Resilience

Kristijan Musek Lešnik
Nov 17, 2025
2 min read

Life isn’t always easy — and it’s not meant to be. Young people will face disappointments, changes, and moments when things don’t go as planned. What makes the difference is resiliency — the ability to recover, adapt, and keep going.

“Resilience isn’t about never falling — it’s about learning to rise.”

Resiliency doesn’t mean being tough or hiding emotions. It means learning to stay steady through difficulty, to draw strength from others, and to believe: I can get through this.

As human beings, we are deeply social. Our ability to bounce back grows from relationships of trust and belonging. When young people feel supported, cared for, and connected, they learn that even when life gets hard, they are never alone.

Why Resiliency Matters

Resilience is one of the strongest predictors of lifelong well-being. Children and youth who learn to face challenges with courage and flexibility grow into confident, capable adults.

Research shows that resilience can be built — it’s not something we either have or don’t. It develops through caring relationships, problem-solving, optimism, and healthy self-belief.

When young people learn to cope with stress and setbacks, they become more adaptable, confident, and hopeful — better prepared for whatever life brings.

Why Schools Play a Key Role

Schools are ideal places to build resilience. Every day offers small moments to practice perseverance, self-regulation, and courage.

Supporting resilience in education means:

Creating safe, caring environments where mistakes are part of learning.
Encouraging effort, not perfection.
Teaching problem-solving, self-reflection, and optimism.
Modelling calm, compassionate responses to challenges.

When teachers believe in their students’ ability to recover and grow, students begin believing it too.

Building Resilience Through the Ages

Infancy (0–3 years): Resilience starts with feeling safe and loved.

Teacher’s role: Providing warmth, reliability, and calm routines.

Preschool (4–6 years): Young people learn persistence by trying again.

Teacher’s role: Praising effort and courage more than success.

Early School (7–10 years): Challenges increase — so does self-awareness.

Teacher’s role: Teaching problem-solving and encouraging positive thinking.

Tweens (11–13 years): Belonging and emotions matter deeply.

Teacher’s role: Supporting inclusion and teaching stress management.

Teens (14–18 years): Adolescents search for meaning and identity.

Teacher’s role: Encouraging reflection, purpose, and hope during difficult times.

Impact for Students, Teachers, and Families

When we teach resilience, children and youth learn to handle difficulties with calm, confidence, and courage. Because resilience isn’t about never falling — it’s about learning how to rise again. And when young people discover that strength within themselves, they carry it for life.