Courage and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
12 September 2025
The Zone of Proximal Development is a term familiar to any educator worth their salt. It was coined by psychologist Lev Vygotsky in the 1960s and was used to describe the difference between what a learner can already do independently –achieved development– versus what they can do with help. This is usually applied to classroom learning but it can apply to any area of learning. For example, as a teenager I had a uniquely tangible experience with my own ZPD whilst learning to rock climb in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Standing above me, my instructor assured me I could make the next hold. I just needed to commit to the move and all would be well. I committed, and fell. Hard.
Dangling off the mountain face, I remember wondering if my instructor had possibly misjudged my ability to hit that target. When it comes to classroom learning, however, when talking about ZPD, we typically mean all the skills, dispositions, and knowledge bases yet to be mastered. Our challenge as educators is to figure out how to best structure learning and coach students towards appropriate ZPD targets. There are few things more exciting for a teacher than witnessing a child move into a new ZPD. All of our instruction, planning and assessing is designed for this very purpose. And yet, in our efforts, we can sometimes forget an essential ingredient for the learner’s success: courage.
It takes a great deal of courage to try something new. The fear of failure, the discomfort, the uncertainty of what lies ahead – these are all very real obstacles to accessing the next level of ZPD. Hence the reason for social and emotional learning and personalised support. And yet, as I walk the halls, I see remarkable acts of courage from our students every day. If it takes a lot of courage to learn one new thing, imagine the amount of courage needed for an entire school day, let alone a semester. For this and many other reasons, ICS students command my utmost respect. Their commitment to learning, their resilience in the face of hardship testify to the strength of the values and partnership that bind our community together. As the learning difficulty increases the more we progress into the year, may we continue to be inspired –and prompted to action– by the courage of our children.
In partnership,
Gabriel Di Mauro
Secondary Principal
Interim ex-officio Head of School