I recently watched a clip from Coach Frank Dick, which offered a profound insight into the true essence of winning and redefined success in a way that deeply resonates with education (Abrahams, 2025). His message serves as a timely reminder for educators to reflect on how we define achievement, success and progress in our classrooms. Watch here

For years, education has shifted toward valuing the learning journey over the outcome. We’ve championed failing forward, the growth that comes from mistakes and the power of ‘yet’. However, Coach Dick’s perspective provides an even broader framework, one that challenges how we frame success and guides us toward a more holistic approach.

At its core, his coaching approach aligns with Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) – the idea that students take ownership of their learning, set goals, monitor progress and develop strategies to overcome obstacles. Education should be a journey of continuous growth, not just for students but also for Educators. True success isn’t measured by external benchmarks alone but by personal improvement – being better today than yesterday (Abrahams, 2025).

Personal Growth

Traditionally, success in education has been measured by grades, rankings and standardised test scores, reinforcing a competition driven mindset. However, educational thinkers such as Spencer & Juliani and Sir Ken Robinson advocate for a shift towards creativity, autonomy and lifelong learning habits, emphasising that deep engagement fosters intrinsic motivation and meaningful growth (Robinson, 2011; Spencer & Juliani, 2017). Likewise, Amanda Ripley’s The Smartest Kids in the World critiques test driven education, highlighting that high achieving school systems prioritise problem solving and deep learning over high scores (Ripley, 2013).

This perspective aligns with Coach Dick’s philosophy, which defines winning as continuous self-improvement rather than external validation. Similarly, Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) principles emphasise that students should set their own goals, track progress and reflect on their learning journey, fostering independence and resilience (Barr, 2024). By redefining success in education, we encourage students to embrace progress over perfection, equipping them with the skills needed for lifelong learning.

A powerful analogy for this shift can be found in athletic training, where the focus is not on winning medals but on beating personal records. This mindset transforms how we view success in education – moving away from the traditional “A grade” mindset to one that celebrates individual progress and deeper understanding. When students focus on personal growth rather than competing with classmates, they develop a healthier relationship with learning, asking themselves, “What did I understand better today?” instead of anxiously comparing test scores.

This personal growth approach benefits both academic achievement and student wellbeing. By removing the pressure of competition, students experience less anxiety about grades and develop a stronger sense of ownership over their learning journey. As they witness their own progress, they gain confidence and become more engaged in their subjects, leading to intrinsic motivation and a love of learning. This shift fosters resilient learners who understand that education is about continuous improvement rather than perfect scores.

Teachers play a crucial role in this transformation by creating tools that track individual progress and providing feedback centred on improvement, rather than simply marking errors. They help students identify their unique learning patterns, set meaningful personal goals and celebrate achievements – big or small. By maintaining learning journals, tracking progress and prioritising deep understanding over rote memorisation, students become confident, motivated learners who recognise that true success isn’t about being the best in class – it’s about being better than they were yesterday.

This approach transforms education into a journey of continuous improvement rather than a race to outperform others by fostering self-awareness, resilience and personal growth. When we redefine winning as progress rather than perfection, we empower students to embrace challenges, develop perseverance and cultivate the skills necessary for lifelong success.

Student Ownership and Self-Regulation

In modern education, student ownership represents a fundamental shift from passive learning to active engagement, where students take control of their learning journey. This approach empowers them to move beyond simply following teacher instructions to actively participating in decisions about their education. When students take ownership of their learning, they develop a deeper understanding of not just what they are learning, but also why and how they learn best.

At its core, SRL is the foundation of student ownership. Barr (2024) highlights how self-awareness and reflection are crucial in helping students adapt and take control of their learning process, while Knight (2016) emphasises the role of dialogue and feedback in fostering accountability and ownership. Similarly, Coach Dick stresses that both athletes and learners must take responsibility for their progress and make intentional changes to refine their performance. By embedding these principles in education, we empower students to become problem solvers who persist through challenges and take an active role in shaping their learning.

A key aspect of student ownership is goal setting and strategic learning. Rather than simply being told to improve, students identify their own areas for growth and develop personalized strategies to strengthen their skills. This shifts motivation from external pressures—pleasing teachers or parents—to intrinsic motivation, where students understand the value and purpose of their education (Spencer & Juliani, 2017).

This approach naturally fosters resilience and adaptability, as students must learn to monitor their progress, reflect on their challenges and adjust their learning strategies accordingly. The Anxious Generation (Haidt, 2024) warns against overprotecting students from struggle, highlighting that discomfort and challenge are essential for intellectual and emotional growth. This aligns with Coach Dick’s approach, which argues that winning is not about avoiding failure but about using setbacks as learning opportunities. By creating a classroom culture that normalises struggle and failure as part of growth, educators help students develop the confidence to take risks, rethink strategies and persist through difficulties.

Teachers play a crucial role in facilitating student ownership by providing structured opportunities for choice, reflection and decision making, while also offering guidance and feedback when needed. This might include self-assessment activities, learning journals, student-led goal setting and project based learning, where students choose topics that interest them and take responsibility for their outcomes. However, student ownership does not mean leaving students entirely on their own – teachers act as coaches and facilitators, equipping students with the skills needed to make informed decisions while ensuring they remain aligned with learning objectives.

By fostering student ownership and self-regulated learning, we prepare students for a world where lifelong learning is essential for success. They develop decision making abilities, time management skills and the capacity for self-evaluation, understanding the direct connection between their effort and achievement. Most importantly, they build the confidence and competence to direct their own learning, ensuring that education is not just about following a curriculum but about developing the skills to grow and adapt in an ever changing world.

A Positive Approach to Failure: Communication, Collaboration, and Growth

Failure is not just inevitable in learning – it is invaluable. A positive approach to failure shifts how we view mistakes and setbacks, transforming them from sources of shame into powerful learning opportunities. This perspective is essential for developing resilient, confident learners who are unafraid to take intellectual risks and tackle challenges. Coach Dick reinforces this idea, calling attention to true success being rooted in continuous self-reflection and growth rather than external validation. When students and educators engage in thoughtful conversations about failure, they build trust, problem solving skills and a culture that fosters persistence and improvement.

Creating a safe environment for risk taking begins with shaping classroom culture. Better Conversations (Knight, 2016) accentuates the importance of active listening, open dialogue and reflection in fostering a growth oriented learning environment. When educators normalise failure, openly discussing mistakes and modelling how to learn from them, they reframe setbacks as learning moments. This allows students to ask questions freely, share their thinking processes without fear of judgment and view challenges as opportunities rather than threats to self-worth.

The practical application of this mindset involves strategies that make failure constructive rather than discouraging. Teachers can introduce “error analysis” sessions, where students examine mistakes collaboratively to understand underlying thought processes and adjust their strategies. Another effective method is celebrating “magnificent mistakes” – errors that lead to unexpected insights or deeper understanding. These practices cultivate a growth mindset, reinforcing that abilities are not fixed but can be developed through effort, strategic thinking and learning from mistakes (Dweck, 2006).

The impact of embracing failure positively extends far beyond academics. Students develop crucial life skills such as resilience, problem solving and adaptability. They learn that setbacks are temporary and surmountable rather than permanent reflections of their abilities. This mindset encourages students to take on challenges with confidence, knowing that even if they don’t succeed immediately, they can adjust, improve and ultimately succeed through persistence and reflection.

Furthermore, a positive failure culture fosters innovation and creativity. When students are not paralysed by the fear of making mistakes, they are more likely to think outside the box, take intellectual risks and engage in creative problem solving. Instead of viewing failures as endpoints, they begin to see them as data points – valuable information that guides their learning, helps them refine their approach and builds their capacity for adaptability. This approach produces resilient, innovative learners who can persist through difficulties and adjust to new challenges.

The true enduring value of this mindset lies in its preparation for real world success. In an ever changing world, where adaptability, innovation and persistence are essential, the ability to learn from failure, adjust course and persevere through challenges is a vital skill. Students who develop this mindset in school are far better equipped to handle obstacles in higher education, careers and personal life. They internalise the truth that failure is not the opposite of success – but an essential part of it.

By actively cultivating classroom spaces that embrace open communication, collaboration and reflection, educators empower students to take risks, embrace challenges and build confidence in their ability to learn and grow. A culture that values growth over perfection ensures that students don’t just memorise facts or aim for high grades but become lifelong learners prepared for success beyond the classroom.

Implementation Strategies for Transformative Learning

Successfully implementing transformative educational approaches requires a structured yet flexible strategy that engages both teachers and students in meaningful change. At the core of this shift is student directed goal setting, where students take ownership of their learning by setting personal, achievable objectives. Teachers guide this process by helping students break down goals into manageable steps, set realistic timelines and identify success criteria, ensuring that learning remains both purposeful and aligned with curriculum goals.

Progress monitoring plays a crucial role in maintaining student motivation. Tools such as learning journals, digital portfolios and goal tracking systems help students visualise their growth. Regular check-ins with teachers provide opportunities for reflection, strategy adjustments and celebration of achievements, reinforcing the importance of learning as an ongoing process rather than just a series of outcomes.

Building a strong communication network further supports this approach. Peer learning groups, mentoring relationships and structured reflection sessions create a dynamic, collaborative environment where students practice communication skills, receive feedback and refine their learning strategies. Teachers model effective communication and provide structured opportunities for discussion through group projects, presentations, and student-led learning conversations.

Assessment must also evolve to reflect growth focused learning. Instead of relying solely on traditional grading, rubrics that value effort and progress, portfolio assessments showcasing long term development, and self-assessment tools, students can actively evaluate their learning journey. This shift emphasises process over product, fostering resilience and deeper engagement.

Professional development is essential for successful implementation. Teachers need ongoing support, collaborative learning opportunities and access to resources that enable them to facilitate student directed learning while maintaining high academic standards. Regular reflection on teaching strategies ensures continued effectiveness and responsiveness to student needs.

Creating a supportive school culture is key to sustaining change. Engaging parents and the wider school community through communication, student showcases and community involvement helps build broader support for student-led learning approaches. When schools prioritise consistency while remaining adaptable, they create an environment where students develop into confident, self-directed learners prepared for future challenges.

Conclusion: Redefining Winning for Lifelong Success

Winning isn’t about external validation or outperforming others – it’s about growth, learning and resilience. By redefining success as continuous self-improvement, educators can create environments where students take ownership of their learning, embrace challenges and develop persistence for lifelong success.

To apply these principles, we must:
✅ Encourage autonomy by allowing students to set meaningful goals.
✅ Foster resilience through safe spaces for risk taking and learning from failure.
✅ Rethink assessment to emphasise progress and mastery over competition.

Just as athletes focus on personal excellence rather than just winning medals, education should be a journey of learning, adapting and evolving. By shifting our approach, we equip students with the self-awareness, critical thinking and adaptability needed to succeed in an ever changing world.

Summary of the Alignment with Frank Dick’s Approach to Coaching:

Educational Concept	Key Educational Thinkers	Connection to Frank Dick’s Philosophy
Personal Growth Over Competition	Spencer & Juliani (2017), Robinson (2011), Ripley (2013)	Success is about self-improvement, not outperforming others. True winning means being better today than yesterday.
Learning as a Journey, Not a Destination	Robinson (2011), Spencer & Juliani (2017), Ripley (2013)	Growth happens through continuous learning, adaptation, and reflection, rather than just achieving top scores.
Growth happens through continuous learning, adaptation, and reflection rather than just achieving top scores.	Barr (2024), Knight (2016)	Just as athletes take responsibility for progress, learners must set goals, track progress, and refine strategies to succeed.
Embracing Challenge and Failure	Spencer & Juliani (2017), Barr (2024), Haidt (2024)	Winning is not about avoiding failure but learning from setbacks and refining strategies to improve.
Communication, Collaboration, and Growth Mindset	Knight (2016), Dweck (2006)	Success is driven by self-reflection and meaningful conversations, not just external rewards.
Resilience and Adaptability	Haidt (2024), Dweck (2006)	Just as athletes persist through obstacles, students must develop grit and problem solving skills to navigate challenges.
Rethinking Assessment: Mastery Over Grades	Barr (2024), Spencer & Juliani (2017)	Focus on progress and mastery rather than rigid performance metrics, reinforcing that improvement matters more than rankings.
Real World Preparedness and Lifelong Learning	Robinson (2011), Ripley (2013), Haidt (2024)	Education should prepare students for adaptability, continuous learning, and real world problem solving, just as athletes train for evolving competition.

References

Abrahams, D. (2025, January 25). What is Winning? [Video]. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7288396136950706180/

Barr, S. (2024). Educate to Self-Regulate: Empowering Learners for life long success. Melbourne: Amba Press.

Claxton, G., Chambers, M., Powell, G., & Lucas, B. (2013). The Learning Powered School: Pioneering 21st Centruy Education. TLO Limited.

Dweck, D. C. (2006). Mindset: How you can fulfil your potential. Robinson.

Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Press.

Knight, J. (2016). Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other to be More Credible, Caring, and Connected. Corwin.

Ripley, A. (2013). The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way. NewYork: Simon & Schuster.

Ritchhart, R. (2015). Creating Cultures of Thinking: 8 Forces we must master to truley transform our schools. Jossey-Bass.

Robinson, K. (2011). Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative. Capstone Publishing Ltd.

Spencer, J., & Juliani, A. (2017). Empower: What happens when students own their learning. IMpress.