Are You Challenging?
In higher education where I have spent 20+ years of my career, there is a theory by which we work with students that is affectionately known as “challenge and support.” Developed in the 1960s by Nevitt Sanford, this theory postulates that too much challenge will lead to frustration and too much support will prevent growth and development. He suggested that there is a sweet spot in the middle that provides the maximum potential for learning. I wrote about this theory in my blo