One concept that's hard for kids to understand (adults, too, for that matter) is the idea that we learn from our mistakes. We could even take that a bit further and say that we learn from failure. I've used Derek Redmond's story from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona in devotional messages at church, but it also has application in the fourth grade classroom.
Take four minutes to watch this video.
Now for some questions:
- What does it mean to be the "favorite" in a race? How much more does it affect the favorite to fail?
- Does the song enhance the message of this video?
- What do you think the camera operators and the reporters were thinking when this happened?
- Have you ever felt like everyone was watching you when you "failed"?
- Are you always in control of your destiny? What other factors come into play?
- Who "runs from the stands" to support you when you fail?
- Did Derek Redmond fail in this race? What do the spectators think?
- What will you do the next time you feel yourself failing?
