Risk and Reward

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Risk and Reward, Rushton features a short film of skier Sam Favret

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Favret is someone who knows what he is doing. The first question for you, though, is what risks there might be doing what Favret does. Are the risks what they seem? Why or why not?

Clearly, flying down a very steep mountain at stunning speed is risky in some fashion, but there is reward, as well. What is the reward, and is it worth it? How would one explain both what is and isn’t worth a risk? What’s the difference?

What risks to you are worth taking? Is it taking part in a rough sport, or speaking in front of a crowd, or trying out for a part in a play? Whatever it is for you, being able to accurately understand the risks will tell you something important about who you can be.”

I was fascinated with this film for a number of reasons. I don’t know how to ski so this is probably the closest I will get to skiing down a giant ski slope of any kind. It also felt mesmerizing and peaceful to watch the skier glide down the mountain. I also thought about how hard and long it must have taken to hike up to the top of the mountain and then to ski down it so fast. I’m not sure I would feel it is worth the trouble. Sometimes I think about that when I want to try something new. Is it worth the trouble? I think my students feel the same way when I introduce a new skill and it is up to me to help students see that it is worth the effort.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.