Why They Can't Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities

by John Warner

Gritology: Hype at Work Recently, Mischel’s “self-control” has seen a resurgence and repackaging in the form of “grit.” Grit is the domain of Dr. Angela Duckworth, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who defines the term this way: “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”12 In her research, Dr. Duckworth has discovered that those who are “grittier” (as measured by a self-reported quiz), are more successful, whether it be in mastering algebra, navigating plebe year at West Point, or maintaining a successful marriage. The potential applications to education are obvious. If children can be made grittier, they will be more likely to become successful adults. The story of grit follows the education-fad hype cycle. Duckworth and her philosophy of grit were first widely popularized by journalist Paul Tough in his bestselling book from 2012, How Children