When Marshmallows Melt and Mindsets Shift

Last week, we wrapped up our first-ever summer training on teaching the entrepreneurial mindset—and it was completely sold out.

I’ll be honest: it exceeded even my highest expectations.

Over the course of three days, I watched teachers lean in, ask hard questions, and reimagine what’s possible when we shift from content delivery to mindset formation. We didn’t just talk about entrepreneurship—we modeled it. And true to form, things got a little messy.

One story from the week has stuck with me.

A teacher we work with shared how she was preparing to teach a lesson built around one simple (and deceptively difficult) challenge: build the tallest, strongest tower you can—using only dry spaghetti noodles and marshmallows.

She knew from experience it could get chaotic. So this time, she decided to do it outside.

What she didn’t fully anticipate was the strength of the sun.

The marshmallows melted. Everywhere. All over the students. All over the materials. All over the place.

And in the middle of that mess, something beautiful happened.

Students didn’t give up. They adapted. They tested new solutions. They embraced the chaos and looked for creative ways to make it work. The tower didn’t just become an engineering challenge. It became a real moment of growth—for her students and for her.

It was a vivid picture of the entrepreneurial mindset at work.

Learning through failure, seeing challenges as opportunities, and truly collaborating—not just cooperating.

And perhaps most importantly: watching students shine who don’t usually raise their hand or finish the worksheet first.

This is the kind of education we’re after. It’s not always tidy. But it’s transformative.

I had the distinct privilege of having Joel Hazard, the Head of Academic Collaboration and Culture at Fellowship Christian School, on the podcast this week to talk about this very topic–creating environments where collaboration can flourish.

The episode is packed with practical takeaways and techniques to foster collaboration in the school culture, which then will directly impact the learning experiences for students.

If you’re curious how you might bring this mindset to your students and staff next year, I’d love to talk with you.

Let’s connect.

Listen to the episode here.

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