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The educational philosophy of productive struggle plays a vital role in the INTL classroom, thanks to an innovative curriculum module designed by Sophia Larney, Upper School Science Teacher. Recognizing that challenging moments are inevitable and valuable, she is making the process of positive struggle an explicit skill to be taught and practiced.
Her approach centers on making the often implicit soft skills of resilience and collaboration explicit behaviors. She designs intentionally challenging, group-based tasks that guarantee students will encounter a moment of being stuck. For instance, in 6th Grade, students are asked to collectively create a research plan for a fake scientific claim before they have been formally taught the scientific method. This immediately shifts them into a zone of productive difficulty.
Rather than leaving students adrift, Sophia’s approach provides them with tangible tools and clear expectations. A key component is a “cheat sheet” for communicating scientifically. This tool provides concrete sentence starters to replace unproductive language. For example, instead of a student saying, “I don’t know,” the sheet guides them to positive, action-oriented phrases like, “I did notice that … “ This shifts the interaction from a definitive defeatist statement to a focused discussion within a growth mindset. Sophia noted, “I see them about to say something, pause, grab the sheet and then look through it and say ‘I disagree with this. I’m thinking about it differently.’”
As students work, Sophia gives real-time feedback on markers like positivity, staying on task, and using problem-solving strategies. She then assesses them on these “super soft skill” behaviors in a reflection, framing resilience and problem-solving not just as concepts, but as recognizable and measurable outcomes.
She noted that students, particularly those who are used to subjects coming easily, suddenly struggling can feel like a failure. Her curriculum intentionally counteracts this. Obviously struggling is difficult, but she wants them to enjoy being engaged and challenged as long as students feel that they can find a way through it.
By explicitly teaching the necessary behavioral and communication strategies, Sophia is ensuring that students gain not just content knowledge, but the vital life skill of knowing how to engage positively and independently when faced with a true challenge.
