Courage Over Comfort

What is the difference between a great TED Talk and a mediocre one? Sure, we can all agree that speaking ability is very important, as is an interesting story. But those at TED would tell you,  aside from speaking ability and a good story, the single most important element that distinguishes a successful TED Talk is the establishment of a throughline, which is the thread woven throughout a story that connects various themes to one central arc or greater meaning. Writers, too, from Toni Morrison to JK Rowling, understand the critical importance of establishing powerful throughlines that anchor themes or plots and help drive and shape the narrative of their novels. Without a throughline, there is no greater takeaway or idea for a reader or listener to hold onto, and the opportunity for deeper learning and reflection is lost.
When telling the story of The Alexander Dawson School, the selection of a year-long community throughline is of particular importance to the work of character development. At Dawson, our throughline serves as a compass point or North Star, guiding multiple narrative strands back to one central idea, philosophy, or goal, which in turn connects our school community in a more profound and purposeful way. Because we are a community of learners, lessons in character buildingfrom developing a growth mindset to shaping compassionate and empathetic global citizensapply to everyone, from students and faculty to staff and leadership. The creation of a community throughline gives students, faculty, staff, and families a shared narrative or common goal for the school year that can be referenced regardless of the type of work being done or subject being taught. 

Dawson selected Courage Over Comfort as this year’s throughline and, from the moment faculty arrived on campus in August for the week-long Teacher Academy, it was used to guide everything from professional development activities to curriculum planning. By the time students arrived to start the school year, this throughline could be seen and heard in every classroom and learning space on campus. Roxanne Stansbury, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning, says, “Throughlines help everyone in our community connect the dots between major concepts and provide a lens for important ways of thinking and being. They also help students understand how the competencies in the Dawson Learner Profile manifest in their daily work habits.”

Why Courage Over Comfort

Productive struggle, a phrase most commonly used in the teaching of mathematics, is actually an important facet of deep learning of any subject, skill, or content. Productive struggle is never comfortable or easy, but then again, nothing that builds perseverance or resilience is. To understand productive struggle is to also understand choosing courage over comfort. Mathematicians know this, and so do civil rights activists, writers, artists, teachers, scientists, innovators...just about anyone who works to solve complex problems, make something new or better, or teach others. Whether it’s math teacher Lyndell Lewis encouraging his Dawson middle school students to push through their frustration as they learn to solve a complex equation, or an art teacher challenging students to use their creativity to speak to social justice issues, the underlying message is the same: It takes courage to fail again and again and keep trying anyway, to come up against a problem with no easy solution and not give up, to do what is right rather than what is easy or popular, and to embrace the discomfort inherent to these situations rather than ignore it. 

As a Dawson parent, you’ll see
Courage Over Comfort embedded throughout your child’s 2019-2020 Dawson journey, with teachers using the throughline to drive essential questions for each unit. For example, in grades K-4, Courage over Comfort is the central theme for Country Studies, and students begin by identifying people from the country they’re researching who exemplify choosing courage over comfort. For students in eighth grade, a requirement of their semester-long capstone project is to interview leaders at non-profit organizations to discover how choosing courage over comfort has shaped the work they do. When fourth graders begin to study Nevada’s pioneers, they will look specifically at people who have chosen courage over comfort to cement their legacy in our state’s history. The Courage Over Comfort throughline also informs this year’s lineup of community speakers, from education experts and alumni to the community-wide We Need Diverse Books Day author presentations.   

Making the School-Home Connection

As our students, faculty, and staff continue to make Courage Over Comfort a central theme of the work they do each and every day, we encourage our Dawson families to bring the throughline into their conversations at home. Ask your child about the ways in which they choose courage over comfort in their day, whether it is the productive struggle they experience when learning something new, supporting a struggling friend or classmate in need, or making connections about how others have helped changed the world by choosing what was difficult over what was easy. Share your own stories and examples of when you, too, choose courage over comfort. Whether you're a Dawson parent or teacher, there is no teaching tool more powerful than leading by example. 

As author Brene Brown, who gave one of TED’s most successful talks of all time, says, “Integrity is choosing courage over comfort. It's choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy. It's choosing to practice your values rather than simply professing them.”



In addition to being Dawson's Chief Communications Officer, Megan is the mother of two Dawson students, one in eighth grade and one Dawson alumna, so she occasionally knows whereof she speaks. She is passionate about the kind of education Dawson provides and is willing to stand on her soapbox whenever she's asked. She also likes to read articles and books on education and leadership, and she listens to way too many podcasts. Her current book recommendations are Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up and Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Podcast recommendation: WorkLife with Adam Grant
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The Alexander Dawson School

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain, an independent school located on 33-acres in the community of Summerlin, is Nevada’s first Stanford University Challenge Success partner school for students in early childhood through grade eight. Utilizing the unique Challenge Success framework, Dawson uses research-based strategies and programs that emphasize student academics, wellbeing, and a healthy school-life balance to create more engaged, motivated, and resilient learners and leaders. At Dawson, students achieve their individual potential while savoring life and meeting the challenges of the world.