Psychological Corollary

A person who fails because he or she did not exert effort feels guilty but not helpless.

Lesson Objective

Students will evaluate three responses to failure. For example, a worker who has been laid off will feel helpless if he attributes the layoff to bad luck or lack of ability; but the worker who identifies insufficient effort as the cause of the layoff will try harder.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

Social Vocabulary

• honest

Other Vocabulary

• layoff pink slip

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

• Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use of Student Workbook

Part I: Ask students to read Part I of the story, "The Layoff."

• Discuss what Mr. Tippens announced; ask students how the workers probably feel.
• Have students answer and discuss the questions at the end of Part I. Have students describe how Jack, Carrie, and Barbara react differently to the problem.
• Ask students to predict which person-Jack, Carrie, or Bar-bara-will get back on his/her feet first.

Part II: Read Part Il of the story

• Ask students why they think Carrie was the only one to get a new job; discuss how Barbara and Jack were holding themselves back.
• Discuss the question at the end of Part Il; ask students what makes them similar to the character they chose.

Follow - Up

• Ask students to decide which of the following reactions help people deal with failure; have students explain their answers:
• Figure you are a victim of bad luck (not very helpful since you can't really do anything about it).
• Figure you aren't smart enough to prevent failure in the future (not helpful since you feel worse about yourself).
• Give up trying (not helpful since you'll never get yourself out of your present problems).
• Feel angry and strike out at others (not helpful since it will probably lead to still more problems).
• Blame others for the problem (not helpful - if you had anything at all to do with the problem - since you could repeat the same mistakes and fail again).
• Honestly examine your part in the failure (very helpful since it can help you identify and avoid making the same mistakes again).
• Decide how you'd do things differently if you had another chance (very helpful since it gives you a plan of action and a sense of control).
• Decide to do whatever is necessary to prevent the same problem again (very helpful since you feel like you have some control over the problem).
• Explain that there are times when people face failure that they can't control (e.g., if an economic recession causes a factory to close). Ask students to decide how people should try to handle that kind of problem. Ask students:
• Would it help to say to yourself, "Oh, well, trying hard didn't pay off on that job. I may as well take it easy." (No, because such an attitude will probably lead to future failure.)
• Would it help to say to yourself, "Times are really tough. I'm going to have to hustle twice as hard if l'm going to make it." (Yes, because you are being realistic and deciding to do as much as you can to cope with the problem.)
• Ask students why having some control over our problems is helpful (because if we don't, we'll feel helpless; and if we feel helpless, we might stop trying).

Behavior Development Activity

To encourage students to be able to explain failure to others, persist in the face of difficulty, and want to improve:

• Have students roleplay job interviews in which they have to persuade an employer (played by the teacher) that they should be hired despite one of the following problems:
• Student was fired from the last job for laziness.
• Student has a juvenile criminal record.
• Student is a "slow learner."
• Student got into a fight on the last job and was fired.
• Student doesn't speak English very well.
• Ask the class to observe each interview; have observers suggest ways applicants could be more persuasive in explaining why they can still be good workers in spite of past problems.

Review

• Ask students to list five ways people respond to failure (e.g., give up trying, feel angry, blame others, examine their part in the failure, and decide how to do things differently next time).
• Ask students to classify the above responses as being helpful and productive or not helpful.
• Ask students to model ways they would explain a previous failure to an employer and convince the employer that they will improve.