In the MindShifting: Resilient Mindsets for Long-Term Success course, one of the most powerful takeaways is how learning actually works—and how often we unintentionally work against it.

Learning is not linear

It is iterative.

John Boyd’s OODA loop—observe, orient, decide, act, repeat—captures this beautifully. We try something, see what happens, and adjust. This is not just a theory; it’s how the brain naturally functions when it’s operating effectively. As Jane Lyons put it, “This is happening really quickly… you need to be able to react quickly, because situations happen like that.”

Learning is dynamic, not static.

This has major implications for how we think about failure. If output or results are judged as success of failure, we celebrate or blame, but we don’t learn.

In many classrooms, failure is something to avoid. But in reality, failure is essential data. It tells us what to do next. Kevin Honeycutt captured this when he said, “If we regard the success or failure of each intervention we try as mere information… that informs the next thing we’re going to try.”

Failure as feedback

That’s a powerful reframe: from failure as judgment to failure as information.

Growth mindset is not just about positive thinking; it’s about engaging fully in this iterative process. It means expecting that the first attempt may not work. It means being prepared with multiple approaches. And it means staying emotionally regulated enough to keep going. When we get frustrated or take things personally, we break the loop. We stop observing clearly and start reacting instead.

This is especially important in teaching.

As all experienced educators know, good teaching is less about delivering perfect lessons and more about managing cycles of adaptation. Teachers are constantly observing student responses, adjusting instruction, and trying new strategies. The best educators don’t rely on a single plan; they come in ready to iterate.

Putting iteration into teaching practice

For example, instead of giving students immediate answers, we can allow productive struggle. Instead of designing a single “perfect” lesson, we can prepare several possible pathways. Instead of labeling students as successful or unsuccessful, we can help them see their progress as part of an ongoing process.

Jane Lyons highlighted another critical piece: the role of internal narratives. When students tell themselves “I’m bad at this,” they create a self-reinforcing loop that limits their ability to improve. Our job is not just to teach content, but to interrupt those loops and replace them with more productive ones.

That interrupt and reframe are the foundation of the MindShifting courses.

Ultimately, this approach requires a shift in mindset for both students and educators. We move from needing to be right to being willing to learn. From avoiding mistakes to using them. From rigid plans to flexible thinking.

The trick taught in this course is to keep our eyes on looping:

• What are we observing?
• What are our options and expectations?
• What will we try?
• Try it without attachment.
• Go back to what are we observing without dwelling on the judgment or blame.

When both students and teachers internalize that learning is iterative, that failure is feedback, and that teaching is a continuous process of adjustment, we create classrooms where joy and growth are inevitable.