Book Review- Grit in the Classroom

by Elaine S. Wiener

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Grit in the Classroom
Laila Y. Sanguras
Prufrock Press Inc
paperback, $19,95, 157 pp.
ISBN-13: 978-1-61821-631-1

Many educators have written about perseverance, and Dr. Sanguras shows respect to all of them and quotes them freely. To distinguish her book from others, Dr. Sanguras writes with a personal style which makes you feel that she is talking directly to you. Her book is very casual and easy to read. But make no mistake; she is very knowledgeable and professional.

Chapter 1: Anatomy of Grit
Chapter 2: Measuring Grit
Chapter 3: What Gritty Classrooms Can Learn From Gifted Education and Talent Development
Chapter 4: Integrating Grit, Mindsets, and Motivation
Chapter 5: Cultivating Passionate Students
Chapter 6: Building Grit at Home
Chapter 7: Creating a Gritty School Culture

This whole book is dedicated to the thought that “grit” is the best predictor of success. “Not IQ, prior achievement, or great hair…but grit.” Dr. Sanguras is funny!

This paragraph fascinated me:

“Beginning with Sir Francis Galton in the late 1800’s, psychologists have been enamored by the individual differences that make up varying levels of intelligence. Studying intelligence began as a very practical matter: Educators needed to identify which students would need special help in school, and the military needed to quickly assess the ability of its recruits. There were even some years when scientists toyed with the idea of limiting procreation to those who met certain intellectual criteria. I’m not kidding.”

“Grit in the Classoom” is full of ideas that are in big type:

  • Grit is about fortitude and zeal.
  • Self-discipline is the ability to control an impulse in order to overcome a weakness.
  • Perseverance is a behavior, a purposeful action to pursue a goal or task despite obstacles.

These ideas in big print run throughout the whole book. And there are tables, charts, resources, and references. The resource chapter is especially inviting!!

In many ways this book is a compilation of what has been said by others. But we have many teachers who would probably enjoy a more casual approach. I hope that they also read the original educators who are the references in “Grit in the classroom.”

 

ElaineElaine S. Wiener is Associate Editor for Book Reviews for the Gifted Education Communicator and can be reached at 17elaine@att.net.

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