anthropologist and seasoned educator, shares her journey from witnessing the effects of fear of failure on students to creating a class specifically designed to normalize failure and foster resilience.

Tune in and discover actionable advice for educators on how to create a classroom culture where failure is not feared but celebrated as a learning opportunity.

You’ll walk away with practical classroom management strategies that can help students shift their mindset about failure through journaling exercises, gratitude practices, and encouraging meaningful connections and conversations.

If you've ever struggled with how to encourage your students to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them, this episode is for you. Discover how to empower your students to see failure not as a setback, but as a necessary and valuable part of their educational journey.

Stay empowered,
Jen

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About Theresa:

I’m a medical anthropologist and writer, usually of nonfiction, mostly about topics in public health and medicine. I’m also an Associate Professor of Science & Technology Studies at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.

My first book for Random House is out now (2023). It’s called Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies In a Changing World and it tells the story of the global rise in allergies over the last 200 years.

My next book, that I’m currently researching, is on aging. It dives into what happens to our bodies and minds as we age and why acceptance of aging (and our eventual deaths) is the key to “aging well.” Think of it like a “user’s manual” to your aging body (with a lot of troubleshooting sections). But, more importantly, it also traces out the long history of our fascination with aging and how and why aging transformed from a natural, normal, and healthy life experience into a medical problem or disease that needs to be “solved.” And what that approach to aging is doing to us collectively. (Spoiler: it’s not terrific.)

To book me for a speaking engagement, please contact the Random House Speakers Bureau.

Connect with Theresa:

Website: https://theresamacphail.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/drtheresamacphail/