Why You MUST Let Your Students Take Risks in the Classroom

I feel like my whole childhood would have been different if I had been allowed to take risks.

As a child, I was insecure. I had a hard time making decisions because I didn’t want to make the wrong one. I hated new situations and experiences because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or how I should act.

I did the things I was good at and familiar with, rarely leaving my comfort zone. These things were safe, and I knew what to expect. There were a couple rare occurrences where I went out of my comfort zone – signing up for the talent show or joining leadership council – but I only did these things after a lot of encouragement (read: pressure) from my parents.

My mom wanted the best for me, but the way she showed that was by protecting me and doing everything for me. My siblings and I didn’t have any chores until the middle of high school. I couldn’t do laundry until I was in my late teens. I got my driver’s license later than my peers. My mom made my childhood very safe. It wasn’t the worst childhood, but I never learned to do things for myself.

As parents and as teachers, we have a natural inclination to protect our children and students. While this instinct is good and keeps them safe, listening to this voice too much can be harmful rather than helpful. If students are protected their whole lives, they miss out on learning many valuable skills, but if we allow our students to take risks, they will be better for it.

Self-Regulation

One of the skills students learn when they can take risks is self-regulation. When children are told exactly what they can and cannot do, they learn to rely on others to tell them what is safe and what they are capable of doing. On the other hand, when students take risks, they learn exactly where their limits are. This is much more precise (and helpful!) than having an adult make their best guess.

In Finding Nemo, Marlin (Nemo’s Father) asks Crush (the Surfer Turtle) how to determine if a child is ready for something. Crush responds, “When they know, you’ll know. You know?”

The point he is making is that kids are more intuitive about themselves than we give them credit for, and that adults typically jump to the rescue sooner than they need to.

Earlier in the movie, we find out that Marlin is an over-protective father who doesn’t let his son take any risks. In contrast, Crush allows his son Squirt to crash into the wall of the East Australian Current. Marlin starts to rush to his rescue, but Crush stops him and waits to see what happens, staying close by in case something goes wrong. Squirt is able to make his way back inside the current safely – and he learns more about himself and his capabilities in the process!

Balancing Risks and Rewards

Being able to balance risks with rewards is a great skill to have, especially as an adult. However, if we are constantly making decisions for our students, they will never learn how to do this. They will never learn how to process the pros and cons for themselves to decide if a risk is worth the reward.

How can our students become entrepreneurs and artists? How will they know whether they should pursue an investment? How will they know if it is worth it to make a sudden career change or to move across the country for a new opportunity?

People make these decisions when they weigh the risks against the rewards. If we do this for our students, they will never learn to do it for themselves. They will either make poor decisions that have too high of a risk, or they will play it safe every time, missing out on great opportunities. It is much better for our students to be able to start making these types of decisions now, while the stakes are low.

If your students can’t weigh risks and rewards in school while they have a safety net and a teacher to bail them out, how will they be able to do so down the road? Children should take risks while they are in a safe environment and the risks are minimal.

Overcoming Fear

Have you ever had a student who was afraid? I’m not talking about being afraid of the dark or afraid of an intense thunderstorm. Have you had a student who was afraid to join in a game or scared to make decisions, paralyzed in new situations? One of the benefits of having your students take risks is to help your students overcome this fear.

Students are afraid to join in with their peers because they are afraid of rejection. However, if you teach them how to take risks, they will realize that it is less fun to be lonely than to try to find classmates to hang out with at recess.

Some children have a difficult time making decisions because they are afraid they will make the wrong one. Teach your students to weigh their options and be willing to try something that might not work. They will miss out on so many opportunities if they are too afraid to move forward with a decision that might be a great opportunity.

Your students might be uncomfortable in new situations because they don’t know what to expect. Show your students how new situations can be exciting and fun, rather than scary.

Fear is paralyzing.

As teachers, we must help our students overcome fear. A great way to do this is to help them take risks in a controlled environment. The more your students can experience the benefits of taking risks and trying new things now, the more comfortable they will be taking risks in the future. Not only will this build your students’ courage, but it will also help them view things that used to be scary as exciting instead.

Learn from Failure

Personally, this is the skill I lacked the most because I was not allowed to take risks. I was told exactly what to do, and if something went wrong, it was never my fault. I rarely had to deal with the weight of failure because decisions were made for me. When I did fail, it was overwhelming.

Later in life, I was afraid to take even small risks because I was afraid of failing. I had to learn how to do this as an adult.

Failure is never fun, but it is a part of life. The better our students are at handling failure, the more equipped they will be in life. So, let your students take risks, make mistakes, and fail. Show your students that it’s not the end of the world – some of them don’t realize that. Teach your students how to take responsibility and move on.

Failing is a part of human nature, but so many of our students live in a bubble where they don’t have to deal with failure. They are in for a rude awakening! Teach your students how to take risks and deal with failure now so that they are not overwhelmed when they become adults.

Teaches Trust

When you allow your students to take risks and make their own decisions, even when they might fail, you teach your students that you trust them. Letting your students take risks tells them, “I trust you enough to let you do this on your own. Even if you fail, I am here for you, and I trust that you will learn from your failures and become a better person because of them.”

How often do children get to experience this?

Normally, children are told exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. They get in trouble if they don’t comply. When we teach our students to take risks, not only do we prove to them that we trust them, but we also show them that we think they’re competent. Just knowing that your teacher believes in you helps you become more competent.

Little Robots VS Autonomous Individuals

Students who must always look to an adult to decide for them (or who are never allowed to make decisions) turn into little robots that might do exactly as they’re told, but no more. While having a classroom full of robots may sound like a teacher’s dream – no talking back or misbehavior – it is not what is best for our students.

We must teach our students how to become independent and self-sufficient, otherwise they will not be able to function later in life.

Letting our students take risks helps them learn how to make decisions for themselves. They will figure out what they want to do and what they are capable of when we give them the freedom to choose, even if that involves risk.

There Is a Risk Either Way

The final reason it is important to let our students take risks is that not taking risks is risky too. Yes, choosing something out of your comfort zone is risky and might be unpleasant, but choosing to do nothing has its own risks. You risk missing out on great opportunities. While keeping the status quo may be more comfortable, you risk losing out on great things.

Risk VS Danger

I hope this is already understood, but I want to end by clarifying that allowing students to take risks is different than allowing them to do things that are dangerous.

If you are risking bruised knees, hurt pride, and failure, allow your students to make their own decisions and encourage them (as appropriate) to get out of their comfort zones. On the other hand, if the risks involved start to become dangerous, you must step in as the adult in charge to make sure your students are safe.

Let your students take risks, but do so appropriately.