Growth Mindset
What is growth mindset?
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/2/4/18247999/5163042.png?207)
Growth mindset is based on the idea that a person's ability to learn is not fixed but can be changed with effort. We need to send the message to our children that they are developing people who can grow despite failure or mistakes. As Carol Dweck writes,
"the best thing they can do is teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning...They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence." (2006, p. 176-177).
The opposite of this would be a fixed mindset. Students who have a fixed mindset give up, become defensive, act bored, do not put in effort because they are scared of being seen as "not smart". Teachers who are in a fixed mindset know which students to give up on before giving them the space to realize their potential. We as teachers need to be in a growth mindset and teach our students to work hard in order to grow. It is important to be aware of success in our students as it could create a fixed mindset. If a student gets a high grade or wins a contest they may automatically contribute it to talent or intelligence which is something we want to be careful to avoid.
An important part of developing a growth mindset is to be aware of the praise and criticism we are giving our students
"the best thing they can do is teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning...They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence." (2006, p. 176-177).
The opposite of this would be a fixed mindset. Students who have a fixed mindset give up, become defensive, act bored, do not put in effort because they are scared of being seen as "not smart". Teachers who are in a fixed mindset know which students to give up on before giving them the space to realize their potential. We as teachers need to be in a growth mindset and teach our students to work hard in order to grow. It is important to be aware of success in our students as it could create a fixed mindset. If a student gets a high grade or wins a contest they may automatically contribute it to talent or intelligence which is something we want to be careful to avoid.
An important part of developing a growth mindset is to be aware of the praise and criticism we are giving our students
Failure
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/2/4/18247999/3617517.jpg?238)
Failure is an important part of learning and is something we do not need to protect our students from. We need to learn from our failures and do what it takes to succeed in the future. We need to teach our students that failure is not a permanent position.
Carol Dweck has shown that when kids read and learn about the brain and how it changes and grows in response to challenge they are more likely to persevere when they fail because they can understand that failure it not a permanent position. When they learn that the brain can be developed like a muscle with neurons forming new connections when we are pushed outside our comfort zone they get excited about the idea of training to be smarter.
When this research about growth mindset and the brain was shown to Native Americans in the US, the children were not excited at first. When this information was made culturally relevant, in that those whose brain was able to grow could help their family and communities thrive, it worked. Students who were taught this mindset in a culturally relevant way advanced in literacy and math skills but more importantly believed that their potential as a native student was unlimited.
In order for our students to learn from their mistakes and failures we must set high standards. It is important to set high standards while giving our students the means to reach them. This does not mean to set a high standard for the whole class but for each student a high standard that they can still reach.
I am guilty of lowering standards in my own practice which did not benefit the student. I had a student who had a very hard time following along in class and completing his work. When it was time for the math test, I gave him a shorter test. He completed the test with no problem in record time. I then gave him the regular test which he finished, all correct, as well. He had completed two tests in the time it had taken the class to finish one. I had lowered his standards and as a result he wasn't able to show me everything that he had learned to his full potential.
The lesson I learned coincides with what Dweck writes when she says lowering standards doesn't raise our students self-esteem, but neither does raising them without giving them the means to reach the high standards (2006).
Carol Dweck has shown that when kids read and learn about the brain and how it changes and grows in response to challenge they are more likely to persevere when they fail because they can understand that failure it not a permanent position. When they learn that the brain can be developed like a muscle with neurons forming new connections when we are pushed outside our comfort zone they get excited about the idea of training to be smarter.
When this research about growth mindset and the brain was shown to Native Americans in the US, the children were not excited at first. When this information was made culturally relevant, in that those whose brain was able to grow could help their family and communities thrive, it worked. Students who were taught this mindset in a culturally relevant way advanced in literacy and math skills but more importantly believed that their potential as a native student was unlimited.
In order for our students to learn from their mistakes and failures we must set high standards. It is important to set high standards while giving our students the means to reach them. This does not mean to set a high standard for the whole class but for each student a high standard that they can still reach.
I am guilty of lowering standards in my own practice which did not benefit the student. I had a student who had a very hard time following along in class and completing his work. When it was time for the math test, I gave him a shorter test. He completed the test with no problem in record time. I then gave him the regular test which he finished, all correct, as well. He had completed two tests in the time it had taken the class to finish one. I had lowered his standards and as a result he wasn't able to show me everything that he had learned to his full potential.
The lesson I learned coincides with what Dweck writes when she says lowering standards doesn't raise our students self-esteem, but neither does raising them without giving them the means to reach the high standards (2006).
Changing Mindset
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/2/4/18247999/7362516.gif?336)
For those of our students who we believe are stuck in a fixed mindset we want to try and coax them out of this to a growth mindset.
One way to foster this is by asking growth minded questions to your students such as, "what mistake did you make that taught you something today?", "What did you try hard at today?". You can discuss skills you have today that you didn't have yesterday because of effort and practice you put in.
Another aspect to consider is that of effort. We want children to be focused on the love of learning and not trying to prove something to their teachers or parents. Again we want to focus on praise that encourages the learning process. These ideas then need to be maintained in order for change to happen. Look at this graphic by Nigel Holmes comparing the two mindsets in response to different elements of life.
One way to foster this is by asking growth minded questions to your students such as, "what mistake did you make that taught you something today?", "What did you try hard at today?". You can discuss skills you have today that you didn't have yesterday because of effort and practice you put in.
Another aspect to consider is that of effort. We want children to be focused on the love of learning and not trying to prove something to their teachers or parents. Again we want to focus on praise that encourages the learning process. These ideas then need to be maintained in order for change to happen. Look at this graphic by Nigel Holmes comparing the two mindsets in response to different elements of life.