Creating Risk-Takers

 When I list goals for my kiddos, one of those is to create risk-takers. We discuss at length, the difference between being a risk-taker and skateboarding off the roof (which is not encouraged :) and being a risk-taker in coming up with an idea everyone might not accept, or sharing an answer you are not sure is correct, which I do encourage. I have actually heard the encouragement from student to student when one raises their hand and then does not have an answer. The student told the other-- "take a risk, share your answer"! So I hope it's getting through. Of course, at this age they are not too concerned what their peers think of them yet, so they are pretty genuine.

Some literature that I think helps model risk-taking in being an original (Fancy Nancy, Ladybug Girl, Pinkalicious-- I think falls into that category too, but these may be ones that aren't as popular) :

We have so many medical, technological, social advances because people took risks. These kids are our future, we need them to be originals!