9th GRADE EXPERIENCE: THE POWER OF FAILURE

Pacific Ridge School has always been interested in the kind of growth and learning that comes from failure and discomfort. Any parent, grown adult, and educator knows that young people learn more deeply and more rapidly in moments of “failure” and “discomfort” than at any other time. As a result, since our inception, we built the Pacific Ridge program to be full of opportunities for both.

However, nowhere is Pacific Ridge School’s commitment to growth and development through “failure” and “discomfort” more prominent than it is in ninth grade. The entire ninth grade program is full of “coming of age” opportunities that ask students to reveal themselves, stretch themselves, and learn about themselves and others –highlighted by three, especially transformative events: The Myth Project (formerly known as “Muse”), Orations, and the ninth grade California wilderness trip

The Myth Project asks students to imagine a myth about themselves, create a depiction of that myth, and then display it for the community. The mere act of announcing to the entire grade that something means enough to a ninth grader to make a “myth” about it is a heady, “discomforting” experience. Having to then stand by the project and talk about it to adults and students alike adds to the experience – and it starts the process of our ninth graders’ growth at the beginning of high school.

Orations give our ninth graders the opportunity to write a speech about something that matters to them. The crafting of those pieces begins in February and culminates with each student delivering the talk to an audience of their peers (grades six to 12) in the spring. Again, opportunities for “discomfort” and “failure” are abundant – not just in the choice of topic, but the crafting of the speech, and, of course the delivery is full of growth opportunity. And, because the entire ninth grade shares this experience, they cheer, celebrate, and grow together.

The final “event” of the ninth grade coming of age “cycle” is the California wilderness trip. We form heterogeneous groups of nine to 12 15-year olds, pair them with a few adult leaders, and ask them to exist as a short-term “family” who supports one another through all sorts of opportunity for “failure” and “discomfort.” After carrying heavy packs, learning to cook for one another in the outdoors, and sleeping in tents with classmates they may not have spoken to before, our ninth graders “complete the cycle.”

As a result of these three key moments (and more), our ninth graders are prepared to thrive throughout high school – all due to planned, programmed, and thoughtful opportunities to experience “failure” and “discomfort.” They learn to thrive simply because they know they did not at every moment along the way.