Why We Need to Stop Asking Students to “Take Risks” with Their Learning

There is a common refrain in education that we need to create “safe learning environments where students feel comfortable taking risks.” It is well intentioned. We want learners to stretch beyond what is easy and familiar.

However, I would like to challenge this framing, because it may be reinforcing the very hesitation we are trying to overcome.

The Problem with “Risk-Taking” Language

By describing learning as something that requires “risk-taking,” we are implicitly suggesting that learning is inherently risky. We frame the Learning Zone, that space just beyond current ability where growth happens, as a place of potential danger rather than opportunity.

This matters because language shapes perception. When we tell students they need to “take risks,” we subtly reinforce the idea that failure is something to fear, and that stretching beyond comfort involves potential harm. This framing can strengthen fixed mindset tendencies rather than diminish them.

The truth is, entering the Learning Zone is not risky. It is essential. It is where valuable growth happens. The discomfort of working at the edge of one’s ability is not danger. It is the sensation of building new capabilities.

What Happens in the Learning Zone?

In my work on learning zones, I distinguish between three key spaces:

Comfort Zone: Where tasks fall within current abilities, measured by time and focused on completion.

Performance Zone: Where tasks test current abilities, measured by quality and focused on reliability.

Learning Zone: Where tasks stretch current abilities, measured by effort and focused on growth.

The Learning Zone is where abilities develop and where productive struggle leads to new capabilities. There is nothing inherently risky about this space. It is the natural environment for growth.

Reframing Our Language

What is a better way to frame this for students?

Instead of: “This is a safe place to take risks with your learning.”

Say: “This is where we stretch our abilities by taking on challenges that help us grow.”

Instead of: “Do not be afraid to take risks and make mistakes.”

Say: “Mistakes give us the information we need to improve. They are part of how we learn.”

Instead of: “I know this feels risky, but give it a try.”

Say: “This challenge is designed to stretch you. That is how you will get stronger.”

This is not mere semantics. When we shift from risk-focused language to growth-focused language, we transform how students perceive challenge. They begin to see the Learning Zone not as a place of potential threat, but as the space where they become more capable.

Creating a Challenge-Positive Culture

Here are five practical ways to shift from risk-framing to growth-framing:

1. Audit your language. Notice when you use words like “risk,” “safe,” or “scary” around learning. Replace them with “stretch,” “growth,” and “challenge.”
2. Normalise struggle. Teach students that the feeling of struggle is not a warning sign. It is a sign of growth.
3. Celebrate stretch attempts. Acknowledge when students engage with challenging material, regardless of the outcome.
4. Change the metaphors. Use growth metaphors such as “stretching your abilities” or “building your learning muscles.”
5. Model growth language. When you encounter challenges, verbalise your approach: “This will stretch my thinking, which is exactly what I need to grow.”

We are not asking students to risk anything. We are inviting them to grow by engaging with challenges designed to stretch them. Our language should reflect that truth.

How do you frame challenge in your classroom? Have you found language that helps students embrace difficulty rather than avoid it? I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

This post is part of the “Rethinking Learning Challenges” series, exploring how our language and approaches shape student attitudes toward difficulty and growth. For more on developing powerful learners, see my book The Learning Advantage.