In the gym at Colvin Run Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon, fourth graders sat on the floor and watched videos of their teacher, Patrick Noel, attempting trick shots from different parts of the basketball court.
Then, he explained the task at hand: Students could use cones, paddles and other equipment to practice trick shots of their own. While the goal, he said, is to have the ball land inside a nearby bucket, he motivated the students to challenge themselves.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be ready to fail,鈥� Noel told his class. 鈥淥K? Because you鈥檙e going to miss so many more of your chances than you鈥檙e going to be successful.鈥�
Each time the students miss, he told them, he recommended they figure out why 鈥� whether it was because they threw it too hard, not hard enough or, perhaps, too high.
The goal of the lesson, Noel said, is to help students remain determined and learn to embrace failure. It鈥檚 a concept he suspects will encourage them to confront adversity outside the Fairfax County school鈥檚 gym.
鈥淭he only way to grow is to fail,鈥� Noel said. 鈥淵ou’ve got to go through those hardships to figure out the steps that you need to take to be able to be successful, and just having that mindset of, 鈥業’m not going to give up until I meet my goal, until I get what I am working toward.鈥欌��
Noel came up with the idea during the pandemic. He was in his first year teaching at the Vienna school in 2020, when classes were fully virtual.
He鈥檇 had teaching experience, but was challenged because he was in a new environment and didn鈥檛 know any of his students. He was teaching from his office gym, and when he didn鈥檛 have classes, he started recording videos of himself attempting trick shots.
Noel shared them, anticipating his students may find them entertaining, and he kept going into the closet to see what equipment he could use to assist with shots he characterized as crazy.
鈥淚n that process, I just started learning so much about myself and not giving up, resiliency, but also using the failed attempts,鈥� Noel said. 鈥淓ach time I would miss, it鈥檚 like, 鈥榃hy did I miss? How did I miss?鈥欌��
He wanted his students to experience the same feeling. On Tuesday, some students tried behind-the-back shots. Others lobbed balls over their shoulders or bounced them off the wall.
During class, Noel went from group to group, celebrating with students who successfully made the shot and encouraging others who hadn鈥檛 to keep trying. In some instances, he advised them to make their shot attempts more challenging, encouraging them to fail.
鈥淭hey can use it to get frustrated or they can use it to get motivated, to figure out what steps they need to take,鈥� Noel said. 鈥淎ll it is, is them showing that they’re not quite where they need to be just yet.鈥�
At the end of class, the students completed a walking lap around the gym, telling each other what they do and how they feel when they get frustrated.
Many said confronting adversity makes experiencing success later more satisfying.
鈥淲hen I don鈥檛 hit the shot, I just feel frustrated and kind of sad,鈥� Lucia, a fourth grader, said. 鈥淏ut I just think about positive things and how I can try to make it again.鈥�
Aidan, meanwhile, said remaining determined is important because 鈥渋f you stop right then, then you鈥檙e never going to get the prize to actually feel good about how you made it.鈥�
Some parents have emailed Noel that when their kids are having a rough time, they remind them of the trick shot and how they can work through challenges that may present themselves.
It reminds Noel of his experience getting cut from the basketball team as a high school freshman. Instead of quitting, he practiced more, securing a JV roster spot his sophomore year and eventually becoming a varsity player.
Now, when a student expresses a desire to quit because something鈥檚 too hard, Noel said he tells them, 鈥淚 know it is, but guess what? We can do hard things.”
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