Starting the School Year with My Favorite Failure: Throwback Summer 2025

As part of our Fueling Creativity in Education Throwback Series, co-hosts Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood selected this episode to help educators reignite their passion for creative teaching as they prepare for the new school year.

In this powerful conversation, they welcome back Dr. Ron Beghetto and Laura McBain, Co-Director of the K12 Lab at the Stanford d.school, to explore the lessons behind their book, My Favorite Failure: How Setbacks Can Lead to Learning and Growth. Together, they dive into how educators can reframe failure as a catalyst for learning, growth, and teaching creativity in a more human-centered way.

Discover how personal stories of failure, classroom strategies, and emotional vulnerability can be used to foster creativity in education. Learn the difference between mistakes and failures, and why acknowledging emotions, expectations, and risk-taking is essential for both teachers and students.

Whether you're a new teacher or a veteran looking to try something bold this year, this episode will inspire you to see failure as a starting point—not an ending.