This chapter explores how sports, like chess, can help students develop character and resilience. It highlights the importance of effective feedback in improving performance and discusses the role of great teachers in motivating and pushing students to succeed.
Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about why children succeed and fail in school and beyond school. He argues that conscientiousness--a mixture of self-control and determination--can be a more important measure of academic and professional success than cognitive ability. He also discusses innovative techniques that schools, individuals, and non-profits are using to inspire young people in distressed neighborhoods. The conversation closes with the implications for public policy in fighting poverty.