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The Formative Five: Fostering Grit, Empathy, and Other Success Skills Every Student Needs
For success in school and life, students need more than proficiency in academic subjects and good scores on tests; those goals should form the floor, not the ceiling, of their education. To truly thrive, students need to develop attributes that aren’t typically measured on standardized tests. In this lively, engaging book by veteran school leader Thomas R. Hoerr, educators will learn how to foster the “Formative Five” success skills that today’s students need, including When educators engage students in understanding and developing these five skills, they change mindsets and raise expectations for student learning. As an added benefit, they see significant improvements in school and classroom culture. With specific suggestions and strategies, The Formative Five will help teachers, principals, and anyone else who has a stake in education prepare their students—and themselves—for a future in which the only constant will be change.
204 pages, Paperback
Published November 16, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 30, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 I read this book as part of my book study at work. When reading the title, it caught my attention because these are qualities that I would strive to have in our school culture. Values are a key priority in our strategic plan, yet I feel like I miss the mark in creating that culture.
I am an avid reader, and its super interesting when you read a book about grit, empathy, self control, and embracing diversity and you realize that many of the works quoted (Angela Ducksworth, Simon Senik, and Charles Duhigg) are some of your favorite books and you try to connect the dots to create your "why", "work smarter, better, faster" and have your own "grit" as an adult. It is easy for me to think back on the times when I have overcome many obstacles in my lifetime, only to come out ok on the other end. When I read this book, I thought of students of past and present that are learning to "fail forward." Perhaps, I myself feel like I am learning from all my failures in my principalship. But somehow, some way, despite the day to day, I get up to do it all again the next day. Why? Because I believe in what I do. I really believe our students can be successful humans, not just children as numbers and grades. I really believe in collaboration at my core. I really believe that I don't have all the answers. (All premises and reflections from other books).
Without a doubt, when my teachers read this, they will look at it through their lens and role at the school. Without a doubt, I look at it through my lens and my previous experiences in my roles as a long-term sub, a teacher, an instructional coach, a director of learning....and now a principal. And on that note, based on my current "Jessyca role", these are two quotes that really struck me, and perhaps it is because of what I personally feel in a sometimes, lonely, but rewarding job. My enthusiasm is there, deep in my core, but I feel that sometimes I don't convey it as such on the day to day.
"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." ~ Winston Churchill
"In the same sense that students need to know and feel cared for and known, so too, do teachers. Teachers must know that principals want to help them succeed and understand that mistakes are part of the process...Likewise, teachers need to make the effort to get to know their principals and let them know that advocacy works both ways. Once a teacher was telling me about her need for positive feedback, and I shared that was true of me too." ~ Hoerr
All in all, this book reminds us that we are human. There is more to us than simply numbers. In a day and age were instant gratification is commonplace, it takes these "formative five" to help us strive in a world of the demands of today. I would love if we could reach the "ideal" state at our school. I see progress, I do, and I believe we can get there.....maybe, just maybe my grit will pay off, so that from now while I am here, and long into the future, perhaps after I am no longer here, a legacy might go on. I think we have excellent avenues to help us. We have OLWEUS. We now have collaboration in our grade teams and PLCS....the next step is taking the leap to define the "why" and make a commitment to each other.
Practically speaking: 1. The scoring checklists are helpful 2. I like that it gives ideas at the end for teachers, parents, and principals 3. A quick read overall 4. Aligns with current research
Now...how to tie all my learning...from all my books...to keep the momentum!
I am an avid reader, and its super interesting when you read a book about grit, empathy, self control, and embracing diversity and you realize that many of the works quoted (Angela Ducksworth, Simon Senik, and Charles Duhigg) are some of your favorite books and you try to connect the dots to create your "why", "work smarter, better, faster" and have your own "grit" as an adult. It is easy for me to think back on the times when I have overcome many obstacles in my lifetime, only to come out ok on the other end. When I read this book, I thought of students of past and present that are learning to "fail forward." Perhaps, I myself feel like I am learning from all my failures in my principalship. But somehow, some way, despite the day to day, I get up to do it all again the next day. Why? Because I believe in what I do. I really believe our students can be successful humans, not just children as numbers and grades. I really believe in collaboration at my core. I really believe that I don't have all the answers. (All premises and reflections from other books).
Without a doubt, when my teachers read this, they will look at it through their lens and role at the school. Without a doubt, I look at it through my lens and my previous experiences in my roles as a long-term sub, a teacher, an instructional coach, a director of learning....and now a principal. And on that note, based on my current "Jessyca role", these are two quotes that really struck me, and perhaps it is because of what I personally feel in a sometimes, lonely, but rewarding job. My enthusiasm is there, deep in my core, but I feel that sometimes I don't convey it as such on the day to day.
"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." ~ Winston Churchill
"In the same sense that students need to know and feel cared for and known, so too, do teachers. Teachers must know that principals want to help them succeed and understand that mistakes are part of the process...Likewise, teachers need to make the effort to get to know their principals and let them know that advocacy works both ways. Once a teacher was telling me about her need for positive feedback, and I shared that was true of me too." ~ Hoerr
All in all, this book reminds us that we are human. There is more to us than simply numbers. In a day and age were instant gratification is commonplace, it takes these "formative five" to help us strive in a world of the demands of today. I would love if we could reach the "ideal" state at our school. I see progress, I do, and I believe we can get there.....maybe, just maybe my grit will pay off, so that from now while I am here, and long into the future, perhaps after I am no longer here, a legacy might go on. I think we have excellent avenues to help us. We have OLWEUS. We now have collaboration in our grade teams and PLCS....the next step is taking the leap to define the "why" and make a commitment to each other.
Practically speaking: 1. The scoring checklists are helpful 2. I like that it gives ideas at the end for teachers, parents, and principals 3. A quick read overall 4. Aligns with current research
Now...how to tie all my learning...from all my books...to keep the momentum!
May 21, 2018
#25 of 2018
This seems to me to be a summary of a previous book by Hoerr. It is a pretty straightforward outline of the 5 character traits that Hoerr sees as essential to improving student scores. Hoerr and Tough mention each other in their works and it was by happy accident that I read them in tandem.
This seems to me to be a summary of a previous book by Hoerr. It is a pretty straightforward outline of the 5 character traits that Hoerr sees as essential to improving student scores. Hoerr and Tough mention each other in their works and it was by happy accident that I read them in tandem.
June 20, 2017
Good book for helping a school develop a culture around the Formative Five, but not much on how to make it happen. The quizzes for staff in each chapter would be valuable professional development tools, but there is nothing really for working with students.
July 24, 2017
Very practical approach to helping develop the whole child beyond academics. Great resources ideas provided for administrators to use with students, staff and families.
January 7, 2021
This book was assigned to me for a graduate class, and I am so thankful! I needed the reminder of what is important, after 22 years of teaching.
If you are a teacher and want to get the most out of the book but aren't reading it for a class, use the questions at the back of the book. Read this book with another faculty member, and have discussions. Allow the questions at the end to guide you. Highlight, and take the surveys. Read the articles Hoerr includes at the back of the book that coincide with each chapter.
I love teaching, and I love teaching my subjects (literature and reading remediation). But to think of these 5 character traits as skills that we can help our students develop is so exciting. It is also challenging to think of ways to incorporate them into my subject matter. Thanks to class requirements, I had to do that. But as a teacher reading the book, really reflect on what you do well, how awesome your students are, and that we are gifted to work with our students every day and to get to know them. Exhibit empathy, and teach them grit. Show they how to display integrity and self control in a world that does not embrace diversity. ENJOY!
If you are a teacher and want to get the most out of the book but aren't reading it for a class, use the questions at the back of the book. Read this book with another faculty member, and have discussions. Allow the questions at the end to guide you. Highlight, and take the surveys. Read the articles Hoerr includes at the back of the book that coincide with each chapter.
I love teaching, and I love teaching my subjects (literature and reading remediation). But to think of these 5 character traits as skills that we can help our students develop is so exciting. It is also challenging to think of ways to incorporate them into my subject matter. Thanks to class requirements, I had to do that. But as a teacher reading the book, really reflect on what you do well, how awesome your students are, and that we are gifted to work with our students every day and to get to know them. Exhibit empathy, and teach them grit. Show they how to display integrity and self control in a world that does not embrace diversity. ENJOY!
August 31, 2018
1. empathy
2. self-control
3. integrity
4. embracing diversity
5. grit
Okay, there you have it - the five skills we need to teach our students to nurture in order to be successful. Read no further.
But wait. There is more. Plenty of research studies, examples, self-assessment surveys, and how-to steps to follow. And these steps/activities/ideas are categorized by grade level and roles in the school. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that at the end of each chapter for the 5 skills, the author offers books (fiction and nonfiction) that support the topic. If we help students develop these skills, they will raise their own learning. The book is a pleasure to read; it's written well, and the words glide seamlessly from page to brain.
I feasted on the chapter about school culture. Oh, how I want my school to live this, breathe this. The final two pages struck me because of my relatively new role at my school. The author reminds principals and school leaders how important it is to remember that we need to minister to our staff just as we minister to our students. Amen. Drop the mic.
2. self-control
3. integrity
4. embracing diversity
5. grit
Okay, there you have it - the five skills we need to teach our students to nurture in order to be successful. Read no further.
But wait. There is more. Plenty of research studies, examples, self-assessment surveys, and how-to steps to follow. And these steps/activities/ideas are categorized by grade level and roles in the school. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that at the end of each chapter for the 5 skills, the author offers books (fiction and nonfiction) that support the topic. If we help students develop these skills, they will raise their own learning. The book is a pleasure to read; it's written well, and the words glide seamlessly from page to brain.
I feasted on the chapter about school culture. Oh, how I want my school to live this, breathe this. The final two pages struck me because of my relatively new role at my school. The author reminds principals and school leaders how important it is to remember that we need to minister to our staff just as we minister to our students. Amen. Drop the mic.
June 16, 2019
The Formative Five Fostering Grit, Empathy and other Success Skills Every Student Needs by Thomas R. Hoerr (2017). Chapter two is where Empathy is, how to grow and nurture it in the school, strategies for teachers to help students develop empathy, why listening is the at the core of empathy, tips for school leaders in support of teachers who build empathy in and out of the classroom. Integrity, self-control and diversity are the three success skills identified and discussed further in the book. Includes a self-assessment of the five success skills.
The book ends with an emphasis on culture as key in actualizing the formative five. Hoerr uses John Coleman’s 6 Components of Culture (Harvard, 2013) as gauge or indicators of success. These are Mission, Values, Practices, People, Narrative and Place. Hoerr takes on his administrator’s har in this chapter, but ends the book with a very humanist turn by drumming up the importance of relationships and what makes us happy being teachers and working with children and young people.
The book ends with an emphasis on culture as key in actualizing the formative five. Hoerr uses John Coleman’s 6 Components of Culture (Harvard, 2013) as gauge or indicators of success. These are Mission, Values, Practices, People, Narrative and Place. Hoerr takes on his administrator’s har in this chapter, but ends the book with a very humanist turn by drumming up the importance of relationships and what makes us happy being teachers and working with children and young people.
July 5, 2023
A reluctant five star review, for some reason I just got a negative feeling about the author. This is due to my bias no doubt, he is a principal, as he reminds us what seems ad nauseum. I agree with his social activism stance, although I wonder at their actual engagement. I might have connected better knowing what their actual teaching career consisted of, but that is not mentioned and I wonder if any of their classroom experiences occurred in this century.
Two other red flags to me, a brief mention of their reviewing teacher “draft” comments about students makes me wonder about micromanagement and a lack of trust in their educators, as well as a deficit anywhere of respect for teacher time. I get the impression that they teach in a private school with teachers not having union representation, hence the lack of concern evident towards teacher concerns.
Anyhow, like I said, such is my bias. The book itself explains the formative five well. And although as just a front line teacher it is above my pay grade to decide to implement such school wide, I found useful lessons for each characteristic which apply past just formative five implementation. These I will use to help my students and myself. For these low prep high payoff lessons, which I will integrate into my reading curriculum, I give the five stars.
Two other red flags to me, a brief mention of their reviewing teacher “draft” comments about students makes me wonder about micromanagement and a lack of trust in their educators, as well as a deficit anywhere of respect for teacher time. I get the impression that they teach in a private school with teachers not having union representation, hence the lack of concern evident towards teacher concerns.
Anyhow, like I said, such is my bias. The book itself explains the formative five well. And although as just a front line teacher it is above my pay grade to decide to implement such school wide, I found useful lessons for each characteristic which apply past just formative five implementation. These I will use to help my students and myself. For these low prep high payoff lessons, which I will integrate into my reading curriculum, I give the five stars.
August 8, 2018
Wow! What a book! The Formative Five focuses on the five character traits of Empathy, Self-Control, Integrity, Embracing Diversity, and Grit - character traits the author feels all other character traits can "fit into". The author, Thomas Hoerr, provides ideas to develop these traits in schools and classrooms. Lists of books for each of the Five are listed at the end of the chapters. Questions to use students to develop empathy and self-control are provided. Ways to include the Five into your existing curriculum are encouraged. This is a must-keep-on-your-desk resources for teachers! I read this book in two hours! Loved it!
June 25, 2019
Hoerr had some good ideas in how to foster empathy, self-control, and an acceptance of diversity in schools, and the strongest parts of the book were the ones in which he offered concrete suggestions for implementations for teachers and administrators of all grade levels. Unfortunately, a large portion of the book was just a philosophic introduction to the importance of these social-emotional skills, which, I believe, a teacher would know before picking up the book. He also had a certain air of arrogance, especially toward the end, of how well these things worked in his school, which was a bit of a turn off for me, but I still came away with a solid list of ideas, so I can't be that upset.
August 6, 2020
This book took me a while to get through since I was reading other books at the same time.
I really enjoyed the ideas at the end of each chapter as well as books that could be read to talk about each of the five. I am planning on introducing the formative 5 at the beginning of the year during morning meeting and continuing to do lessons throughout the year from this book.
However, I did not really like the writing style or all of the anecdotes from other people. Personal preference, but I would have rather read about how Thomas Hoerr implemented each into his building as well as in his classroom.
I really enjoyed the ideas at the end of each chapter as well as books that could be read to talk about each of the five. I am planning on introducing the formative 5 at the beginning of the year during morning meeting and continuing to do lessons throughout the year from this book.
However, I did not really like the writing style or all of the anecdotes from other people. Personal preference, but I would have rather read about how Thomas Hoerr implemented each into his building as well as in his classroom.
November 5, 2018
A quality resource for fostering social-emotional learning in schools. I love the skills that Hoerr focuses on, which don’t really attempt to choose the most important traits/virtues/success skills, but rather function as an amalgamation of all essential success skills. Though I certainly found some valuable insights and resources, there were far fewer quality resources than I was hoping for.
December 10, 2018
I debated between 3 and 4 stars on this one, because of the way the book handles priorities. The author doesn't build a strong enough case that the five behavioral principles he lists are the five pivotal steps to human goodness and success, even though that is his clear intention. Nonetheless, the lists of practical steps he gives are good ones that I would gladly apply in a classroom.
June 18, 2019
I'm still not sure how I feel about teaching grit but overall I found this book to be a good read for teachers. There are a lot of ideas for how to incorporate these skills into the classroom, even separated by approximate grade level (elementary versus middle/high school). There are also ideas for principals to get involved. It's a very easy read, too.
July 28, 2022
I read this book as part of coursework. I was so disappointed in it. It felt very elitist to me with very little being applicable to public education in a real world setting. While I couldn’t agree more with the idea of instilling success skills in my classroom, the author does very little to give strategies to make this happen.
July 12, 2019
A must-read for educators interested in a culture of learning and success. Hoerr shares his success skills list to connect with students and staff. There is a self-assessment for each skill and strategies suggestions. Everything starts with a relationship of trust. Anything is possible!
September 7, 2019
Read this for a grad class and found it a helpful reminder...but...admittedly...I already drank the Kool-Aid when it comes to developing kids' social-emotional resilience in addition to academic prowess.
May 7, 2017
I gave a 4 for the ideas but writing I would give a 2.5.
May 9, 2018
Not too much... not too little... some of this... some of that...
Pretty useless advice.
Pretty useless advice.
February 17, 2019
Great theory and research for fostering growth in the whole student, but I wanted more practical applications!
March 10, 2019
Just finished this book for an online class. It was an easy read about other factors our students need to succeed in life.
June 20, 2019
Some of the chapters had very practical advice to me as a teacher. Grit was one of the chapters I really enjoyed, also empathy. I thought the action steps at the ending chapter were a little weak.
October 31, 2019
Read for a grad class. Fine but nothing special.
January 7, 2022
Rated on the ideas shared, not necessarily how well it was written. Easy to read, though.
October 26, 2025
Professional development course for education. Loved the book. Some strategies will be more applicable than others but it was definitely a great read.
December 25, 2016
Patronizing. But some Good points.
December 27, 2016
The right question: Why school? Are your students going to be guided by the principles which you espouse when they are adults? Will they have been equipped to lead meaningful lives? David Brooks speaks of legacy virtues. Do they have those?
Formative Five: empathy, self-control, integrity, embracing diversity, grit . . . and inhering in those are courage, curiosity, responsibility, and receptivity. So the book guides in how to teach these things, starting with the fact that what is valued must be measured and reported.
p. 30 In the future different schools will have different foci and will market themselves accordingly and the business of school is all about how you make people feel. it is that simple and that hard. Who are we and how do we make people feel?
The book provides some nice self-assessment surveys for each of the five traits and gives a list of age-appropriate strategies for each of the five areas, as well as a good adult and student reading list for each.
- I found the focus on empathy to be particularly compelling.
- Excellent and simple ideas given for helping students learn self-control. Hoerr focuses on goal setting and habit formation.
- As to diversity Hoerr recommends the Southern Poverty Law Center's "Teaching Tolerence, an Anti-bias Framework." Video recommended for faculty meeting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnDgZ...).
- See Duckworth's TedTalk regarding grit. Hoerr notes that interest, capacity to engage, a sense of purpose, and hope are necessary for kids to move toward grittiness.
In all of these we have to be set up to celebrate progress as students move toward goals.
Importantly and correctly the book wraps up with a focus on school culture as the foundation for any meaningful focus on the formative five. Culture is built on mission, value, practice, people, narrative, and place. The section on the narrative that your school implicitly creates is compelling and deserves attention at all schools, I imagine.
Formative Five: empathy, self-control, integrity, embracing diversity, grit . . . and inhering in those are courage, curiosity, responsibility, and receptivity. So the book guides in how to teach these things, starting with the fact that what is valued must be measured and reported.
p. 30 In the future different schools will have different foci and will market themselves accordingly and the business of school is all about how you make people feel. it is that simple and that hard. Who are we and how do we make people feel?
The book provides some nice self-assessment surveys for each of the five traits and gives a list of age-appropriate strategies for each of the five areas, as well as a good adult and student reading list for each.
- I found the focus on empathy to be particularly compelling.
- Excellent and simple ideas given for helping students learn self-control. Hoerr focuses on goal setting and habit formation.
- As to diversity Hoerr recommends the Southern Poverty Law Center's "Teaching Tolerence, an Anti-bias Framework." Video recommended for faculty meeting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnDgZ...).
- See Duckworth's TedTalk regarding grit. Hoerr notes that interest, capacity to engage, a sense of purpose, and hope are necessary for kids to move toward grittiness.
In all of these we have to be set up to celebrate progress as students move toward goals.
Importantly and correctly the book wraps up with a focus on school culture as the foundation for any meaningful focus on the formative five. Culture is built on mission, value, practice, people, narrative, and place. The section on the narrative that your school implicitly creates is compelling and deserves attention at all schools, I imagine.
December 18, 2016
This is a definitely must read for any educators. The Formative Five that are identified by Heorr are critical to the work educators do everyday. As a professor, I found the chapter on embracing diversity to be very useful as well as the chapter on empathy. I particularly love booklist at the end of each chapter that can be used to further explore the topics beyond the book.
January 21, 2017
The five characteristics give a helpful structure to fostering success with students.
April 10, 2017
It took a while to get into, but the step-by-step applications for the formative five and the thoughts on school culture are helpful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews