Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/755823
E ntre Nous recently sat down with five members from across our community to learn how they live academic ambition, how they see it at TFS, and why one of its core characteristics, the growth mindset, is so important to student success. What better way to embrace change than by moving from your homeland and culture to a new country far away? This is exactly what happened to Khalid El-Metaal, TFS' new Deputy Head of Teaching and Learning, when, at nine years of age, his family relocated from Egypt to a small town in England, a short distance from the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Integrating wasn't easy. Knowing he wanted to be accepted, and having limited ability in English, he instinctively understood that he had to develop skills to adapt to his new world. Fast forward to university. The European Union was offering bursaries to attend university and Mr. El-Metaal was awarded one to France's University of Nantes, to study economics - in French. His British A level French aside, he entered a program for native French speakers, designed by native French speakers. But he was undeterred. Those early lessons in adaptation had taught him well. It's 2016 and Mr. El-Metaal is now enthusiastically acclimatizing to Toronto and geared up to embrace life in a parka. And he's ready to place academic ambition at the heart of learning and teaching at TFS. o have a something. want to get e, without ake it Metaal. "It rseverance ." It is at , where et challenge, a student's - determine lity of heir goal. lid Metaal ead of and Learning The good struggle Mindset can be defined as a set of beliefs that impact behaviour. Imagine this scene: your son typically does well on tests. However, this unit of study has been a struggle and he has been frustrated and even, at times, felt defeated. But he studied hard for KLVÀQDOWHVWDQGLVH[SHFWLQJRU DERYH7KHÀQDOPDUN"6HYHQW\RQH Your child walks in the door, WKURZVWKHWHVWRQWKHÁRRUDQGVD\V "I can't do this. I'll never understand compound fractions/Shakespeare/ advanced calculus/the French Revolution/abstract art." We are all born with certain attributes. Some say that those predispositions determine our life's path. "I am artistic and good at languages and I'll never be good at math." This artistic linguist is H[SUHVVLQJDÀ[HGPLQGVHW,W·VEODFN and white, all or nothing, succeed and never fail. For if you do fail, then you are a fraud. After all, didn't you say you were good at art and with words? Let's imagine the same scene through a different point of view: your daughter typically does well on tests. However, this unit of study has been a struggle. She's spent a lot RIWLPHRQLW&RPLQJXSWRWKHÀQDO test, she studied hard but knew she hadn't yet grasped all of the concepts. 7KHÀQDOPDUN"6HYHQW\RQH Your child walks in the door, places the test on a side table and says, "Wow, that was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I need to learn a lot more about compound fractions/ Shakespeare/advanced calculus/the French Revolution/abstract art." The good struggle is what Mr. El- Metaal calls the place where we push through challenges and learn from them: "Only through that experience FDQ\RXÀQGRXWZKR\RXWUXO\DUH and, more importantly, what you are capable of doing," he says. This is the growth mindset. heart of learning and teaching "To have ambition is to strong desire to achieve s You are 'here' and you w 'there.' But desire alone hard work, will not ma happen," says Mr. El-M requires action and per no matter the setbacks. this critical intersection, ambition and action mee that a person's - a mindset will the probabil reaching th Khal El-M Deputy He Teaching a 14 TFS ENTRE NOUS 2016